1
END OF THE COLD WAR
- There were a series of events that led to the dissolution of the USSR.
- The USSR was made up of 15 soviet socialist republics which then dissolved
in 1991 – theses countries then became independent
• 1970s
- Nixon withdrew their troops from their involvement in Vietnam
- Last US troops left Southeast Asia between 1973-1975
- Nixon and Brezhnev were bitter rivals but they both realised that a nuclear war
would be devastating - They entered a period known as détente
- DURING THIS PERIOD:
- Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) – was negotiated and both countries
agreed to limit their nuclear weapons.
- USA sold $750 million worth of grain to the USSR – This showed a willingness to
cooperate and was a shift away from the Cold War.
BREZHNEV -> ANDROPOV -> CHERNEKO -> MIKHAIL GORBACHEV
GORBACHEVS REFORMS
- Gorbachev replaced Chernenko as the General Secretary of the Communist
Party – (He was 53yrs old – very young).
- He was not a hardliner – he wanted to follow the principles but change it.
- Gorbachev implemented gradual changes to correct problems that affected the
Soviet Union’s economy, industry and society.
• The problems that the Soviet Union was suffering from was not Gorbachev’s fault
but because of many years of strictly implemented socialist and Marxist policies.
¨ Economic and social problems the USSR was suffering from:
- “Command economy” – which determines the production of goods was not
sufficient and was unable to support a modern country.
- Collectivised agriculture was unproductive and thus food had to be imported.
- Food and consumer good shortages.
- Absentees and Russia had the worst alcoholic problems.
- Unemployment
- GDP dropped – resulting in illegal markets
- People lost faith in communism
• 1987
- Radical reforms
- Successfully improved the USSR (but it didn’t really help)
- It undermined the purpose and the structure of the Marxist ideas – the reforms
played a significant role on its downfall
¨ Reforms (Unintended Consequences):
- Perestroika
- Glasnost
- Democratisation
GR:11/12 SUMMARIES CALISTA RAJAH
, 2
THE UNINTENDED CONSQUENCES
¨ PERESTROIKA:
- An economic reform, April 1985
- Gorbachev intended it to make the economy more efficient but not freed from
state control.
- People were allowed to buy and sell goods for profit (PURE CAPITALISM)
- It permitted private ownership of business’s which means foreign investment
would occur in the USSR.
- However, Perestroika was not a success (too little, too late)
¨ GLASNOST (NATIONALISM):
- Glasnost means openness, honest and open communication.
- Because perestroika failed it led Gorbachev to implement glasnost.
- He tried to get rid of corruption and wanted a connection with his people – this
the stopped censorship and was allowing media to work more freely.
- It then led to breed nationalism in the Republics and satellite states.
- Encouraged limited elections.
¨ DEMOCRATISATION (REVIVE SOVIET POLITICS – BUT COULD ONLY VOTE
FOR COMMUNIST PARTIES:
- Came into place, January 1987.
- This reform further led to the collapse of the USSR.
- Not multi-party elections but individual.
• 1988 – Gorbachev announced that other political parties could form
• 1989 – Free elections – new parliament -> Congress of People’s Duties
- Congress of People’s Duties:
Allowed for open political criticism
Increase in political opposition
THE INFLUENCE OFEVENTS IN EASTERN EUROPE:
• Several revolutions occurred in 1989 which resulted in the overthrowing of the
communist government
- Results of Gorbachev’s reforms began a decline of Soviet influence in the East –
causing a disintegration of the communist states
¨ CIA vs KGB
- The Soviet government suppressed uprisings by portraying capitalism in the
West as “evil” – this failed in 1989
- The problems were too serious for Gorbachev to consider invading the East.
¨ UPRISINGS IN EASTERN EUROPE
- The Soviet secret police and the Red Army destroyed any resistance in the
satellite states.
• But anti-communist movements increasingly took measures to gain
independence from the USSR and to abandon communism.
• 1990s – only then did the Soviet government allowed its military to intervene
(Brezhnev)
GR:11/12 SUMMARIES CALISTA RAJAH
END OF THE COLD WAR
- There were a series of events that led to the dissolution of the USSR.
