APUSH AMSCO Unit 9.3

explain the causes and effects of the end of the Cold War and its legacy

Mikhail Gorbachev

leader of the Soviet Union

“evil empire”

what Reagan called the Soviet Communists

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

the ambitious plan for building a high-tech system of lasers and particle beams to destroy enemy missiles before they reached the US

“Star Wars”

what some called SDI because it would escalate the arms race and could be overwhelmed by the Soviets building more missiles

Nicaragua

in Nicaragua, a Marxist movement (the Sandinistas) overthrew the dictator —> the US gave significant military support to the Contras

Sandinistas/Contras

reflected Reagan’s support of right-wing dictators to keep out communism

Boland Amendment

prohibited further aid to the Contras

Iran-Contra affair

the US sold antitank/antiaircraft missiles to Iran who helped free US hostages; the Reagan administration used this money to fund the Contras despite the Boland Amendment

Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)

US forces had to withdraw from Lebanon due to suicide bombers and terrorists

Yassar Arafat

leader of the PLO; agreed to recognize Israel under US pressure

glasnost

Gorbachev’s plan to end political repression and move toward greater political freedom for Soviet citizens

perestroika

Gorbachev’s plan to restructure the Soviet economy by introducing some free-market practices

INF agreement

agreed to remove and destroy all intermediate-range missiles

Tiananmen Square

prodemocracy students/workers protested for freedom in this square in Beijing; China crushed the protest with tanks under the cover of night

Berlin Wall

the communists in east germany were forced out of power after protesters tore down the wall

Boris Yeltsin

president of the Russian Republic

Commonwealth of Independent States

Yeltsin joined with 9 former soviet republics to form a confederation

START I

reduced the number of nuclear warheads to under 10,000

START II

reduced the number of nuclear warheads to 3,000

European Union (EU)

unified market of 15 nations; 12 adopted the euro; 27 nations by 2007, including 10 former satellite nations

Vladimir Putin

the new leader of Russia

“ethnic cleansing”

hundreds of thousands of people, including many Muslims, were killed for this

Bosnia

diplomany, bombing, and NATO forces (including US forces) stopped the bloodshed in 1995