3.3b: End of Soviet Control over Eastern Europe

What were 2 causes of the end of soviet control over Eastern Europe?

Unrest in Eastern Europe, Gorbachev’s ‘New Thinking’

Why was there unrest in Eastern Europe?

Low living standards and lack of human rights meant some people turned against communism in the satellite states of Eastern Europe.

What were some dissidents in Eastern Europe encouraged by?

Reagan’s strong anti-communist stance and the increased support the USA sent to the mujahideen against the USSR in Afghanistan

Summarise the 4 policies in Gorbachev’s ‘New Thinking’

Perestroika, Glasnost, ending of the Brezhnev Doctrine, reduced spending on arms

What were the 2 events of the end of soviet control over Eastern Europe?

The end of soviet control over Eastern Europe, the fall of the Berlin Wall

What did the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine mean?

Soviet satellite countries were free to choose how they would be governed, so communist governments in Eastern Europe began to introduce changes that would improve the standard of living and increase freedom

Give 3 examples of successful protests against communism which the USSR did not stop

Hungary, Czechoslovakia and East Germany

What were there lots of, following rigged elections in May 1989?

Growing protests demanding an end to the Berlin Wall and the ability to move out of East Berlin and East Germany

How did the government respond to growing protests in East Germany and what happened after?

They agreed to allow people to move out of East Berlin and East Germany but on the 9th of November 1989, days before this came into effect, people on both sides started attacking and destroying the Berlin Wall and thousands of East Germans streamed across the border

What were 4 consequences of the end of soviet control over Eastern Europe?

Improves relations between the USA and USSR, Europe no longer divided, the collapse of the USSR, significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall

Where did Gorbachev meet with President George Bush after the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe?

The Malta Summit (1989)

What did both leaders commit to at the Malta Summit?

Long-lasting peace, marking the end of the Cold War

What formally ended as communist governments across Eastern Europe began to collapse?

The Warsaw Pact in 1991 as it became impossible for it to survive

What did the end of the Warsaw Pact allow Eastern European countries to do?

Govern themselves for the first time in decades, and they all eventually abandoned communism

Why did Gorbachev have to eventually resign?

He was blamed for losing control over Eastern Europe and threatening Soviet security

When did Gorbachev resign?

25th December 1991

What did Gorbachev’s resignation lead to?

The immediate breakup of the Soviet Union

What had the Berlin Wall been a symbol of?

The division of Europe and Soviet control

What was the Berlin Wall’s destruction a symbol of?

The end of Soviet control and an end to the Cold War

What did the destruction of the Berlin Wall allow for?

The reunification of Germany

What did Western leaders across the world describe the destruction of the Berlin Wall as?

A victory for freedom