The End of the Cold War:

1985-1991

Thomas Mitsock and Katie SawosikMs. Everett

World History II Honors, E Block31 May 2013

Key Facts

•End of war started in 1985

•Ended in 1991

•Causes: o Arms raceo Soviet economic problemso Eastern European resistanceo Soviet reforms through Gorbachev

Key Players

•Mikhail Gorbachev- Soviet Union reformer

•Ronald Reagan- US President

•Boris Yeltsin- Gorbachev's political opponent

•Lech Walesa- Polish trade-union organizer

Gorbachev ReaganYeltsin Walesa

Events

• 1985- Mikhail Gorbachev becomes a major Soviet leadero Replaces old regime with younger leaders

• November 1985- Reagan and Gorbachev meet for the first time

• 1987- Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev sign the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF)

• December 1988- Gorbachev speaks in favor of democracy at United Nations conference

Events (cont.)

• June 1989- Poland holds free elections; Solidarity Party wins over Communists

• July 1989- Many East Germans flee

• November 1989- Gates to Berlin Wall are opened and the wall is demolished

• December 1989- Gorbachev and President Bush attend Malta meetings

Germans tearing down the Berlin Wall.

Events (Cont.)

•August 1991- Russian military leaders arrest Gorbachev and take power; Boris Yeltsin goes against the coup

•December 1991- Soviet Union is dissolved and the following countries are freed: Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan

The Election of Gorbachev• Won election as secretary/Soviet

leader in 1985

• Became president/chief of state in 1988

• Wished to return to socialism/reform Communism

• Goal: reduce military spending, focus on domestic needs

• Planned to bring the Soviet Union back the how it was at the time of Lenin.

Gorbachev is elected president of Soviet Union.

Economic Problems in the Soviet Union

•Large budget for nuclear weaponso Arms Race

•Low industrial productiono Shortages of raw materialso Wasteful manufacturing practices

•Little technological growtho W. Germany, Japan, and USo No advanced technology under Communist

rule

•Third World Countries

Perestroika

• Means restructuring.

• Initially an economic reform.

• Radical measures taken to reform the Soviet way.

• Launched investment programs.

• Encouraged enterprises, pushed for a more Western aspect; tried for market economy.

• Failed; did not keep a secure Communist hold over Russia.

Soviet stamp advertising Perestroika

Glasnost

• Means openness or publicity.

• A plan for social freedom.

• Allowed news sources to cover events.

• Allowed people to speak up in favor of reforms and discuss flaws in the USSR

• Allowed the arts and music to proliferate.

• Led to questioning of the current government as previously hidden events were released to the public, revealing old corruption.

• Allowed for more democratic elections-played a role in the ultimate downfall.

Map

Poland and Lech Walesa

• Civil unrest in Poland under Soviet control.

• Lech Walesa: Activist who led Solidarity and became president of Poland.

• Solidarity: An independent trade union that challenged authority in Poland. Brought about with the help of perestroika.

• Solidarity became very powerful and managed to coerce the Soviets into allowing free elections in Poland.

• Walesa runs for president and wins; USSR loses control in Poland.

The Arms Buildup And Weapons Treaties

•Soviet Union monetarily exhausted from arms buildup.

•US asserts power; challenges USSR.

•Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev begin talks to avoid nuclear war; sign INF treaty, removes intermediate range nuclear weapons.

• In 1991, Gorbachev and George H.W. Bush sign START, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

•The treaty reduced more nuclear weapons from the countries.

Gorbachev and Reagan sign the INF Treaty.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall

•"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" -Reagan

•The speech was a challenge directed towards Gorbachev.

•Refugee problems and civil unrest on the eastern side of the wall led to runaway Germans.

•A Politburo member announced possibility of Eastern Germans crossing, wall was opened when crowds gathered.

break-Up of the Soviet Union

• New parliament established; Communist party loses popularity (1989).

• Protests against Soviets, Gorbachev keen to preserve union, makes separate presidency.

• George H.W. Bush restricts trade with Soviet Union, warns Gorbachev.

• Boris Yeltsin and other reformers push for change; Gorbachev tried to make reformers happy yet preserve old communism.

• Conservative communists hold a coup, put Gorbachev under house arrest (August 1991)

Break-up of the Soviet Union (cont.)

• Boris Yeltsin rebels against the coup; troops will not arrest him despite orders.

• Coup leaders are arrested; Communist party loses control.

• Gorbachev retakes power, resigns from Communist party; communism ends in U.S.S.R.

• Gorbachev proposes a union of countries, but countries in the Soviet Union vote towards independent states.

• The Soviet Union becomes the Russian Federation.

• Gorbachev resigns, Yeltsin becomes president (December 31, 1991).

Boris Yeltsin becoming president of the Russian Federation.

Results and Significance

•Soviet Union declines: loses power over several European countries

•Peace and agreement between US/Soviet leaders

•End of the arms race/Cold War

the end!