Topic 6:
End of the Cold War
BACKGROUND:
- The Cold War started in 1945 and for more than 40 years the USSR and USA competed for global
dominance
- 1980s → Soviet Union facing economic problems
- 1985 → new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev introduced reforms to solve these problems
- McCarthyism - the red scare
- Kennedy comes into power
COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM (SOVIET UNION):
Internal vs External
Internal External
Inherited economic bankruptcy Soviet - Afghanistan War & other expensive
proxy wars
Gorbachev’s reforms: Solidarity Poland & rebellion in Eastern
Glasnost, Perestroika and Democracy European satellites
Chernobyl (1986) Reagan (USA) & Star Wars
Growth in nationalism - cultures, states and satellites all want political change & independence
Solidarity Poland - Poland’s rebellion
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN AND AROUND THE USSR PRIOR TO 1985:
- 1946 - Stalin’s hostile speech: communism and capitalism incompatible
- Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan aim to isolate USSR ® Containment Policy
- 1948 - Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia & Berlin Blockade
- 1949 - Communist takeover in China and NATO is established
- 1954 - KGB Established & Vietnam Split on 17th Parallel
- 1955 - Warsaw pact formed
- 1956 - USSR sends troops to Afghanistan & Rebellion in Communist Hungary & Suez Crisis
- 1961/1962 - Bay of Pigs, Berlin Wall constructed & Cuban Missile Crisis
- 1968 - Czechoslovakian revolt crushed
- 1979 - Soviet forces invade Afghanistan & China and the US establish diplomatic relations
- 1980 - Polish shipyard workers strike
,Internal Factors:
THE STATE OF USSR PRIOR TO 1985:
1. ERA OF STAGNATION - FAILURE TO CHANGE WITH THE TIMES
→ Mounting economic problems led to Undisciplined workforce & Alcoholism
→ Increased Military Expenditure over consumer goods
→ Move the USSR away from central Control and Towards Market Socialism
2. 1973 - OIL CRISIS
- Increased economic activity → boost to economy
- Reliance on oil exports rather than improve other economic areas
3. OVERSPENDING ON MILITARY
- Previous leaders had wasted huge amounts of money to compete with the USA in proxy wars,
the Arms Race and the Space Race → Bankrupted the state
4. INHERITED BANKRUPTCY
- An Antiquated collective farming process & Inadequate transport processing and storage
facilities → Massive shortages of foods and goods
- Inadequate housing, healthcare, etc. and a very low standard of living
- After Brezhnev Died, he was followed by Andrapov, Chernenko and Gorbachev with period of 3
years + Corruption = leadership Crisis
5. THE USSR IN 1985
- Mikhail Gorbachev became leader in 1985
- Soviet Union was facing a crisis
- Resources were drained by the Cold War arms race and relation with West were strained
- Soviet economy was failing → poor agricultural production, possible economic collapse
- Shortages of essential consumer goods, inadequate housing, poor public health care,
alcoholism, a failing economy and a sense that gov. could not find solutions
- Those in power had privileges and showed little interest in improving lives of citizens
- The ongoing Afghanistan War further drained the economy
MIKHAIL GORBACHEV
- Mikhail born to hard-working Russian and Ukrainian migrants (1931)
- WW2 → Suffered starvation and extreme poverty
- A leader of Komsomol (or young communist league) during his school years
, - When he was 17, he was awarded the Order of Red Banner of Labour for his job as a combine
operator
- Loving knowledge, he applied tp 5 different courses under 5 different universities, and was
accepted to law school at the moscow state university
- In addition to Marx-Lenin theories, he studied Roman law (not used in Russia at the time),
Political Science, Oratory & the Constitutions of Great Bourgeois States e.g. US
- This contributed to Mikhail’s Political pluralism and tolerance of non-communist ideologies
- 1985 → became General Secretary of the Communist Party and head of state of the Soviet
Union
6. Gorbachev’s Reforms:
- He recognized the problems and believed the change should be brought about by the party
itself
- He did not intend to end the Communist system
- He decided to withdraw from Afghanistan → within 4 years all Soviet soldiers had left
- Aimed to:
→ end existing culture of silence and censorship
→ restructure the economy
PERESTROIKA
- “Restructuring” → aim to rebuild soviet economy
- Move the economy from state controlled to a market economy (supply & demand)
- State enterprises could sell supplies
→ State companies that were failing would be closed down - state subsidies withdrawn
→ A sharp reduction of military spending & Withdrawal from the space race
→ The withdrawal from the war in Afghanistan & any funding for left wing liberation
movements
- Smaller businesses could be privately owned
→ could engage in foreign trade & make own decisions about prices and production
→ lead to more realistic pricing based on growth of profits
→ had to finance themselves through loans
- Foreign investments was allowed & encouraged
- Newly-created bank to finance private businesses
- Higher taxes on alcohol
GLASNOST
- Political “Openness”
- Allowed people to speak out freely → able to freely criticise the government with no
repercussions
, - No censorship of the media or press → freedom of expression in art, literature, theatre and the
media
- Debate encouraged → intellectual stimulation
- Gov. still controlled press but newspapers etc could report openly and question gov.
