business + property privately owned
democracy
free of government control, not equal
the government owned all industries
one-party dictatorship
rights of individuals < good of society
tightly controlled individuals’ lives
Period of Dubcek’s reforms to Czech communism, making it easy to live under:
censorship relaxed → increasing freedom of speech + press
other parties allowed
soviet control reduced + more power to Czech government
powers of secret police reduced
Because Czech had suffered greatly under communism: living standards dropped + a poor economy.
East + West Germany finally officially accepted each other
USA buys SU oil, SU buys US wheat (trade)
Respect all human rights
Settle disputes peacefully
period of easing Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from 1967 to 1979.
(started after Cuban Missile Crisis)
reduce the risk of a nuclear war
reduce the cost of the arms race
USA learned lesson from losing the Vietnam war
USA + SU treaty - limit the number of nuclear weapons each side possessed.
limit nuclear weapons
no more strategic ballistic weapons
200 interceptors
2 missile defense sites
Both sides agreed <3
Response to soviet Afghan invasion.
USA will use force if SU tried to control the Persian Gulf (which was vital for US oil supplies)
US wouldn’t trade w/ the SU
Refused SALT 2 = both sides built more nuclear weapons
1 trillion dollars!!!
100 MX missiles
new stealth bomber
6 Trident nuclear submarines
= felt they could win a nuclear war w/ SU
speed up arms talks
work towards the abolition of chemical weapons
Reagan said, “FUCK YOU IM NOT GIVING UP SDI!!”
reductions in nuclear arsenals
Reagan continued with the SDI
Gorbachev wanted to restrict the SDI
(Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty)
Reagan convinced Gorbachev that the USA didn’t intend to invade the SU (take the hint Gorbachev bro) ⛰️
eliminated nuclear ballistic + cruise missiles 🚢
both nations could inspect each other’s military instillations 👀
this meant that Soviet troops would no longer intervene in Easter Europe to support communism.
→ many peaceful anti-communist revolutions between 1989/90.
because:
SU couldn’t afford to maintain Warsaw Pact (military costs)
SU had to improve trade relations w/ the West to improve its economy 🤑
led to the reunification of Germany + the end of Soviet control in Eastern Europe.
SU redrew its troops from East Germany but western troops stayed in West Germany
= end of Warsaw Pact (1991)
meant the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Eastern Europe (1990)
1991 = Gorbachev dissolved the Warsaw Pact + SU + resigned.
why SU lost:
economy was poorer than USA’s (huge Afghan war cost)
catching up in the arms race crippled its economy
capitalism attracted more people than communism