- The USSR was made up of 15 soviet socialist republics which then dissolved
in 1991 – theses countries then became independent
• 1970s
- Nixon withdrew their troops from their involvement in Vietnam
- Last US troops left Southeast Asia between 1973-1975
- Nixon and Brezhnev were bitter rivals but they both realised that a nuclear war
would be devastating - They entered a period known as détente
- DURING THIS PERIOD:
- Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) – was negotiated and both countries
agreed to limit their nuclear weapons.
- USA sold $750 million worth of grain to the USSR – This showed a willingness to
cooperate and was a shift away from the Cold War.
BREZHNEV -> ANDROPOV -> CHERNEKO -> MIKHAIL GORBACHEV
GORBACHEVS REFORMS
- Gorbachev replaced Chernenko as the General Secretary of the Communist
Party – (He was 53yrs old – very young).
- He was not a hardliner – he wanted to follow the principles but change it.
- Gorbachev implemented gradual changes to correct problems that affected the
Soviet Union’s economy, industry and society.
• The problems that the Soviet Union was suffering from was not Gorbachev’s fault
but because of many years of strictly implemented socialist and Marxist policies.
¨ Economic and social problems the USSR was suffering from:
- “Command economy” – which determines the production of goods was not
sufficient and was unable to support a modern country.
- Collectivised agriculture was unproductive and thus food had to be imported.
- Food and consumer good shortages.
- Absentees and Russia had the worst alcoholic problems.
- Unemployment
- GDP dropped – resulting in illegal markets
- People lost faith in communism
• 1987
- Radical reforms
- Successfully improved the USSR (but it didn’t really help)
- It undermined the purpose and the structure of the Marxist ideas – the reforms
played a significant role on its downfall
¨ Reforms (Unintended Consequences):
- Perestroika
- Glasnost
- Democratisation
GR:11/12 SUMMARIES CALISTA RAJAH
, 2
THE UNINTENDED CONSQUENCES
¨ PERESTROIKA:
- An economic reform, April 1985
- Gorbachev intended it to make the economy more efficient but not freed from
state control.
- People were allowed to buy and sell goods for profit (PURE CAPITALISM)
- It permitted private ownership of business’s which means foreign investment
would occur in the USSR.
- However, Perestroika was not a success (too little, too late)
¨ GLASNOST (NATIONALISM):
- Glasnost means openness, honest and open communication.
- Because perestroika failed it led Gorbachev to implement glasnost.
- He tried to get rid of corruption and wanted a connection with his people – this
the stopped censorship and was allowing media to work more freely.
- It then led to breed nationalism in the Republics and satellite states.
- Encouraged limited elections.
¨ DEMOCRATISATION (REVIVE SOVIET POLITICS – BUT COULD ONLY VOTE
FOR COMMUNIST PARTIES:
- Came into place, January 1987.
- This reform further led to the collapse of the USSR.
- Not multi-party elections but individual.
• 1988 – Gorbachev announced that other political parties could form
• 1989 – Free elections – new parliament -> Congress of People’s Duties
- Congress of People’s Duties:
Allowed for open political criticism
Increase in political opposition
THE INFLUENCE OFEVENTS IN EASTERN EUROPE:
• Several revolutions occurred in 1989 which resulted in the overthrowing of the
communist government
- Results of Gorbachev’s reforms began a decline of Soviet influence in the East –
causing a disintegration of the communist states
¨ CIA vs KGB
- The Soviet government suppressed uprisings by portraying capitalism in the
West as “evil” – this failed in 1989
- The problems were too serious for Gorbachev to consider invading the East.
¨ UPRISINGS IN EASTERN EUROPE
- The Soviet secret police and the Red Army destroyed any resistance in the
satellite states.
• But anti-communist movements increasingly took measures to gain
independence from the USSR and to abandon communism.
• 1990s – only then did the Soviet government allowed its military to intervene
(Brezhnev)
GR:11/12 SUMMARIES CALISTA RAJAH
