Collapse of the Eastern Bloc and End of the CW

• Why did Gorbachev need to change policy?

  -Low Living Standards -Technologically behind -Corruption -Industries need modernization -millions starving because of agricultural failure
• How did Poland leave the USSR?

  April 1989-Solidarity legalised after wave of strikes-workers granted June 1989-Solidarity won elections August 1989-Non-Communist government installed -Solidarity was deemed illegal in 1981
• How did EG leave the USSR?

  October 1989- Gorbachev visited East Berlin and pushed for democracy-Erich Honecker resigned November 1989-Berlin Wall allowing freedom of movement October 1990-Wall removed and Germany was reunified
• How did Czechoslovakia leave the USSR?

  May 1989-Huge protests November 1989-Velvet Revolution with little resistance December-Chairman of newly elected federal parliament was Alexander Dubcek and Vaclav Flavel became president 1993-Split into Czech Republic and Slovakia
• How did Yugoslavia leave the USSR?

  1980-Tito dies 1990-Emergence of 4 different regimes 1991-95-Series of wars set among various ethnic groups in the region
• Glasnot


  openness-freedom to debate, freedom for the media, freedom from government control
• Perestroika 


  Restructuring of the soviet economy through the introduction of western style policies
• What did Gorbachev do in 1988?

  -End the Brezhnev Doctrine -Withdraw troops from Eastern Europe
• What happened in 1986 to lead to the end of the CW?

  Reagan and Gorbachev met in Iceland, proposals went beyond arms reduction to complete disarmament and Reagan refused to abandon Star Wars Programme
• What happened in 1987 to lead to the end of the CW?

  The INF Programme has signed removal of nearly 4,000 nuclear warheads, halting the SW Programme
• What happened in 1988 to lead to the end of the CW?

  Soviet troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan and troops were withdrawn from other Iron Curtain Countries
• What happened in 1989 to lead to the end of the CW?

  New US President Bush met Gorbachev in Malta and declared the CW was over
• What happened in 1990 to lead to the end of the CW?

  It was agreed East and West Germany could reunite within NATO meaning the end of division in Europe
• What happened in 1991 to lead to the end of the CW?

  Warsaw Pact was dissolved -Start 1 was signed by Bush and Gorbachev -The countries agreed to destroy a 1/3 of their nuclear weapons
• When was the USSR Dissolved?

  26 December 1991