Chapter 29 - 1970 to Present

Leonid Brezhnev

Soviet leader after Khrushchev who didn't want to make any changes and in his doctrine said that the SU had the right to intervene if socialism was threatened.

Soviet Union under Brezhnev

beginning to decline because even though its industrial growth was good, there was inefficiency and unwillingness to reform, leading to absenteeism and drunkeness. also agricultural problems and dependence of capitalist countries

Helsinki Accords

Recognized borders established in Europe at the end of WWII and the Soviet sphere in Europe is acknowledged

Mikhail Gorbachev

a reformer who wanted to restructure the SU through economic reform, perestroika (add some capitalism like limited free enterprise and some private property) and social reform, or glasnost (openness to critic, newspapers, culture). put down the Berlin wall, called for a new Soviet parliament with elections, and legalized other parties. The Soviet Union dissolves in 1991, replaced by a Commonwealth of Independent states

Boris Yeltsin

Drained the government budget as they put down rebellions in areas of Russia showing how weak and old their army was. There was a rise of organized crime and corruption and economic hardship was still present.

Vladimir Putin

Current president for 26 years. An ex KGB member who was more repressive, started the war with Ukraine, and expanded presidential power.

Lech Walesa

In Poland, an independent labor movement called Solidarity was led by Lech Walesa and after free elections were held, he became president in 1990

Vaclav Havel

In Czechoslovakia, tanks rolled into Prague after the Velvet Revolution, with big student demonstrations. They backed down and Vaclav Havel, a key dissident leader was elected president

OPEC

After an economic crisis in the 1970s, middle east countries banded together to control oil prices

The European Union (EU)

The EU was built upon the EEC and agreed to introduce a common currency (euro). More countries began to join, including many former Eastern European countries. They wanted to aid poor regions and help with modernization, however there were many rules and regulations and members voted for national interests, not equality.

Brexit

after economic downturn in the 2000s, Britain leaves in 2020 hoo lee sheet thats really recent

Slobodan Milosevic

After Tito dies, Slobodan Milosevic comes to power as a member of the Serbian Communist party. shuts down attempts of Slovenia and Croatia independence and begins an ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims after Bosnia-Herzegovina declares independence, with techniques reminiscent of Nazis. finally NATO intervenes (first time of air strikes). Eventually, there becomes a Serb republic and a Muslim-Croat federation of Bosnia Herzegovina.

Kosovo

Kosovo is mainly ethnic Albanians but a minority of Serbs consider it sacred territory and Milosevic takes away Kosovo's autonomous status. In protest, some formed the Kosovo Liberation Army and use guerrilla tactics, causing a massacre of Albanians. NATO intervenes, Milosevic refuses to sign where Albanians get broad autonomy, and NATO resumes airstrikes again (likely because Serbia was a close ally to Russia). Serbs get tired of the violence and Milosevic is taken to court for crimes and Yugoslavia becomes six independent nations.

US

presidency takes a more conservative turn with lots of spending and debt. Also, there is a War on Terrorism after 9/11 based on false claims that the Iraqi president supported al-Qaeda. After people don't like Bush, Obama has to deal with the worst economic recession and then you know the rest...ew.

Women's Movement

groups heighten awareness of women's issues as contraception and abortion is allowed. however the birth-rates were decreasing, causing alarm. women demanded more women's studies, environmental movements, and basic rights to no violence, hunger, and disease

Immigrants and Guest Workers

workers from Turkey, North Africa, India, and southern Europe were recruit by western European countries for labor, often unwelcome socially. there were efforts to deport Guest workers and people turned against foreigners and immigrants. In France and Germany, they limit the amount of immigrants and assimilation, and encouraged more conservative, nationalist, and anti-foreign parties. France even banned the wearing of hijabs to school

Environmentalism

people finally realize that there were serious ecological issues like air pollution, pollution of water, and dying forests. also environmental destruction of Eastern Europe because of industrial pollution became obvious. Chernobyl was a terrible nuclear disaster that made that area basically unlivable

Christian Fundamentalism

maintain a strict traditional interpretation of the Bible and Christian faith. wanted to defeat secular humanism, homosexuality, and abortion. played a role in electing Reagan and Bush to US presidency. Fundamentalism was also present in Islam and militant islamic movements such as the Taliban.

Nicolae Ceausecu

Dictator of Romania who had long combined tight party control with stubborn independence from Moscow

Erich Honecker

East German leader against whose regime began the demonstrations that ended in the fall of the Berlin Wall

Helmut Kohl

He oversaw many of the Historical changes to Germany. He was the first Chancellor of the unified Germany in 1990. He told the Soviet Union and the western nations that the tearing of the wall and a unified Germany would have no effect on the peace.

Margaret Thatcher

leader of conservatives in Great Britain who came to power. Pledged to limit social welfare, restrict union power, and end inflation. Formed Thatcherism, in which her economic policy was termed, and improved the British economic situation. She dominated British politics in 1980s, and her government tried to replace local property taxes with a flat-rate tax payable by every adult. Her popularity fell, and resigned.

Tony Blair

British prime minister since 1997 and architect of "New Labour". Favored low taxes, tightly controlled social spending, and closer ties to Europe.

Francois Mitterand

a Socialist, he was elected president of France in 1981, and enacted many liberal measures to reduce inflation and aid workers but could not correct France's economic problems and lost power in 1993