Gorbachev
1984 – Relationship between US and USSR was poor, detente was over
• START talks over (weapons reduction)
• USSR had invaded Afghanistan, US boycotted 1980 Olympics in
Moscow with Japan, China, W. Germany, the Philippines and Canada
• Intense anti USSR Reagan rhetoric and Reagan re-elected
• Korean airliner flying from Anchorage to Seoul shot down in Soviet
airspace in 1983
• 1984 USSR and 13 Eastern block countries boycott L.A. Olympics
(Reagan’s home state)
Gorbachev was much younger than previous Soviet leaders at 54 (three old
men leading the USSR had died in the previous 2 years) -- The country was
desperate for new leadership.
First Soviet leader who had NOT lived through the Bolshevik Revolution
Dynamic but tough -- “He has a nice smile, but iron teeth.” said Andrei
Gromyko, an old style (Stalinist) Soviet politician
Gorbachev knew there were many problems in the USSR.
• No economic growth
• Military spending was massive (about 30% of USSR’s GDP)
• Nothing left over for civilian production.
Starts with small reforms – measures to combat alcoholism and increase tech
industries
Chernobyl
Chernobyl nuclear reactor meltdown occurred in 1986.
For 2 weeks the USSR said nothing happened, but radioactivity was measured
all over Europe. Map is of the distribution of cesium-137 fallout caused by
the Chernobyl incident in the Baltic Sea area.
The radioactive cloud from the Chernobyl accident in 1986 travelled along
airstreams straight towards the Baltic Sea, depositing fallout rather unevenly
in the drainage area of the Baltic Sea.
http://www.stuk.fi/sateilytietoa/sateily_ymparistossa/itameri/en_GB/itameri
/
Plant is still there, enclosed by a concrete “sarcophagus” (which is already in
need of extensive repairs).
Shocking that Gorbachev, who was supposed to be a reformer, acted the
same as previous leaders.
He realized that he needed to do something more profound than what he
was doing.
Lots of Pics of
Gorbachev
Moved much faster in the next three years, until the point where he was not
in control of things happening anymore.
He was a western style diplomat willing to negotiate, decrease weapons, end
war in Afghanistan
Met with Reagan and a personal chemistry was established. Suddenly there
was a flurry of treaties (Gorbachev desperate to cut military spending). Ex.
Eliminated intermediate nuclear missiles in the INF treaty of 1987. First
treaty to eliminate a whole category of weapons. US and USSR pledged to cut
nuclear weapons by 1/3 (each had over 25,000!)
Established good relations with both Margaret Thatcher of Britain and Helmut
Kohl of Germany
Dec. 1988 Gorbachev went before the UN announced a unilateral cut of
500,000 men and 10,000 tanks in Eastern Europe, many were stationed in
Eastern Germany.
At home he advocated:
• Perestroika – decentralization, self-management for industry and
agriculture, incentives for productivity. Gradual and not enough
• Glasnost – openness, end of totalitarianism
In 1989 events got out of control. Even President George H.W, Bush (Sr.)
didn’t really know what to do – he was the product of the Cold War.
Last picture is Gorbachev’s recent advertisement for Louis Vuitton
Gorbachev
and Yeltsin
 The Communist party suffered a stunning defeat in local elections.
 Many Russian republics demanded autonomy or independence, Lithuania
was the first to declare independence. Gorbachev reacted with an
economic embargo, but no military invasion.
 Gorbachev asked for a change to the Soviet Constitution abolishing the
Communist Party’s monopoly on power. He was then elected President of
the Soviet Union. This alienated hard-line communists.
 Gorbachev tried to save the USSR with a loose confederation, but 6 of 15
Soviet republics rejected this plan.
Yeltsin on a
tank
 Boris Yeltsin took reforms further calling for democracy and declaring that
Russia should leave the USSR.
Yeltsin was building up his power base in opposition to Gorbachev. Bush
administration was confused. Who should they talk to? Bush didn’t like
Yeltsin, felt Yeltsin drank too much.
More elections in June of 1991. For the first time there were state based
elections. Yeltsin was elected president of the Russian Federation. So there
is the President of Russia vs. the President of the Soviet Union.
 In July of 1990 Communist hardliners kidnapped Gorbachev in an attempt
to take power back.
 People in Russia rallied to Yeltsin who denounced the kidnappers. The
army supported Yeltsin and Gorbachev was returned to his position as
head of the USSR.
Coup attempt by hard-liners who kidnapped Gorbachev in August, holding
him under house arrest while he was on vacation. Kremlin hardliners
marched on the White House of Russia. Yeltsin climbs on the tanks, gives a
rousing speech. The people of Russia support him. In the face of this support
the hardliner coup fails, (plus they can’t get control of the communications
equipment). Result is that Yeltsin becomes the winner of the power struggle.
One after one the states forming the USSR declare independence. So there is
no position left for Gorbachev, he’s not in charge of Russia, Yeltsin is.
Yeltsin outlaws the Communist party in Nov. of 1991. The Communist Party
was the owner of everything. Once it is outlawed everything is easier.
 Russia broke away from the USSR and other states followed. It ceased to
exist on December 25, 1991. They did establish a loose Commonwealth of
Independent States that never really did much.
