The end of Cold War 1984-95

Economic and social problems in USSR

high significance

By 1980s the total production of USSR was 37% of GNP of USA, too much spending on arms production, ate 1980s oil production fell by 30%, oil used to give 8% growth in 1960s, by 1980s this fell to 1.8%, attempts to fertilise lands lead to serious oil damage, Aral Sea dried up due to heavy irrigation

Impact: hit exports, damage relations with Comecon countries, comparisons to the more prosperous West drew unfavourable comparisons

Economic and social problems in Eastern Europe

High significance

Agricultural and industry of Comecon countries not modernised and lack of investment, failure to stimulate economic growth by consumer demand not state led investment, USSR failed to deliver to consumers to allies or to its defenses, Poland radical trade union activity in shipyards

Impact: basis of planned economy undermined, problems of economic stagnation and corruption critiqued in Hungary and Bulgaria where similar measures to Gorbachev are implented, DDR and Romani leadership showed little desire for change

Western influence

Pressure of Arms race

Under Gorbachev 1989

Feb 1989 elections for new Congress of People’s Deputies saw the defeat of many communists new leaders like Yeltsin emerged

1990 Official dominance of communist party in USSR ended

Impact: the authoritarian control of the party kept together a very disparate empire of Soviet republish and controlled Eastern European satellites when control was weakened it fell apart

Perestroika 1985

High significance to end of Cold War

Relax centralised control and permit greater economic freedom, June 1987 private enterprise allowed in some industries which communist party was split over

Impact: new private industries didn’t prove all efficient and long term economic problems continued as there were more shortages than before or goods, job losses and uncertainty

Glasnost 1985 (openness)

High impact

1986 state controls of media relaxed so public learn about inefficient and corruption characterising national and local political and economic management, Jan 1987 Gorbachev spoke openly to the Central Committee of the weakness of the system and propose greater public participation and making officials more accountable

Impact: prelude to new ideas and reforms to stop decline, new political organisations like the Democratic Union formed, political criticism in books and pamphlets appeared, more open religious worship emerged, no grateful appreciation of communist party

Yugoslavia civil war 1989-95

Death of Tito 1980s who kept Yugoslavia neutral during Cold War, USA less committed to supporting it now that it was no longer needed as a counterweight to Soviet bloc, unification of Germany and breakaway of Baltic states encouraged nationalism

Free elections, non communist leaders, Slovenia voted independence 1990, Belgrade bobbing by West and use Russia intervention to force Milosevic to accept withdrawal of Serb forces

Satellite states (1989)

Poland, GDR, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Berlin, Albania

15 USSR republics (1991)

Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Baltic states: Lithuania Estonia Belarus

Velvet revolution Czechoslovakia 1989

Charter 77 led by Havel form coalition in 1989 Dec with communist minority, end communism and formation of 2 states in 1992

1984-89 focus

Gorbachev new thinking, Reagan 2nd term, East European people power

1991-1995

Collapse of USSR, Reunification of Germany (collapse of GDR, 4 powers, aftermath of Helsinki conference), Yugoslavia civil war

1979 focus

Afghanistan war

Nationalism

Afghanistan war 1979-84

US senate refuse to ratify SALT 2, USA boycott 1980 Moscow Olympics, millions of aid to Mujadeen rebels, 1979 election of Thatcher who is determined to oppose socialism, USSR not properly compel the veterans and those dead

Sinatra Doctrine 1989

USSR to not intervene, undermine Brezhnev doctrine

Impact: USSR not bolster unpopular communist regimes that are unwilling to apply remedies he introduced to USSR

Chernobyl 1986

High symbolic significance

impact: highlight the ineffective of rule of Soviet over Republics, its struggle to maintain it self due to economic and political problems, and due to Glasnost it was talked about leading to growing dissatisfaction

Social and economic problems under Yeltsin 1991-95

Massive inflation wipe out savings and throw those with fixed incomes to poverty, catastrophic decline in production and GDP halved, subsides withdrawn and welfare slashed so intense poverty, Yeltsin reduced to doing deals with oligarchs

Crime, alcoholism, inequality of wealth

Impact: growth of ultra nationalism and communist opposition, 1993 pro communist tank attack to parliament

DDR 1989

High impact on end of Cold War

Hungary Grosz to introduce multi party system, Aug 1989 Hungary opened borders with Austria, allowing 15k East Germans to leave for the west, Leipzig demonstrations Sep and Oct 1989 for change, Honecker couldn’t count on Gorbachev advising for change, half m in east Berlin demand reform and freedom to travels 9 Nov Berlin Wall opened and torn by crowds