détente and the fall of communism

• Nuclear weapons were a key factor in the Cold War
• The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, ending World War II but also beginning a nuclear arms race
• By the 1960s, there were six nations with nuclear capability: the United States, the Soviet Union, China, England, France, and India
• The Cuban Missile Crisis struck fear in the world because there was great concern that the warheads in Cuba were nuclear and could destroy a large portion of the United States
• Both the United States and the Soviet Union were hesitant to strike with their nuclear weapons, as each thought the other would be deterred in launching a first strike due to the threat of ultimate destruction
• Détente


  The easing of hostilities between nations
• The United States began to slowly open relations with China when Richard Nixon visited China in 1972 on a "goodwill tour"
• In 1975, the Soviet Union and the members of the free world signed the Helsinki Agreement, which promised economic cooperation and cultural exchanges between the East and West
• A negative result of the Helsinki Agreement was the exchange of technology that allowed the Soviets to build better weapons
• Another flaw of the Helsinki Agreement was the West's recognition of the Eastern European nations that were under Soviet control, in return for the Soviets agreeing to allow the Eastern Europeans "human rights" while remaining under Soviet control
• In 1978, the United States began to recognize Communist China as the only legal government of China
• In 1978, the Archbishop of Krakow was elected as Pope John Paul II, leading to nationalist pride in Poland
• Pope John Paul II criticized the Soviet government for violating human rights and encouraged the people of Poland to stand firm against Soviet rule
• The Solidarity movement in Poland called for lower food prices, higher wages for workers, and the right for workers to organize and express their grievances
• In 1989, Solidarity was legalized as a legitimate political party in Poland, and Solidarity candidates won the elections, leading to a non-communist government
• In 1975, the playwright Václav Havel wrote a letter to the Czech government, denouncing it as totalitarian and trampling on human rights
• In 1977, a charter was signed and publicized that called for human rights in Czechoslovakia
• By the 1980s, it was clear that the communist government in Czechoslovakia was out of step with the people, and it was overthrown in 1989
• In the summer and fall of 1989, East Germans took to the streets to call for reforms and demand the ability to visit West Berlin and West Germany
• The Soviet government realized it needed to win the people's trust, so a border crossing was opened up in East Berlin on November 9, 1989, leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall
• The Reagan Doctrine called for preemptive strikes to stop communism before it could attack a nation
• The United States realized the Soviet Union had built up its military, so the United States needed to do the same
• The Reagan Doctrine was put to the test when Fidel Castro attempted to invade the mainland of South America via the island of Grenada, and Reagan sent American troops to defend the people of Grenada and arrest the Cuban rebels
• Détente


  The easing of hostilities between nations
• Margaret Thatcher, the prime minister of Great Britain, was an ally of Ronald Reagan in the fight against communism
• Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Premier, recognized that Russia possessed a powerful military but had fallen behind on everything else, and he introduced policies of perestroika and glasnost to reform the market, economy, and government
• Concern over the nuclear arms race

  The West pursued a policy of détente with the communists
• Under perestroika, Gorbachev let the people have private ownership of property, and under glasnost, he urged the Soviets to tell the truth and have regular press briefings
• Early steps towards détente

  • Nixon visiting China in 1972
  • US recognizing Communist China as the only legal government in 1978
• In July 1989, Gorbachev announced the USSR would no longer intervene in Eastern European affairs, allowing the people to demand change in their governments
• Helsinki Agreement


  Promised economic cooperation and cultural exchanges between the East and West
• There was an attempt to overthrow Gorbachev by those who wanted to go back to the past, but the coup failed as people were demanding change
• Boris Yeltsin, a respected political leader in Russia, denounced the coup but also believed more reforms were needed for the Russian people
• A negative result of the Helsinki Agreement was the exchange of technology that allowed the Soviets to build better weapons
• In December 1991, Gorbachev resigned and the Soviet Union disbanded, with Boris Yeltsin becoming Russia's president
• Another flaw of the Helsinki Agreement was the West's recognition of the Eastern European nations under Soviet control
• Solidarity movement in Poland

  • Called for lower food prices, higher wages for workers, and the right for workers to organize and express their grievances
  • Legalized as a legitimate political party in 1989
  • Solidarity candidates won elections in 1989, leading to a non-communist government
• Václav Havel in Czechoslovakia


  • Wrote a letter in 1975 denouncing the government as totalitarian and trampling on human rights
  • A charter was signed in 1977 calling for human rights in Czechoslovakia
  • The communist government was overthrown in 1989, with Havel becoming president
• Fall of the Berlin Wall

  • East Germans took to the streets in 1989 demanding reforms and access to West Berlin/Germany
  • The Soviet government opened a border crossing in East Berlin on November 9, 1989, leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall
• Reagan Doctrine


  Called for preemptive strikes to stop communism before it could attack a nation