Unit 9
The Fragile Politics
of Peace
Main Topics


Cold War

Détente

Post Cold War Europe
Non-Cold War Europe
Cold War
Struggle between West
and Communism
1945-1991
Soviet-American Relations

1945-71—Cold War
 Stalin pursued hard line
Korea
 Khrushchev pursued softer line
Vietnam
Missiles in Cuba
SovietAmerican
Relations
Soviet-American Relations

1972-1991—Detente


Détente=relaxation
During 1980s Gorbachev
began major liberalization
of economics
Soviet Union


1953—Stalin’s death led to bitter
struggle for power
Secret Speech

Nikita Khrushchev

Report to 20th Party Congress

February 25 1956

Maintained support for Communist ideals

Criticized Stalin’s actions


1945-71

Purges
Terror against citizens
Stalin's personality cult
Yugoslavia




1943-1991—Marshal Tito
Defied Stalin, pursuing nationalist
policies
Stalin tried to bring Tito under
Soviet domination
Western nations offered aid

1945-71
Allowed Tito to remain independent
Germany




Nazi war crimes trials in
Nuremberg (1945-1946)
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
(1948-1949)
West Germany (German Federal
Republic) created (1949)
East Germany (German Democratic
Republic) created (1949)
1945-71
 Divided
Berlin

Divided
Germany
Germany
Berlin Wall Seals
Iron Curtain
 August 13, 1961—East German border
guard escapes to the West
 Berlin Wall built (1961)
 June 26, 1963—Kennedy
visited the wall
 Relations normalized between
the two Germanies (1972)
1945-71
Eastern Europe—1956


Poland (October)

Polish people engaged in strikes and riots

Władysław Gomułka pledged a measure of
loyalty to Russia
Hungary (23 October 23-November 10)

Like Poland, people revolted and
Imre Nagy pushed for some
independence from Russia

Soviets could not allow more
anti-Soviet moves

1,000s of Hungarians killed as
government smashed by Soviets
1945-71
Eastern Europe—1968

Czechoslovakia


1945-71
Alexander Dubcek began
liberalization, assuring
Soviets of loyalty
Warsaw Pact troops, led by Soviets,
brought Czechoslovakia
back under total Soviet
control
Economic Aspects

Aid


Marshall Plan to all of Europe, especially
Eastern Europe

COMECON—Communist response to
Marshall Plan

Eisenhower Doct. to Middle East

1945-71
Truman Doct. to Greece & Turkey
Peace Corps idealistic volunteers to
underdeveloped countries
Economic Aspects

European Economic Unity



European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
(1952)
European Atomic Energy Community
(Euratom) (1957)
European Economic Community
(EEC/Common Market) (1957)

European Community (EC) (1986)

European Union (EU) (1992)
1945-71
Military Aspects



1945-71
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) (1948)
Australia, New Zealand, and the
United States (ANZUS) (1951)
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
(SEATO) (1954)
China

China and Russia became hostile
over:

Ideological differences

Border disputes

World Communist leadership

1976—At Mao's death, a thaw

1989—After Soviets left
Afghanistan, a normalization
1945-71
Detente
1972-1991
Germanies

1970—Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik


Greater harmony with GDR & Poland
1972—More open relations with
GDR, allowing more
travel
1972-91
Détente—1972 & 73

1972
Nixon visited Brezhnev in
Moscow for summit
 Two SALT Accords



Limited nuclear weaponry
1973

Brezhnev visited US

Traveled across country,
appearing on TV
1972-91  Signed
accords with Nixon
Détente—1974-75

1974—Nixon visited Brezhnev in
Moscow and Yalta


Ford visited Brezhnev in Vladivostok


Signed economic and nuclear treaties
Discussed arms control
Helsinki Pact

US, Canada, and Europe

Honored post WWII boundaries
 Agreed
1972-91
to further human rights
Détente—1979

SALT II Accord

Carter met Brezhnev

Further limited nuclear weapons
1972-91
Europe
1980-88
Yugoslavia



In 1980, Tito died, leaving
power vacuum
Albanians in province of Kosovo
wanted independence
Serbs and
Montenegrins
demonstrated for
protection from
the separatists
1980-88
Poland


1979—Pope John Paul II visited Warsaw

Polish TV would only show altar

John Paul’s visit helped produce, 14
months later, Solidarity movement
Illegal strikes in Gdansk inspired
by Solidarity


1980-88
Led by Lech Walesa
Popular movement, achieved
some goals
Poland

Lech Walesa


Timothy Garton Ash


"The pope started this chain of events that led to
the end of communism. Before his pontificate,
the world was divided into blocs. Nobody knew
how to get rid of communism. He simply said:
‘Don't be afraid, change the image of this land.’"
(Oxford historian)
"Without the Pope, no Solidarity. Without
Solidarity, no Gorbachev. Without Gorbachev,
no fall of Communism."
Gorbachev (USSR Party Secretary, 1985-1991)
“It (fall of Communism) would have been
1980-88 impossible without the Pope.”