- The history of USSR was questioned due to the opening of archives, many people got closure
about what happened to their families
- Those political parties previously banned were allowed to operate → free multi party elections
held in Soviet republics
- Use of force for coercion lessened & Gulags closed
FAILURES OF PERESTROIKA
- Introduced some aspects of free market, but not others
→ price controls and foreign-exchange controls were retained
- Loss of jobs from cloning state enterprises
- Prices and cost of living increases - soviet GDP declines & inflation and foreign debt increase
sharply
- Production remained low
- Food and housing shortages continued
...so…
- Little economic growth → shortcoming of the reforms contributed to economic decline
- Increased public dissatisfaction & because of Glasnost, people could openly criticise
Gorbachev’s reforms
FAILURES OF GLASNOST
- Journalism uncovered mountains of information long kept secret by the societ communist party
→ feeling of betrayal amongst people towards their government
- More freedom led to greater criticism → media published articles and cartoons criticising the
massive failings of the state
- Nationwide protests against reforms increased
- Events of Chernobyl showed that the gov. wasn't prepared for total transparency
...so…
- Loss of control by Communist party
- Break-up of USSR begins
RESPONSE TO GORBACHEV’S REFORMS:
International response
- Western leaders supported Gorbachev’s reforms → they felt that Gorbachev was admitting to
Communism having failed
- Margaret Thatcher openly stated that she should do business with the Soviet Union
- They thought cold war animosities could now end
- Gorbachev’s initiated meetings with Ronald Reagan in order to stop the nuclear arms race in an
attempt to reduce military spending
End of the Cold War
BACKGROUND:
- The Cold War started in 1945 and for more than 40 years the USSR and USA competed for global
dominance
- 1980s → Soviet Union facing economic problems
- 1985 → new Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev introduced reforms to solve these problems
- McCarthyism - the red scare
- Kennedy comes into power
COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM (SOVIET UNION):
Internal vs External
Internal External
Inherited economic bankruptcy Soviet - Afghanistan War & other expensive
proxy wars
Gorbachev’s reforms: Solidarity Poland & rebellion in Eastern
Glasnost, Perestroika and Democracy European satellites
Chernobyl (1986) Reagan (USA) & Star Wars
Growth in nationalism - cultures, states and satellites all want political change & independence
Solidarity Poland - Poland’s rebellion
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN AND AROUND THE USSR PRIOR TO 1985:
- 1946 - Stalin’s hostile speech: communism and capitalism incompatible
- Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan aim to isolate USSR ® Containment Policy
- 1948 - Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia & Berlin Blockade
- 1949 - Communist takeover in China and NATO is established
- 1954 - KGB Established & Vietnam Split on 17th Parallel
- 1955 - Warsaw pact formed
- 1956 - USSR sends troops to Afghanistan & Rebellion in Communist Hungary & Suez Crisis
- 1961/1962 - Bay of Pigs, Berlin Wall constructed & Cuban Missile Crisis
- 1968 - Czechoslovakian revolt crushed
- 1979 - Soviet forces invade Afghanistan & China and the US establish diplomatic relations
- 1980 - Polish shipyard workers strike
,Internal Factors:
THE STATE OF USSR PRIOR TO 1985:
1. ERA OF STAGNATION - FAILURE TO CHANGE WITH THE TIMES
→ Mounting economic problems led to Undisciplined workforce & Alcoholism
→ Increased Military Expenditure over consumer goods
→ Move the USSR away from central Control and Towards Market Socialism
2. 1973 - OIL CRISIS
- Increased economic activity → boost to economy
- Reliance on oil exports rather than improve other economic areas
3. OVERSPENDING ON MILITARY
- Previous leaders had wasted huge amounts of money to compete with the USA in proxy wars,
the Arms Race and the Space Race → Bankrupted the state
4. INHERITED BANKRUPTCY
- An Antiquated collective farming process & Inadequate transport processing and storage
facilities → Massive shortages of foods and goods
- Inadequate housing, healthcare, etc. and a very low standard of living
- After Brezhnev Died, he was followed by Andrapov, Chernenko and Gorbachev with period of 3
years + Corruption = leadership Crisis
5. THE USSR IN 1985
- Mikhail Gorbachev became leader in 1985
- Soviet Union was facing a crisis
