Cold War II Key Terms

Konrad Adenauer

West German post world war II chancellor (1876-1976) retired in 1963 and was succeeded by Willy Brandt. Credited for Wittschaftsaunder (economic rebuilding after the war),first leader of the Christian democrats of Germany.

Willy Brandt

Successor of Konrad Adenauer (1913-1992) in 1969 became fist Social Democratic West German chancellor, his party governed Germany until 1982. Created Ostpolitik.

Ostpolitik

German for Chancellor Willy Brandt’s new “Eastern policy”; west Germany’s attempt in the 1970’s to ease diplomatic tensions with East Germany, exemplifying the policies of détente.           

Détente

The progressive relaxation of Cold War tensions that emerge in the early 1970’s.

“Prague Spring”

limits of political reform revealed in Czechoslovakia during 1968, voted out Stalinist leader in favor of Alexander Dubcek who was very reform minded and a dedicated communist, despite constantly proclaiming loyalty to USSR and Warsaw pact a campaign was launched against the reformers, in 1968 500,000 soviet and east bloc troops occupied Czechoslovakia.

Brezhnev Doctrine

Doctrine created by Leonid Brezhnev that held that the Soviet Union had the right to intervene in any East Bloc country when necessary to preserve Communist rule.

Margaret Thatcher

1925-2013, first female prime minister of Great Britian in 1979, conservative party member and neo liberal, wanted to scale back the role of the government, eliminated all social programs, took out welfare state, fierce anti-communist who partnered with Ronal Reagan on policies concerning the USSR. Replaced by John Major in 1990.

Vaclav Havel

(1936-2011) president of Czechoslovakia, playwright turned moral revolutionary, joined velvet revolution, elected president in 1989 by the Czechoslovakian assembly. Heroic Czech dissident who consistently inspired and lectured resistance to Soviet domination, founded charter 77, becomes first president of Czech Republic. President for 44 years.

Charter 77

1977, signed by a small group of Czech citizens and Vaclav Havel, criticized government for ignoring human right provision of Helsinki Accords and called on Communist leaders to respect civil and political liberties and with criticizing censorship and argued for improved environmental policies.

Cardinal Karol Wojtyla

Archbishop of Kraków (Poland) was elected pope in 1978 as John Paul II. Returned home from Rome in June 1979 preaching love of Christ and country and the “inalienable rights of man.”

John Paul II

Cardinal Karol Wojtyla before he became pope. Returned home from Rome in June 1979 preaching love of Christ and country and the “inalienable rights of man.” Became an important voice for the polish people and those who opposed communism around the world.

Gdansk

previously known as Danzig, in August of 1980 strikes broke out in gigantic Lenin shipyards here, sixteen thousand workers went on strike, wanted to advance ideals of civil society, right to form trade unions free of state control, freedom of speech and religion, release of political prisoners and economic liberalization. Were on strike for 18 days, govt. gave in, Gdansk Agreement made it so communist party claimed to rule on behalf of proletariat. Working-class revolution victory.

Lech Walesa

leader of Gdansk strike, electrician and devout catholic, helped organize a free and democratic trade union called Solidarity.

Solidarity

Independent Polish trade union that worked for workers’ rights and political reform throughout the 1980’s. led by Lech Walesa and formed in 1980.

“evil empire”

Phrase the US president Ronald Reagan used to describe the USSR.

Yuri Andropov

1914-1984, long-time chief of secret police, took over after Brezhnev’s successor Konstantin Chernenko died just a year after took over.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Successor of Yuri Andropov in 1985-1991, lawyer and communist party official, reformer and idealist (wanted to improve conditions for ordinary citizens), perestroika, glasnost, arms control ad reduction deals with the West, decides not to intervene in 1989 Eastern EU revolutions which leads to the destruction of the Berlin Wall, freeing of Soviet satellite nations and collapse of the USSR. Resigned December 25, 1991.

Perestroika

Economic restructuring and reform implemented by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985.

Glasnost

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s popular campaign for openness in government and the media.

Velvet Revolution

The term given to the relatively peaceful overthrow of communism in Czechoslovakia; the label came to signify the collapse of the East Bloc in general in 1989 to 1990.

Nicolae Ceausecu

1918-1989, Romanian communist dictator, resistance to USSR, wanted to quell mass protests in December 1989 which sparked an armed uprising, 750 killed, he and his wife were captured and executed, brutal, oppressive, has secret police, shortage of food and fuel.

Helmut Kohl

West German chancellor and later first chancellor of reunited Germany, oversaw the reunification of Germany and successfully deals with the challenges of incorporation depressed Eastern Germany into the new nation, Christian democrat.

Boris Yeltsin

archrival of Gorbachev, 1931-2007, radical reformer communist, embraced the democratic movement, may 1990 was elected parliamentary leader of Russian Soviet Republic, announced that Russia was going to declare independence from Soviet Union, first president of “republican” Russia after collapse of USSR, “October days” of 1993 led to a dismantling of the old Soviet system and the beginnings of a market economy.

CIS

The commonwealth of independent states, formed by the independent republics of the old Soviet Union, a loose confederation, played a minor role in the 1990’s