Poland


1981—Martial law imposed and
Walesa arrested
1982—With increased pressure
and economic decline, Walesa
released

1981, Time Man of the Year

1983, Nobel Peace Prize
1980-88
Soviet Union

In 1985 Gorbachev came to power



“We can't go on living like this.” March 10,1985

Glasnost (openness)

Perestroika (restructuring)
Chaos from:

Mixed comm./cap. economy

Loss in Afghanistan (1979-89)
Challenged politically by Yeltsin

1980-88
1988—Fired him as chief of Moscow's
Communist Party
Soviet Union
Get audio or video

1987—Reagan visited
Berlin

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
 1988—Gorbachev announced
withdrawal of Soviet troops from
Eastern Europe
1980-88
End of Cold War
1989
Poland

1989
Formed coalition
government including
Solidarity members and
Communists
Soviet Union


1989
Lithuania declared
independence
Secessionist movements began
in:

Latvia

Estonia

The Ukraine
Hungary
June—Reburied Imre Nagy
 July—Supreme Court acquitted
Nagy of high treason for which
he had been executed

 August—Tore down fence
separating it from Austria

Let 1,000s of refugees from
East Germany into Hungary

Refugees then fled into Austria
 October—Changed from People's
Republic into Republic of Hungary
1989
East Germany


1989—Refugees poured
into W Germany:

225,000 from East Germany

300,000 from Russia and Poland
October 18—Communist
East German govt. fell
Midnight, November 9/10—
New government opened
1989 border with West Germany

Rumania




1989
Get video
Shortages and economic collapse
Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife
continued their lifestyle and use of
secret police
December—bloody demonstrations
Eventually Ceausescu's
caught, tried, and shot
Czechoslovakia

Prague government tried to control
demonstrations

Charter 77 created

Communist government collapsed

1989
Vaclav Havel was elected
president, beginning
democratization
Bulgaria & Yugoslavia

1989
December—Announced
democratic reforms
End of Cold War
1990
Yugoslavia




1990
Communists voted to end 1-party
system
Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo rioted
Slobodan Milosevic elected
Serbian president
Slovenia voted for
independence
Russia


Gorbachev was jeered
in Red Square on May Day
May—Yeltsin elected Russian
president

1990
Defeated Gorbachev's
candidate
Germany


On October 3 Germany
reunited
Took on government
East German pollution
and trappings
of West Germany
1990
GERMANY: 1914-1990
Poland

On December 9 Lech
Walesa elected
president
1990

75% of vote

Catholic support
Hungary

1990
New coalition government
formed
Romania

1990
First free elections in 53 years
End of Cold War
1991
Russia


Revolts in Soviet republics as
Communists lost power
Gorbachev:


1991
Supported new, loosely-governed
Soviet Union
Denounced Communism
Russia



August—Hard-liners attempted
coup of Gorbachev government
Russians, led by Yeltsin, rebelled
against coup in Moscow and other
cities
Yeltsin denounced coup, saving
Gorbachev
1991
Russia


1991
Gorbachev ended
Communist Party, but it
was too late
Independence was "won" by

Latvia

Lithuania

Estonia

Ukraine
Russia

On Dec. 25:



1991
Gorbachev resigned
New confederation of ex-Soviet
republics created
Yeltsin became
President
(1991-1999)
Yugoslavia

May—Croatia voted for
independence

October


1991
Serbs shelled Dubrovnik
Yugoslav forces bombed Zagreb,
Croatian capital
Post-Cold War
1992-Present
Czechoslovakia

1992—Czechs and Slovaks
voted to split


Havel resigned
1993—Birth of Czech Republic
and Slovakia
1992-->
Yugoslavia

1992—Bosnia voted for
independence

1995—Officially independent
1998—Milosevic attacked Kosovo
when they pushed for
autonomy


1992-->
1999—NATO and
UN bombed Sarajevo
Yugoslavia

2003—Serbia and Montenegro
changed FRY into Serbia and
Montenegro

June, 2006—Montenegro
and Serbia voted for separation

Feb, 2008—Kosovo
became independent
1992-->
Russia

Putin


President of Russian
Federation, 1999-2008
Currently Dmitry Medvedev

1992-->
Putin as Prime Minister
Non-Cold War
The Welfare State

Post-WWII nationalizing of businesses
Sweden and FRG some

Italy and Britain more

France most

All, but Britain, had long-term planning
and direct intervention in economy

All, including Britain, created welfare
states (social safety net)

Rise of European centrists

In 1980s began to reduce

Social Changes

Greater social democracy
Especially for women

Birth control pill



Led to negative population growth

Created problem for retirement benefits
Youth culture
Baby boomers

Growing immigration from Asia, Middle
East and Africa

Led to anti-immigrant political parties

Socio-Economic Changes
Growing middle class


More social mobility

Prosperity

Educational opportunities
Consumerism


Mass marketing
Western industry begins to shift from
heavy industry toward services and
information processing

1968
Rebellious children of

Fascists

French bourgeoisie

Oppressive Soviet Communism
in Eastern Europe

Vietnam War

Terrorism in Europe
1972—Hostage crisis at the Summer
Olympics in Munich, West Germany

1985—Hijacked cruise ship, Achille Lauro,
in Mediterranean

1988—Explosion of Pan Am 103 over
Lockerbie, Scotland


2004—Bombings of Madrid subway/train

2005—Bombings in London
Technology
Government-run science

Antibiotics

Polio vaccine

Organ transplants

Nuclear power

Chernobyl, 1986

Cultural and
Intellectual Changes
Center of art moved to NYC
Thought

Postmodernism
Existentialism

Religion

Ecumenical movement
Second Vatican Council
Evangelical Christianity

Unit 9
The Fragile Politics
of Peace