DECLINE OF THE SOVIET UNION

Ch 21.1

Objectives

u Cold War ended after leadership changed in the Soviet Union

u Gorbachev policies contributed to the disintegration of the Soviet Union

u The conversion from a socialist to a free-market economy created many problems in the former Soviet states

Cold War to Post Cold War détente- relaxation of tensions b/t US & USSR

Cold War Intensifies

! Afghanistan (1979) -The USSR’s Vietnam

! Soviet Expansion

-Prez. Carter = embargo

! Ronald Reagan (1980)

! ! ! - “evil empire”

Upheaval in Soviet Union

Leonid Brezhnev Era (1970’s)

Brezhnev Doctrine -relaxation of some strict laws

! -Soviet’s could intervene if communism was threatened in another Communist state and throughout the USSR

*dissidents- those who spoke out against the USSR were still punished

Brezhnev (cont.)

Economy of USSR

Focused on heavy industry

! problems:

-complex bureaucracy

-work ethic on collective farms

Gov’nt corruption

Why Communism Failed

1.) complex government bureaucracy

2.) collective farms (work ethic)

3.) class systems (created by the gov’nt)

4.) poor social conditions

Reagan Yearsmilitary buildup

! *arms race

! ! -Star Wars SDI

($$$$budget deficit)

military aid to Afghan rebels

*what long lasting effects may this have had?

End of the Cold War! Mikhail Gorbachev

glasnost- openness in discussing policies

Intermediate-range Nuclear Force Treaty (INF) 1987

Soviet military force ended in E.Europe

Leads to revolutions in satellite states

Mikhail GorbachevRadical Reforms

! ! 1. glastnost – openness

! ! 2. perestroika- restructuring of economy / society

! ! begins to turn USSR into market economy (capitalism)

! ! ! -Allowed some small free enterprise

Soviet parliament=Elected officials; not appointed! ! !

-party system

Presidency established

End of the Soviet UnionEthnic Tensions within the USSR

! ! -92 ethnic groups

! ! -112 different languages

! ! ! **NATIONALISM**

Independence Movements that the USSR did not put down:

Georgia, Latvia, Estonia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Lithuania

! !

coup attempt by KGB/army/GOVN’T

Stopped byYeltsin and Russ. Republic

Independence of satellite states in early December (UKR on Dec 1,1991)

Announce the USSR is no more

Gorbachev resigns =Dec. 25th 1991

Boris Yeltsin = President of Russia

Gorbachev’s Struggle

Homework

Pg 660

#’s 1,2,4,5,& 6