Essential Question: How did the Soviet Union collapse and

what were its effects?

Standard:SS6H7c. Explain how the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the end of the Cold War and German reunification.

Europe After WWII

At the end of WWII, the Allied powers divided conquered Germany into four

zones.

Each zone was occupied by either the United States,

Great Britain, France, or the Soviet Union.

The same was done with Germany’s

capital city, Berlin. It became an island of democracy within

Communist East Germany.

Within a short period of time after the war, living conditions in West Germany and

East Germany became very

different.West Germany was

set up as a capitalist society

and saw rapid economic growth. East Germany was

set up as a Communist society and the economy

dragged and individual freedoms

were severely restricted.

By the late 1950s, many people living

in East Germany wanted out and headed to West

Berlin.

By the early 1960s, East Germany was rapidly losing both its labor force and

its population.

Hundreds of thousands of people left East Germany for West Germany,

many who were young, trained professionals.

Desperate to keep its citizens, East Germany

decided to build a wall to prevent them from crossing the border. It became known

as the

Berlin Wall.

http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-wall

How would you feel if you lived in East Germany?

How would you feel if you lived in West Germany?

The Berlin Wall is often used to signify the Cold

War.

The Cold War came to an end in 1991 along with a decline in Communism.

So What Happened?

Death of Communism in Eastern Europe

Activity

Use your Graphic

Organizer to

Summarize your Notes

Economies of Eastern Europe

• After WWII, the economies of Eastern European countries struggled

• The Soviets tried to strengthen the economies by promoting industrialization

• The emphasis was on heavy industry, but the investments were badly managed and usually the plants were located in regions that lacked the raw materials.

• The communist belief was that farming must be done collectively and that planning has to be made by the government who owned the agricultural equipment too.

• Due to the Communist policies, there were shortages of food, clothing, and other basic items

Dissatisfaction with Communism

• Protests against Communist policies occurred in U.S.S.R. satellite countries such as Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania.

• By the summer of 1990, all of the former Communist regimes of Eastern Europe were replaced by democratically elected governments.

If people in our country disagree with government policies, what can

we do about it?How was protesting

different for people in Eastern European countries?

Impact of Mikhail Gorbachev• He believed that the Soviet Union needed reform in order to

revive both the Soviet economy and society. • He implemented reforms in the Soviet Union such as the

ability of citizens to freely voice their opinions• He realized that the Soviet Union's economy was seriously

suffering from the excessive spending on nuclear weapons and ended the Arms Race with the U.S.

• Although he implemented economic, political, and social reforms, his policies did not revitalize the Soviet Union's economy. On the contrary, the economy took a severe downturn.

Do you think people in the Soviet Union

would have voiced their opinions without Gorbachev’s reforms?

Why or Why Not?

Loosening Control• During the “Iron Curtain” years, Soviet troops

remained stationed throughout Eastern Europe as a reminder of Soviet dominance over other countries.

• The Soviet military often intervened when people in Eastern European countries protested communist rule.

• With a struggling economy and the new Soviet leader Gorbachev, the Soviets stopped helping Eastern European governments put down domestic protests against communism.

Why was the loosening of control by the Soviet Union

so momentous?

What factors do you think caused the

loosening?

Fall of the Berlin Wall• Communism was weakening, but the East German Communist

leaders insisted that East Germany just needed a moderate change rather than a drastic revolution.

• On the evening of November 9, 1989, an announcement was made by an East German Communist Party official that citizens were free to cross the country’s borders.

• The Berlin Wall was flooded with people from both sides. Some began chipping at the Berlin Wall with hammers and chisels. There were huge celebrations along the Berlin Wall, with people hugging, kissing, singing, cheering, and crying.

• Without Soviet support, the East German government let go of their power. A new government was elected and the reunification of Germany was official.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

How might you feel if you lived in East or West Germany on

November 9, 1989?

What did the tearing down of the Berlin

Wall signify?

Break-up of the Soviet Union

• The political system and economic system of the Soviet Union was authoritarian and highly centralized.

• After many years, changes were made. Economically, the planned, highly centralized command economy was replaced by the slow introduction of a market economy. The change was difficult to achieve though because of production and distribution problems.

• Politically, the constitution allowed for more freely-elected bodies. Many non-communists were elected.

• Nationalism and demands for independence were increasing in the individual republics.

• The failing Soviet economy, the ability of citizens to criticize, and the new political freedoms all weakened the power of the Soviet Union.

Break-up of the Soviet Union

Soviet Union before the Break-

up

15 Independent Republics after the

Break-up

It has been said recently that the current President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, would like to restore the former

Soviet Union.

Regardless of whether the statement is true or

false, how might the restoration of the USSR

benefit Russia?

By 1991…• Eastern European countries previously

under the Soviet Union’s influence moved away from Communism to democratic forms of government and more open economies

• Germany was reunified• The Soviet Union collapsed into 15

independent republics• The Cold War was over

By 1991…• Eastern European countries moved away

from Communism to democratic forms of government and more open economies

• Germany was reunified• The Soviet Union collapsed• The Cold War was over

What’s the common factor that influenced all of these

events?

A weakening in the power and influence of the Soviet Union and its Communist

policies had a direct influence on each of these

events

Summarizing Strategy: