1985- Gorbachev becomes a genera; secretary
feb 1986 - at twenty seventh party congress Gorbachev attacks Brezhnev era as years of stagnation
april 1986- Chernobyl nuclear accidents
1986 - twelfth five year plan launches
1987 law on state enterprise
oct 1987 - Yeltsin attacks Gorbachev reforms at a pleum of tje central commitee
nov 1987 -yeltsin dismissed as first secratary in moscow
january 1988- legislation of co-opreatives
february 1988- yeltsin removed from the politburo
hune 1988-nineteenth party conference prinicple of multiple candidtae election
oct 1988 - popular fronyts formed in the baltic states
novemeber 1988- armenia announces its control of nagorno karabakh
march 1989 elections to congress of peoples deputies
april 1989- demonstrations in tsibili , georgia
may 1989 - gorbachev elected chairman of the supreme soviet
august 1989- gorbachev rejects the brezhnev doctrine
**Brezhnev Doctrine**: A key element of Soviet foreign policy that emerged during Leonid Brezhnev's leadership, this doctrine was articulated in 1968 in response to the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia. The essential principle of the Brezhnev Doctrine was that the Soviet Union was justified in intervening in the domestic affairs of other socialist countries if the security of the socialist system was threatened. This doctrine not only solidified the Soviet influence in Eastern Europe but also reinforced the idea that the Soviet leadership would not permit any deviation from Marxist-Leninist ideology within the communist bloc.
**Historical Context**: The Brezhnev Doctrine was an assertion of the validity of Communist hegemony in Eastern Europe and was used to justify the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Brezhnev argued that the security of the Soviet state was heightened through the unity of the socialist countries, leading to an atmosphere of suppression against reformist movements in those states.
**Comparison with the Sinatra Doctrine**: The Brezhnev Doctrine was later countered by Mikhail Gorbachev’s Sinatra Doctrine in the late 1980s, which emphasized that Eastern Bloc countries could choose their own paths regarding governance and reforms, significantly contributing to the fall of communist regimes across Eastern Europe.
**Impact**: The doctrine allowed the Soviet Union to maintain a tight grip on Eastern Europe but also fueled resentment and resistance within the satellite states. Over time, the oppressive nature of the doctrine led to nationalistic movements that sought greater autonomy and independence, which eventually played a crucial role in the dissolution of the Soviet sphere of influence in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
oct 1989 - 500 day programme calls rapid transform to market economy
nov 1989 - fall of the berlin wall
march 1990 -artice 6 repealed - way opened for a new political parties to be established
march 1990 - lithuania proclaims independence from the ussr
july 1990 - yelstin resigns from the cp
april 1991 - georgia declares independence
june 1991 - yeltsin becomes president of russia
ausgust 1991 - coup by conservative in the party attempt to seize power- soviet union declares independence for baltic states
niv 1991 - yeltsin rejects gorbachev s new union treaty
dec 1991 - dissolousion of the ussr
sinatra doctrine
**Sinatra Doctrine**: Introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980s, the Sinatra Doctrine was a significant shift in Soviet foreign policy, emphasizing that Eastern Bloc countries should have the right to choose their own paths of governance and reform. Named after the song "My Way," it suggested that each state could determine its own political trajectory independently of Soviet intervention.
**Historical Context**: This doctrine marked a departure from the preceding Brezhnev Doctrine, which justified Soviet intervention in socialist countries to maintain socialist governments. Gorbachev's approach reflected a recognition that the rigid enforcement of ideological conformity was untenable and contributed to rising nationalist sentiments across Eastern Europe.
**Impact**: The Sinatra Doctrine played a crucial role in the political landscape of Eastern Europe in the late 1980s, facilitating the collapse of communist regimes and paving the way for greater autonomy and independence among the satellite states. It significantly contributed to the peaceful transitions to democracy within many of these nations.
gorbachevs foreign poliy led to rise in nationalism
eastern europe ‘satelite states’
east germanic timeline
oct 1989- gorbachev tells east germany that soviet troops will nit put down east german demonstrations
23 october 1989 - 300,000 people protest in leizpig
4 november 1989 - one milion people protest in east berlin
9 november 1989- berlin wall is opened
1991- germany reunified into one country - david hasslehof concert
poland
1988- strikes throughout the country
1989- free trade union - solidarity - wins elections . marzowiecki becomes first non - communist prime minister in eastern europe
hungary
- 1988- gorbachev accepts that hungary can become a multi party state
1990 - democratic elections won by democratic forum , an alliance of anti comunist groups
romania
History of Romania 1989-1990:
16 December 1989: The Romanian Revolution begins as protests against the communist regime escalate, with secret police firing on demonstrators.
December 1989: In response to the violence and unrest, the regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu starts to lose control.
22 December 1989: Ceaușescu flees Bucharest; he is captured by the military after attempting to escape the country.
25 December 1989: Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife, Elena, are executed after a rapid trial by the revolutionary forces.
1990: Romania begins transitioning to a multi-party system with the formation of new political parties. The National Salvation Front (NSF) emerges as a dominant force.
May 1990: Romania holds its first free elections since World War II, with the NSF winning a significant number of seats in the parliament, leading to further political reforms and instability.