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1964-1991 Today, the Soviet bloc cookie will crumble!

1964-1991 Today, the Soviet bloc cookie will crumble!. Europe after World War II in the West. Economic Resurgence from 1950-1970s Industrial and consumer goods produced Marshall Plan gave $9.4 Billion to rebuild “Economic Miracle” in West Germany in 1960s Communism evident but not strong.

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1964-1991 Today, the Soviet bloc cookie will crumble!

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  1. 1964-1991Today, theSoviet bloccookie willcrumble!

  2. Europe after World War II in the West • Economic Resurgence from 1950-1970s • Industrial and consumer goods produced • Marshall Plan gave $9.4 Billion to rebuild • “Economic Miracle” in West Germany in 1960s • Communism evident but not strong Prosperity!

  3. Europe after World War II in the East • Satellite Nations forced to contribute to USSR’s economy • Non-Communist parties eliminated…one party governments • Purge of intellectuals • “Brain Drain” to west Suffering

  4. Leonid Brezhnev’s Reign… 1964-1982

  5. EarlyBrezhnev • Attempted ESP reforms and loosening • More open to western culture and consumer goods

  6. USSR ailing by 1980 • Mixed Economic Info • Heavy industry still pushed/succeeding • Iron, steel, coal and cement beat the USA • But overall industrial  • Government central planning failed! • Discouraged efficiency • Reduced productivity • Guaranteed employment =  • Bad harvests in 1970s • had to buy grain from the West!!!

  7. b. USSR’s Politics ailing too • Patronage was major method of promotion in the state bureaucracy • Corruption and inefficiency

  8. Prague Spring 1968 •  elected to run Czechoslovakia  • Introduced many reforms for more political and social openness… • End censorship • Competing political groups • Less secret police power • Freedom to travel abroad • August 1968, Red Army invaded, kicked out Dubcek and his reforms • Czech protestors 

  9. Brezhnev Doctrine • Asserted the USSR had the right to intervene militarily in any Warsaw Pact nation if socialism was threatened  • Reform movements (like Prague Spring) would face swift repression • Silenced critics • Dissidents persecuted • Anti-Semitism returned

  10. Detente • “Relaxation of tensions” • From 1970-1979 • After Vietnam War • Nixon  • USA & USSR still spent $$ on the arms race • Many treaties too • SALT 1 1972 • Helsinki 1975

  11. f. Détente heats up by 1979 USSR invadesAfghanistan 1979-1989

  12. Other TenseEpisodes • Olympic boycotts in 1980 • USA and Moscow • USSR and LA • Ronald Reagan  • “evil empire” • Strategic Defense Initiative  • $$$ into military 

  13. Mikhail Gorbachev’s Reign… 1985-1991

  14. Gorbachev inherits weak USSR • Government • Corrupt & Stagnant • State-directed economy hurts innovation & people • Economy  • No basic commodities  • Behind in electronics • Decline in standard of living…hmmmmmmm • Workers (lemur)? • apathetic, lazy • Drunkenness dilemma • Critics = silenced by LB • Afghanistan = disaster

  15. Gorbachev’s goals for the USSR • Make radical reforms to jump start a rotting country • How long has Russia been waiting for this? • Gorbachev’s changes were needed, but they will result in the end of the USSR and Soviet Bloc

  16. Perestroika = “Restructuring” • At first, only meant reordering the economic policy • Less bureaucratic control = more efficiency and modernization • Beginning of market economy • Goal = stimulate the failing economy

  17. Glasnost = “Openness” • Gorbachev realized economic reform also needed social and political reform with it • 1st amendment rights  • Censorship reduced • Pravda allowed to publish reports on gov corruption, sloppy factory work, and protests • People encouraged to discuss USSR’s problems • Rock and jazz could be performed openly 

  18. Perestroika Problems • Rapid Changes = Economic turmoil • Bad product shortages • Prices rise • Factories that need gov help fold • Workers out of jobs • Communist bureaucrats angry over changes…

  19. Glasnost Problems • Russians can’t handle  • Unrest in multi-ethnic USSR • 92 different nationalities! • Totalitarian order muzzled old tensions (now free to erupt!) • Ethnic groups protested • Nationalistic movements from 1988-1990 • Countries want to break free! • Georgia (1988), Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Lithuania • Communist gov members worry about their job security…

  20. iv. Afghanistan & Brezhnev Doctrine? • Gorbachev… • pulls Soviet troops out of Afghanistan in 1989 • Renounces Brezhnev Doctrine • Loosens control of Soviet Bloc!!!

  21. Gorbachev signs more treaties with USA

  22. iii. Political Changes • Government totally restructured • 1989, new Parliament formed with members chosen from competitive elections (1st since 1918) • 1990, legalized formation of other political parties • Article 6 of Soviet Constitution eliminated… • Guess what happened?  • 1990, Consolidated his titles to form a new one • 1st President of USSR  Who is not happy w this?

  23. 1989-1991the Sovietbloc cookiecrumbles!

  24. Who will break free? • Poland 1990 • Hungary 1990 • Czechoslovakia 1989 • Romania 1989 • East Germany 1989 • Yugoslavia 1990

  25. Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution • 1988-1989 • Revolts & suppression • Why velvet? • Bloodless Rev that overthrew Commie gov • Dec 1989 = Commie gov collapses • Anti-Commie Vaclav Havel is new President

  26. Poland’s Resistance • Martial Law in Poland since 1981…but not working • Constant protesting (for free elections) • Protests led by “Solidarity” • Anti-Commie Trade Union • Free Elections allowed in December 1990 • Lech Walesa (head of Solidarity) elected President of Poland • Gorbachev does nothing 

  27. Hungary 1990 • Picture is from 1956’s failed revolt • Similar to Poland’s story • Just earlier (March 1990) • Economic Decline led to social unrest • Commiegov tried reforms too late • Free Elections lead to new democratic gov

  28. Romania • Much uglier end to Communism • Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu overthrown Dec. 1989 • Rejected reforms • Murdered own people • Ordered military to kill protestors • Tried to escape  • Captured & executed! • Ugly show trial

  29. German Reunification • Summer 1989, East Berliners protest • “The wall must go!!” • Nov 9…Commie gov opened the East-West Berlin border • Weak USSR could not back them up • Dec 1989 = new political parties • 1990 = new elections and unification planned

  30. “All Walls Eventually Fall”

  31. 1991… the USSR falls

  32. States try to secede • Estonia 1988 • Lithuania 1990 • Georgia 1991 USSR Crumbles

  33. August Coup in 1991 • June • Boris Yeltsin elected Prez of Russian Republic • Beats Commie candidate • August 19 = COUP! • Led by 8 Communist hard-liners • Opposed reforms and power decentralization • Gorbachev under house arrest

  34. August Coup Loses… • Revolts in Leningrad and Moscow • Led by Boris Yeltsin and Russian people • Commie Coup defeated in days • Gorbachev back in power as President of USSR • Damage to his power is too much

  35. August – December, every state declares independence • Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia • December 24, 1991, Russia announces USSR is over • Gorbachev hands power to Yeltsin ByeBye Cookie

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