End of the Cold War

• Poland:

  • 1988 - strikes throughout

  the country

  • 1989 - Communist government defeated in free elections

  • first non-Communist Prime Minister elected.
• Romania:

  • 1989 – Secret Police have to put down demonstrations

  • huge protests against the President - forced to flee

  • army joins and fights secret police

  • President is shot

  • 1990 – democratic elections won by a new political party
• Hungary:

  • 1988 – Gorbachev allows Hungary to become a multi-party state

  • 1989 – Hungary opens borders with Austria

  • 1990 – democratic elections won by an anti-Communist group.
• Bulgaria:

  • 1990 – democratic elections won by a renamed party of choice
• Czechoslovakia:

  • 1989 – demonstrations against Communism begin and Communist

  government resigns

  • first non-Communist

  President since 1948 is put in charge

  • 1990 – democratic elections won by anti-Communist groups
• East Germany:

  • 1989 – Soviet troops do not put down East German demonstrations

  • 1 million people protest in East Berlin

  • Berlin Wall is opened

  • 1990 – Germany reunified into one country