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LEARNING INTENTIONS
• Describe where revolutions took place in Europe, resulting in the end of the Soviet Union
The Cold War raged between the USA and Soviet Union for almost 50 years. Then suddenly in
1989 it came to an end with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In 1985, the Soviet Union gained a new leader; Mikhail
Gorbachev.
Gorbachev introduced reforms which reduced Soviet
control of Eastern Europe, including
ending the Brezhnev Doctrine.
All across Europe, countries which had been members of the
Soviet Union underwent changes and revolution.
These reforms – sometimes peaceful, sometimes violent - caused the Communist
empire to disintegrate.
In Poland there had been campaigns
against Communism throughout the
1980s.
These were led partly by the
workers’ movement Solidarity and also the Catholic Church (led by Polish Pope,
John Paul II.
Changes which were happening elsewhere in
the Soviet Union allowed Solidarity to
stand in the 1989 elections.
Solidarity easily won, ending Communist rule. And the Soviet Union did nothing to stop
this.
Events in Poland showed other Eastern European countries
that they could make changes.
Hungary saw huge changes in 1988. First the Communist leader,
Janos Kadar was sacked. Then other
political parties were allowed.
From 1989, Hungary started allowing people to travel
freely to the West.
This allowed people from East Germany to go to Hungary then the West;
125,000 chose to do so in one day
alone.
East Germany was hugely weakened by
Gorbachev’s policies and also Hungary’s
actions.
East Germans started to openly protest
against the Communists, something
which had never happened before.
On November 9, 1989 ‘people power’ finally won as the Berlin Wall
was dismantled.
East and West Germans helped knock down
sections of the wall and were able to cross
the border without fear.
Czechoslovakia also saw major changes too
in November 1989.
There were huge demonstrations led by
Civic Forum. The peaceful nature of the changes meant this was
called the ‘Velvet Revolution’.
The most violent revolution took place in
Romania.
Leader Nicolae Ceausescu refused any changes, even as protests grew
larger.
There were riots and fights across the
country until Ceausescu was executed on
Christmas Day, 1989.
By the end of 1989, there were no pro-Soviet governments left in Eastern
Europe.
The map of Europe was redrawn; first in 1990
with German unification. Others
followed, such as the Czech Republic and
Slovakia.
Problems continued in what remained of the
Soviet Union.
Further demand for change – especially in Russia – led to the Soviet Union being
officially dissolved in December 1991. The Cold War was over.
Problems continued in what remained of the Soviet Union. People were very poor and demanded change – especially in Russia.
Eventually it became clear that the Soviet Union could no longer
continue.
In December 1991 the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. The
Cold War was over.
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