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The Gorbachev Era
1985 saw the rise of Mikhail S. Gorbachev to power in the USSR. Reforms would cause the loosening of forces that would end communism and see the collapse of the USSR
ECONOMIC PERESTROIKA (restructuring).
It challenged traditional party and bureaucratic management. It reduced the size and importance of economic ministries. A strike by coal miners in 1989 saw Gorbachev's promise of better wages and wider political liberties. He advocated private property and a free market economy
Glasnost and Perestr
Glasnost is a policy that was introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev which means openness in 1985. He supported the Soviet citizens to talk about ways to improved their living environment. In 1985, he imported the idea of Perestroika, which means economic restructuring. This was tried in 1986.
Nationalistic Movements
As the Soviet Union crumbled, there was an increase in nationalist sentiment among the various ethnic groups within the country.The ethnic and nationalist movements were the manifestation of the desire of different groups to assert their identity, gain more autonomy, and protect their interests.
The End of the Soviet Union
1991, the Soviet Union breaks up into 15 different countries. Amid a catastrophic political crisis, with several republics already departing the Union and the waning of centralized power, the leaders of three of its founding members, the Russian, Belorussian, and Ukrainian SSRs, declared that the Soviet Union no longer existed.
Transformations in Women's Lives and the Women's Movement
many women in east Germany had jobs and children while west did not so the balancing became an issue also many important political women came from the east and even the first female leader of Germany showing women all over the world that women could do more I guess
Guest Workers and Immigrants
more workers to fill jobs that couldn't be filled many came from Africa and Asia and were seen as interlopers after the economic downturn of the 70's
Reasons for the Growth
The formation of the EU lead to an overall increase in continental trade and support with workers etc.
Changes to Religious makeup
With the influx of Asians and Africans (mainly Asians) there was also a change in religion and they began to preach their religion and as we know us Europeans don't like that so anti-immigration sentiment rose and more radical political parties gained ground.
Central and Eastern Europe After the Fall
End of Communist governments = euphoria in Eastern Europe. More democratic procedures, market systems, etc. Problems though = ethnic divisions wanted vengeance, unemployment rose, the quick change to market economies was painful, and these countries had little experience with democratic systems.
Czechs and Slovaks separate
Peaceful separation where both sides agreed to split into Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The split occurred because of ethnic differences leading to disagreement on what the new state should look like. Havel became the first president of the Czech Republic.
Targets of anti-immigrant agitation and extreme nationalists political parties
Because of the economic growth of the 1950s and 1960s, numerous guest workers from southern Europe, Asia, and Africa immigrated to Western and Central Europe; however, after the economic downturn of the 1970s, these workers and their families often became targets of anti-immigrant agitation and extreme nationalist political parties. Examples include French National Front, Austrian Freedom Party
Art and Music
New forms of art and music develop with new technological inventions. Electric instruments, video games, huge blockbuster films series. Art becomes multicultured and people center artwork around the human body.
New communication technologies
New communication over the internet including websites like twitter allow people to communicate. iPhone allows another way for people to communicate.
Increasing Globalization
Cultures fuse as internet connects people across the planet and people become more globalized
Reunification of Germany
East Germans fled from their country due to the harsh policies of Erich Honecker and, after popular pressure, the East German government opened their borders; this led to the tearing down of the Berlin Wall and eventually to elections that allowed for the unification of West and East Germany
Breakup of Yugoslavia
Former communist country of Yugoslavia, It broke apart due to ethnic differences, and broke apart into seven new republics.
The Collapse of the Communist Order in Eastern Europe
The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave of liberal democracy movements that resulted in the collapse of most Marxist-Leninist governments in the Eastern Bloc and other parts of the world.
Lech Wałęsa and Solidarity
Lech Walesa founded the Soviet bloc's first trade union independent of the Communist party, Solidarity. He became the president of Poland for the following years to come.
Eastern European Revolutions
Gorbachev's new policy of non-intervention led many of the states in the Eastern bloc to break away from Soviet influence
Poland: demonstrations=agreement to free parliamentary elections
Czechoslovakia: governments attempted to suppress mass demonstrations but the Communist government without support collapsed and the president resigned, leaving Havel, an advocate for democracy, to take power
Romania: violent revolution in response to Ceausescu who rejected reforms promoted by Gorbachev, ruthlessly crushed uprisings—> more demonstrations, army refused to support, dictator and wife captured and executed
The New Russia
December 25, 1991— Soviet Union imploded
Mikhail Gorbachev resigned; SSRs declared their independence, depriving Russia of crucial agricultural and mineral resources
Chechnya
A republic of Russia that has experienced some of the worst violence because they wanted independence
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War, lasting from 1992 to 1995, was a devastating conflict marked by ethnic cleansing, mass killings, and widespread displacement of civilians. Serbian forces, seeking to create ethnically pure territories, targeted Bosnian Muslims in particular, committing atrocities such as the massacre at Srebrenica where thousands were killed. The conflict ended with the Dayton Agreement in 1995, which established a fragile peace but left deep scars on Bosnia and Herzegovina, with lasting ethnic tensions and challenges in reconciliation and rebuilding.
Kosovo War
The Kosovo War, occurring in 1999, stemmed from tensions between ethnic Albanians and Serbs in the region. Kosovo, a province of Serbia with a majority ethnic Albanian population, sought independence from Serbian control. Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's oppressive policies, including stripping Kosovo of its autonomy and cracking down on Albanian separatists, escalated into violence. NATO intervened with airstrikes against Yugoslav military targets to halt the Serbian campaign against Albanians. The conflict ended with the Kosovo Liberation Army's acceptance of a peace plan and the withdrawal of Yugoslav forces, leading to the establishment of a United Nations administration in Kosovo and eventual independence.
Some become members of NATO and the European Union
Some countries involved in the conflicts, such as Croatia and Slovenia, eventually became members of both NATO and the European Union. NATO membership provided them with security guarantees and military assistance, while EU membership offered economic benefits and the prospect of closer integration with Western Europe. These memberships signaled a desire to align with Western institutions and move away from the instability and conflicts that had plagued the region.
Challenges to the EU
The European Union faced many challenges, including issues of democratic accountability and economic disparities among member states. The Eurozone crisis revealed the need for closer government integration to address divergent economic interests, particularly between northern and southern countries. Furthermore, the EU grappled with managing migration and refugee flows, exacerbated by disagreements over burden-sharing and asylum policies. Rising nationalist and populist movements across Europe challenged European unity.
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