Studied by 1 person
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
Who replaced Chernenko as the leader of the Soviet Union, and when?
Mikhail Gorbachev. March 1985.
List four major problems that Gorbachev faced when he became Soviet leader.
(i) Trying to keep up with the US in the arms race was driving the weak Soviet economy towards bankruptcy. (ii) There was growing opposition to communist rule within Soviet-controlled countries, eg. Poland. (iii) Communist governments could only retain power through oppression and persecution of opponents by secret police, eg. the Stasi in E.Germany and the Securitate in Romania. (iv) The Soviet Union had a succession of elderly weak leaders within a short number of years: Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko.
Where (within the Soviet Union) and when was there a major industrial accident in 1986?
At Chernobyl (in the Ukraine). 26 April 1986.
What happened in the Chernobyl disaster of 1986?
A nuclear power plant exploded, killing 31 people immediately, but causing 350k to be moved out of the area to avoid radiation.
Why was the Chernobyl disaster significant in bringing about change in the Soviet Union?
(i) It seemed to symbolise the backward state of much Soviet technology. (ii) The initial cover-up of the disaster led people to demand greater openness from the Soviet leadership.
Complete Gorbachev's statement to his wife as the scale of the problems facing the Soviet Union became apparent: "We can't..."
"We can't go on living like this."
Did Gorbachev want to bring an end to communism and the Soviet Union?
No, he only wanted to reform them so that they could survive.
What were the two main elements of Gorbachev's reform programme?
(i) Glasnost (meaning openness). (ii) Perestroika (meaning restructuring)
What was the key idea behind Perestroika?
The Soviet economy should be reformed to include some elements of capitalism.
What was the key idea behind Glasnost?
There should more openness in government, including the right to criticise the communist leadership.
How did Gorbachev propose to change the defence policy of the Soviet Union?
He wanted to spend less on weapons (to help the Soviet economy) and to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
How many times did Gorbachev and Reagan meet between 1985 and 1989?
Five
Name two of the more important meetings between Reagan and Gorbachev between 1985 and 1989.
(i) Reykjavik, Oct. 1986. (ii) Washington, Dec. 1987.
Why was the 1986 Reykjavik Summit significant?
Both sides came closee to agreeing to eliminate nuclear weapons altogether. This shows how far relations had warmed.
Why was the 1987 Washington Summit significant?
Both sides agreed to phase out all Intermediate-Range missiles, including those both sides had stationed in Europe.
Why was Reagan open to the idea of working with Gorbachev?
(i) Gorbachev was very popular in the west. (ii) Reagan thought Gorbachev was genuine in his wish for better relations.
What did the UK Prime Minister of the time, Margaret Thatcher, say about Gorbachev?
She said that Gorbachev was a man she, 'could do business with'.
What happened to the Brezhnev Doctrine under Gorbachev?
It was abandoned, in late 1988. Countries in eastern Europe would now be able to choose their own forms of government, even if that meant abandoning communism and leaving the Warsaw Pact. This became known as the Sinatra Doctrine.
Why did Gorbachev abandon the Brezhnev Doctrine?
(i) He thought it would help reduce opposition to communist rule in eastern Europe. (ii) He wanted better relations with the west. (iii) The Warsaw pact was too expensive to run - and this was damaging the Soviet economy.
Which was the first east European country to open its borders with west, and when?
Hungary, in May 1989.
What happened in Poland in 1989?
Solidarity won a big victory in the Polish elections, marking a move away from a communist government.
In the Autumn of 1989, many East Germans began to leave for the west. How?
By travelling to Hungary and then crossing into Austria and West Germany from there.
When did Gorbachev visit East Germany and what did he say?
He said that he would not interfere in the way that East Germany was governed - including by propping up the struggling communist leadership.
On what date did protests in East Germany reach a peak?
On 4 November 1989.
What did the East German government announce on November 9th 1989?
That the border between East and West Germany would be open: people in communist-controlled East Germany could now leave.
Why was the fall of the Berlin Wall significant?
(i) It led, in 1990, to the reunification of Germany with a united Berlin as its capital. Given the importance of Berlin in the Cold War, this was highly symbolic and led to a further improvement in superpower relations. (ii) It led to other eastern European countries rejecting communism too, bringing an end to Soviet control of eastern Europe and the ending of the Warsaw Pact in July 1991.
What was the nickname for the peaceful revolution that ovethrew the communist government in Czechoslovakia in November 1989?
The Velvet Revolution'.
What happened to the communist leadership in Romania in December 1989?
Ceaucescu, the communist Romanian leader was overthrown, arrested, tried and shot - on Christmas Day 1989;
Which was the last communist leadership in eastern Europe to be replaced in 1989?
Peter Mladenov, of Bulgaria, in December 1990.
After the Soviet control of eastern Europe had collapsed, what did some parts of the Soviet Union want to do too?
They wanted to break away from the Soviet Union too, eg. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, Ukraine, and the 'Stan countries of Central Asia.
How did Gorbachev try to keep the Soviet Union together? Did it work?
By establishing a looser form of union - through a 'Union Treaty' - in August 1991. No, the plan was rejected.
What was the group of hardline communists called who were opposed to Gorbachev's reforms?
The 'gang of eight'.
What did the 'gang of eight' do to try to stop Gorbachev's reforms, and when?
They deposed Gorbachev in a coup while he was on holiday and kept him under house arrest. 19 August 1991.
Who led the opposition to the coup by the 'gang of eight'?
Boris Yeltsin, who had been elected President of Russia, and had strong popular support in Moscow especially. He arranged street protests aainst the coup.
What happened to the coup by the 'gang of eight'?
It fizzled out, the 'gang of eight' stepped away, and Gorbachev was allowed to return to Moscow.
Did Gorbachev resume his normal way of governing after the 1991 coup?
No, as his authority was seen to have been badly undermined, and power had effectively already passed to Boris Yeltsin.
What did Gorbachev have to acceot in Sept. 1991?
The independence of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Other former Soviet republics then also demanded their independence too.
What happened on 25th December 1991?
Gorbachev announced the formal end of the Soviet Union - and that he, therefore, was stepping down.
