Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe

Name 5 countries in which communism fell between 1985 and 1991?

• Czechoslovakia

• East Berlin

• Hungary

• Poland

• Romania

Who was the leader of Poland who reconciled with Solidarity?

Wojciech Jaruzelski

When did Wojciech Jaruzelski reconcile with Solidarity?

September 1986

What prompted the Polish government to talk with Solidarity?

Protests against the government’s raise of food prices in February 1988

What provided a justification for peaceful protests in Poland in February 1988 against rising food prices?

Gorbachev’s policy of glasnost

What 3 reforms did the talks between the Polish Government and Solidarity lead to?

• Legalisation of trade unions

• Creation of position of president

• Formation of a Senate

What did the creation of a Senate give Poland?

A bicameral legislature

When were elections held in Poland?

June 1989

How many seats did Solidarity win out of 100 in the June 1989 elections>

92 out of 100

What did Lech Walesa demand after Solidarity’s huge popularity in the June 1989 elections?

A government led by Solidarity

When did Lech Walesa demand a government led by Solidarity?

On the 7th of August 1989

What did the Soviets authorise after Walesa’s demands of August 1989?

The formation of a pro-Solidarity government

What was Poland by the end of 1989?

A multi-party state with a coalition government dominated by Solidarity

What effect did Poland’s successful transition to democracy have?

It provided a pattern for other European countries

Who initiated reforms in Hungary and why were they initially limited?

• The Hungarian Socialist Workers Party (HSWP)

• Because of the leadership of Janos Kadar

Who was the leader of Hungary who resigned in 1988 and why was he unpopular?

• Janos Kadar

• His oversight of the brutal suppression of the Hungarian Uprising in 1956

Who became the Prime Minister of Hungary after he successfully secured a 1 billion Deutsch Mark loan from the FRG?

Miklos Nemeth

What did the government under Miklos Nemeth adopt?

• Basic freedoms

• Civil rights

• Electoral reforms

What was the communist party in Hungary ready to adopt after Miklos Nemeth’s reforms?

A multi-party system

When did the Soviets agree to withdraw all military forces from Hungary and when by?

• April 1989

• By 1991

When did the HSWP agree to allow free elections and when would these take place?

• June 1989

• 1990

When did the Hungarians make a crucial decision and what did this involve?

• 10th September 1989

• Open frontier with Austria and let East Germans cross the border

What did the 1990 elections do in Hungary?

Peacefully moved Hungary from communism to democracy

What signified a commitment to the status quo from both East and West Germany?

The 1984 agreements for cultural exchanges and the removal of land mines on the frontier

Who was the leader of the GDR until 1989?

Eric Honecker

What caused dissatisfaction in East Germany under Eric Honecker?

The fact that Eric Honecker refused to implement the reforms embedded in perestroika

When did Hungary remove the fence on its border with East Germany?

2nd May 1989

How many East Germans had fled to Hungary by September 1989?

Over 60,000

How many East Germans fled to Austria when Hungary announced that they would not stop them from travelling to Austria?

22,000

Who became General Secretary of the GDR after Eric Honecker?

Egon Krenz

When did Egon Krenz become General Secretary of the GDR and what did he immediately announce?

• 18th October 1989

• That East Germany would implement democratic reforms, including glasnost, perestroika, and the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine

When did Egon Krenz go to the USSR to ask for economic aid and what was their response?

• November 1989

• They did not offer any aid

What percent was the GDR’s economic growth in 1985 and what had it dropped to by 1989?

• 1985 = 5.2%

• 1989 = 2.8%

When did the GDR propose relaxing its travel laws and what effect did this have?

• 5th November 1989

• It attracted more criticism for being too limited

What happened after the uproar against the limited reforms suggested on November 5th 1989?

The entire Politburo resigned, leaving only Egon Krenz and colleagues

What made the Berlin Wall an anachronism and when was this announced?

The live news broadcast announcement on the 9th of November 1989 that authorised foreign travel across the border to West Germany

When did the GDR’s government change the constitution and what did this do?

• On the 1st of December 1989

• Eliminated the clause that gave the communist party predominance

What replaced Egon Krenz’s government that resigned on December 3rd 1989?

A provisional coalition government

What began almost immediately after the resignation of Egon Krenz?

Negotiations for a reunified Germany

When was East Germany incorporated into the FRG?

3 October 1990

What opened Czechoslovakia to discussion and open opposition to the regime?

Gorbachev’s policies of glasnost and perestroika

Why did communists keep control of Czechoslovakia until the end of 1989?

Because the Czechoslovak economy was thriving and the working class had little economic reason to oppose the regime

Who led the opposition against the regime in Czechoslovakia?

Vaclav Havel

What did Vaclav Havel write to call attention to human rights violations under communist regimes?

Charter 77

What was suppressed in Czechoslovakia, leading to further protests?

A demonstration in memory of a Czech student who had committed suicide, organised by Vaclav Havel and 13 others

Which Czech student committed suicide in 1969, which led to commemorative protests in 1989 before the Velvet Revolution?

Jan Palach

What else inspired protests in Czechoslovakia after the commemorative protest in memory of the suicide Jan Palach?

Environmental issues

When did the government in Czechoslovakia propose limited reforms?

July 1989

What happened subsequent to the limited reforms proposed by the government in Czechoslovakia in July 1989?

A mass demonstration in Prague on the 21st August

When did the real end to the communist regime begin?

On the 17 November where police forcefully suppressed another demonstration, leading to national outcry

When was the Civic Forum created and what was it?

• 19 November 1989

• A united opposition group

What united opposition group was created on the 19 November 1989 and who created it?

• Civic Forum

• Vaclav Havel

Why didn’t the Czech government arrest the opposition’s leaders?

They thought that they could appease the public and stop the rebellions through implementing reforms

What happened in response to the demands of the Civic Forum in November 1989?

The constitution was amended and the clause that gave the communist party predominance was removed

When was Vaclav Havel elected president of Czecoslovakia?

28 December 1989

What was the outcome of the unrest in Czechoslovakia and what was this called?

• The re-emergence of a democratic, multi-party state

• The Velvet Revolution

In which country was the Velvet Revolution?

Czechoslovakia

When did unrest start in Romania?

On the 16 December 1989 when a peaceful protest in the town of Timisoara escalated into a huge anti communist revolt

What caused the initial protests in the Romanian town of Timisoara?

The forced eviction of Pastor Tokes

Where did the Romanian protests spread to and when did the Romanian army get involved?

• Bucharest (the capital of Romania)

• On the 22nd of December 1989

Who was the corrupt leader of Romania and what did he build?

• Ceausescu

• House of the Republic

When did Ceausescu and his wife Elena attempt to flee in a helicopter and what happened to them?

• 22nd December 1989

• They were captured by the armed forces

Who tried Ceausescu and his wife and what were they convicted of?

• A special military tribunal

• Mass murder and other crimes

When was Ceausescu and his wife tried and executed?

25 December 1989

What organisation won the 1990 Romanian election and what did they implement?

• The National Salvation Front (NSF)

• Capitalist and democratic reforms