Gorbachev resigns and Yeltsin becomes the leader of Russia. Russia takes
over the UN Security Council seat. This seat was important to Yeltsin.
Gorbachev is like Luther. Revolutionary that loses control of his revolution.
Attempted Coup
Gorbachev returned to position, w/ help of Yeltsin
But Russia went its own way
Yeltsin the first president
Gorbachev undermined Communism, but could not set up a new system “led
them out of bondage, but not to the promised land”
Yeltsin had to deal with the deteriorating economy and Chechnya
Map of former All 15 republics looking for independence
USSR
Gorbachev elected by the Soviet
Yeltsin by the people of Russia
Yeltsin demanded freedom for Baltic Republics
Gorbachev willing to give some autonomy, but by now events were out of his
control.
Soviet Union ceased to exist on December 25, 1991 (Just two years after the
initial revolts!)
Not every area that wanted independence received it. Chechnya has been
kept in Russia with brutal fighting between Russian forces and Chechen
separatists with the worst fighting in 1994-6 and 1999-2000. Chechen
separatists have resorted to terrorism ex. Beslan school and a Moscow
theater which both resulted in a great loss of life, just as much from the
tactics of the Russian forces as the Chechens.
Map of
Ethnicities
Ethnicities get very complicated. Has been fighting in South Ossetia (Russian
demanding it back from Georgia) and Chechnya (Russian refusing it
independence)
Map of
Revolutions
1989 - Eastern Europe took her cues from the USSR. If they were allowed to
have a more open society, then the Eastern European countries ought to be
able to have the same.
Hungary
Hungary kicked their communist leader of 32 years out in 1988 and held
multiparty elections. Picked up where the 56 revolution had left off. Nagy’s
body exhumed from a mass grave and given a hero’s burial. Also a statue of
him.
May 1989 – Hungary tears down wall between Hungary and Austria (had
always been a bit more liberal than the rest of Eastern Europe, they had
traveled easily to Austria, but now E. Germans could do the same (350,000 in
the first month). Also jammed the West Germany embassies in Prague and
Budapest. Had to negotiate this. These people were put on a sealed train
back to East Germany into West Berlin. Every train station along that track
was full of people cheering that train on.
Poland
Always had been Less collectivization of Agriculture
Stronger religious tradition – close ties to the Catholic Church
Willing to borrow money from the West – but then had to pay back the loans
1980 – rise in food prices led to strikes, starting in the Lenin shipyard in
Gdansk
Created a large union – Solidarity, with 9 million members
Lech Walesa the leader
81 – Jaruzelski imposed martial law and outlawed Solidarity.
But he ended martial law and tried his own economic program (which didn’t
work). Solidarity made legal and allowed to participate in economic talks.
People realized that the Brezhnev Doctrine wasn’t going to be enforced by
Gorbachev
89 Jaruzelski allowed elections – Solidarity won in a landslide
90 Walesa elected president
East Germany
October 1989 Gorbachev travels to East Germany to assure Erich Honecker
that he has Soviet support. Lutheran Church leads protests which get bigger
and bigger. Gorbachev signals that he won’t stop them. The Brezhnev
Doctrine is dead.
Brandenberg
Gate
Czechoslovaki
a
Increasing unrest after Hungary’s border opened
Gorbachev signaled that the Soviet troops in E. Germany would not defend
the E. German regime.
Communists forced to resign
East Germans tried to form a reforming party, but there was no support.
Everyone wanted reunification.
Had to be approved by the 4 Allied powers.
Thatcher worried about the strength of a unified Germany
Gorbachev held out for German promises that it would be peaceful (never
developing nuclear, biological or chemical weapons) and make loans to Russia
Germany unified in October of 1990 – just one year after the fall of the wall!
Kohl’s party won the first elections of the unified Germany
Gave generous offer to East Germans to exchange their poorly valued East
German Marks one for one with West German marks.
Prague Spring and Alexander Dubcek’s promise of “Communism with a
human face” was suppressed (though Dubcek was not killed like Nagy)
1989 Thousands of demonstrators
General Strike
Gorbachev withdrew 75,000 troops
Velvet Revolution
“89 is 68 upside down”
Romania
Romania
Ceausescu ruled from 65, borrowed and paid back money from the West
Built his cult of personality and palaces
Battle between security forces and regular army units who no longer followed
Ceausescu
Show trial and murder
EU
73 – Britain, Denmark, Ireland
81 – Greece
86 – Spain and Portugal
95 – Austria, Finland, Sweden
04 10 from eastern and Southern Europe
But the addition of the rural and less developed South and East caused
problems. Some countries still wanted to protect their agriculture and
industries with quotas and subsidies.
Plus facing competition in technology from US and Japan
87 – Single European Act – common production standards, sought uniform
tax rates, recognize each others commercial and professional licensing, honor
a common charter of labor rights
92 – Maastricht – planned single currency and European central bank,
establishes the European Union
04 – European Constitution signed by representatives of 25 states, but then
was not ratified by the French and the Dutch
09 – Treaty of Lisbon replaced the failed constitutional effort (guarantees
basic rights, strengthened the structure of the EU which was necessary
because of all the new members
Modern
Europe