Comprehensive Study Notes on Late Cold War Period

Samizdat and Illegal Books

Samizdat was a system used in the Soviet Union to copy and distribute illegal books.
Since printing presses were unavailable, people used typewriters to create multiple carbon copies (typically five).
This method involved manually copying books and passing them on, similar to "paying it forward."

Environmental and Political Issues in the Early 1980s

Environmental problems were worsening.
Various political issues were emerging.
The Chernobyl event, a nuclear power plant disaster, occurred in the early 1980s.

Middle East Instability and the Iranian Revolution

The Iranian Revolution occurred in 1979, leading to a radical change in the state.
Iran, previously close to America, became radically different.
Many Iranians, particularly those studying in the oil industry at LSU, remained in Louisiana after the revolution.

The Soviet Involvement in Afghanistan

The Soviet Union got involved in a hot war in Afghanistan in the late 1970s.
America supported the Afghan rebels with weapons, mirroring the Soviet support for North Vietnam.
Afghanistan was difficult to rule from afar due to its vast distances and disconnected regions.
Helicopters were the primary means of policing, but they were vulnerable to shoulder-launched missiles.
The U.S. invested in training people to use these missiles, as depicted in the movie Charlie Wilson's War.

The Emergence of New Generation Politicians in the West

A new generation of politicians emerged, leading to a shift in the Cold War.
Ronald Reagan ran for president in 1980 and reinvented the Republican Party.

Ronald Reagan and the Republican Coalition

Reagan successfully united Christians, military supporters, and business people into a Republican coalition.
He emphasized the opposition to communism, which resonated with these groups.
This coalition brought together diverse groups with sometimes conflicting interests.
Reagan took a tough stance against the Soviet Union, calling it the "evil empire."
He initiated the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as "Star Wars," which aimed to shoot down nuclear missiles.
This initiative threatened to disrupt the balance of nuclear deterrence.
Reagan also pushed for funding of Multiple Reentry Vehicles (MERVs), where one missile carries multiple warheads.

Computing and Weaponry Advancements

The Soviets struggled to keep up with the U.S. in computing and the development of advanced weaponry.
Early computers began to transform weapon systems.
The U.S. started developing smart bombs, a technology that the Russians were catching up to by the 2020s.
Advancements in submarines made competition difficult without economic and technological openness.
Soviet scientists were somewhat protected to allow them to keep up with Western science, but this system was not as effective as Silicon Valley.

Leadership Changes in Europe

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of England.
She was a conservative with libertarian views, advocating for small government.
Thatcher implemented privatization policies, selling off housing and reducing government control over the economy.
She had significant confrontations with unions, such as the coal miners.
She took a firm stance on British islands in the Falklands.

Helmut Kohl

Helmut Kohl, a Christian Democrat, came to power in West Germany.
West Germany was willing to let the U.S. be more assertive in its policies.

François Mitterrand

François Mitterrand became the first socialist president of France in the Fifth Republic.
Mitterrand's election marked a shift in French politics, with socialists being less nationalistic and more open to international cooperation.

Eastern European Movements

Poland and Solidarity

Poland strongly resisted communism.
The population was largely composed of Catholic villagers.
Leonid Walesa, an electrician from the Gdansk shipyard, started the solidarity movement.
The movement began as a labour union strike.
The movement gained widespread support and became a major force in Poland.

Pope John Paul II

The election of Pope John Paul II, a Polish pope, significantly influenced the situation in Poland.
John Paul II's planned visit to Poland put pressure on the Polish government.
The Catholic Church had modernized through Vatican II(Vatican II was a meeting in the 1950's with the aim to modernize the church).

Soviet Response and Solidarity's Status

The Polish government, unsure of how to respond, allowed the Pope's visit.
Solidarity was eventually banned but continued to operate underground. Poland was ready to take back leadership.

Mikhail Gorbachev and the Soviet Union

Brezhnev died and was succeeded by other old leaders until Mikhail Gorbachev came to power.
Gorbachev was a true believer in communism but recognized the need for modernization.

Glasnost and Perestroika

Gorbachev introduced two key policies: glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring).
Glasnost aimed to increase openness and transparency within the Soviet Union.
Perestroika sought to restructure the Soviet economy by decentralizing decision-making.
Glasnost was more successful than perestroika.

Reduced Aggression and Republic Autonomy

Gorbachev reduced the aggression of the KGB.
He allowed the republics within the Soviet Union to choose their own leaders, promoting a sense of union.

The End of the Brezhnev Doctrine

Gorbachev met with Warsaw Pact members and declared that the Soviet Union would not intervene if they lost control of their countries.
This marked the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine.

The Collapse of Eastern European Governments

Hungary and Poland were among the first to loosen up their communist control.
Hungary opened its borders and scheduled elections.
Poland scheduled re-elections but proceeded cautiously

East Germany and the Berlin Wall

East Germany allowed East Germans to take vacations in Hungary and then cross into Austria and West Germany.
The East German government opened the Berlin Wall in October 1989.
The opening of the Berlin Wall led to a massive celebration and the wall's dismantling.
George H.W. Bush's administration played a crucial role in navigating the reunification of Germany and the end of the Cold War.

Czechoslovakia and the Velvet Revolution

Czechoslovakia experienced the Velvet Revolution, a peaceful transition of power.
Crowds protested, demanding the release of Václav Havel, who then became president.
Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in what as called the "Velvet Divorce".

Romania and Yugoslavia

Romania's dictator, Nicolae Ceaușescu, and his wife were executed in a violent uprising.

Yugoslavia

Josip Broz Tito, a communist leader, held Yugoslavia together after World War II.
After Tito's death, ethnic conflict intensified, leading to the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Slovenia and Croatia declared independence, followed by Bosnia.
Genocides occured in Bosnia.
NATO intervened to protect Bosnians from genocide.
The conflict led to the Dayton Agreement, which established a peace treaty.

The End of the Cold War and the Dissolution of the Soviet Union

In 1991, the Cold War was ending.
Iraq invaded Kuwait, leading to the Gulf War.
George H.W. Bush formed a coalition to liberate Kuwait.

The Soviet Coup and the Rise of Boris Yeltsin

Hardliners in the Soviet Union staged a coup against Gorbachev.
Boris Yeltsin, the president of Russia, resisted the coup.
The coup failed, and Gorbachev was released, but the Soviet Union soon dissolved.
Russia was now under the leadership of Yeltsin.
Each republic became independent.

The Non-Aligned Movement

Yugoslavia, under Josip Broz Tito, was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Non-Aligned Movement included countries that did not align with either the Western or Soviet blocs.
Other key members included Egypt, India, and Vietnam.