Arab Crisis – Collapse of the Soviet Union

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)

• A group created to represent Palestinians and fight for a Palestinian state.

• It became a major force in the Arab-Israeli conflict under Yasser Arafat.

Six-Day War (1967)

• A short war where Israel fought Egypt, Syria, and Jordan.

• Israel won quickly and gained territory like the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Resolution 242

• A United Nations resolution after the Six-Day War calling for peace and Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories.

• It became the basis for many future peace negotiations in the Middle East.

Yom Kippur War (1973)

• A surprise attack on Israel by Egypt and Syria during the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.

• It increased tensions in the Cold War and led to oil crises around the world.

Camp David Accords (1978)

• Peace agreements between Egypt and Israel negotiated by U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

• Egypt became the first Arab country to officially recognize Israel.

Balfour Declaration (1917)

• A British statement supporting a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

• It increased conflict between Jews and Arabs in the region.

Prague Spring (1968)

• A period of reforms in Czechoslovakia trying to create “communism with a human face.”

• The Soviet Union invaded to stop the reforms, showing its control over Eastern Europe.

Reagan

• Ronald Reagan was U.S. president during the 1980s and strongly opposed communism.

• His military buildup and pressure on the USSR helped weaken the Soviet Union.

Glasnost

• Gorbachev’s policy of openness and freedom of speech in the Soviet Union.

• It allowed criticism of the government and weakened communist control.

Perestroika

• Gorbachev’s policy of restructuring the Soviet economy and government.

• The reforms failed to fix problems and contributed to the collapse of the USSR.

Gorbachev

• The last leader of the Soviet Union who introduced glasnost and perestroika.

• His reforms helped end the Cold War but also led to the breakup of the Soviet Union.