- Resources were drained by the Cold War arms race and relation with West were strained
- Soviet economy was failing → poor agricultural production, possible economic collapse
- Shortages of essential consumer goods, inadequate housing, poor public health care,
alcoholism, a failing economy and a sense that gov. could not find solutions
- Those in power had privileges and showed little interest in improving lives of citizens
- The ongoing Afghanistan War further drained the economy
MIKHAIL GORBACHEV
- Mikhail born to hard-working Russian and Ukrainian migrants (1931)
- WW2 → Suffered starvation and extreme poverty
- A leader of Komsomol (or young communist league) during his school years
, - When he was 17, he was awarded the Order of Red Banner of Labour for his job as a combine
operator
- Loving knowledge, he applied tp 5 different courses under 5 different universities, and was
accepted to law school at the moscow state university
- In addition to Marx-Lenin theories, he studied Roman law (not used in Russia at the time),
Political Science, Oratory & the Constitutions of Great Bourgeois States e.g. US
- This contributed to Mikhail’s Political pluralism and tolerance of non-communist ideologies
- 1985 → became General Secretary of the Communist Party and head of state of the Soviet
Union
6. Gorbachev’s Reforms:
- He recognized the problems and believed the change should be brought about by the party
itself
- He did not intend to end the Communist system
- He decided to withdraw from Afghanistan → within 4 years all Soviet soldiers had left
- Aimed to:
→ end existing culture of silence and censorship
→ restructure the economy
PERESTROIKA
- “Restructuring” → aim to rebuild soviet economy
- Move the economy from state controlled to a market economy (supply & demand)
- State enterprises could sell supplies
→ State companies that were failing would be closed down - state subsidies withdrawn
→ A sharp reduction of military spending & Withdrawal from the space race
→ The withdrawal from the war in Afghanistan & any funding for left wing liberation
movements
- Smaller businesses could be privately owned
→ could engage in foreign trade & make own decisions about prices and production
→ lead to more realistic pricing based on growth of profits
→ had to finance themselves through loans
- Foreign investments was allowed & encouraged
- Newly-created bank to finance private businesses
- Higher taxes on alcohol
GLASNOST
- Political “Openness”
- Allowed people to speak out freely → able to freely criticise the government with no
repercussions
, - No censorship of the media or press → freedom of expression in art, literature, theatre and the
media
- Debate encouraged → intellectual stimulation
- Gov. still controlled press but newspapers etc could report openly and question gov.
- The history of USSR was questioned due to the opening of archives, many people got closure
about what happened to their families
- Those political parties previously banned were allowed to operate → free multi party elections
held in Soviet republics
- Use of force for coercion lessened & Gulags closed
FAILURES OF PERESTROIKA
- Introduced some aspects of free market, but not others
→ price controls and foreign-exchange controls were retained
- Loss of jobs from cloning state enterprises
- Prices and cost of living increases - soviet GDP declines & inflation and foreign debt increase
sharply
- Production remained low
- Food and housing shortages continued
...so…
- Little economic growth → shortcoming of the reforms contributed to economic decline
- Increased public dissatisfaction & because of Glasnost, people could openly criticise
Gorbachev’s reforms
FAILURES OF GLASNOST
- Journalism uncovered mountains of information long kept secret by the societ communist party
→ feeling of betrayal amongst people towards their government
- More freedom led to greater criticism → media published articles and cartoons criticising the
massive failings of the state
- Nationwide protests against reforms increased
- Events of Chernobyl showed that the gov. wasn't prepared for total transparency
...so…
- Loss of control by Communist party
- Break-up of USSR begins
RESPONSE TO GORBACHEV’S REFORMS:
International response
- Western leaders supported Gorbachev’s reforms → they felt that Gorbachev was admitting to
Communism having failed
- Margaret Thatcher openly stated that she should do business with the Soviet Union
- They thought cold war animosities could now end
- Gorbachev’s initiated meetings with Ronald Reagan in order to stop the nuclear arms race in an
attempt to reduce military spending
