 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev becomes General Secretary of the party and leader of the Soviet
Union
1.
Economic problems
2.
Lagging behind in high technology
3.
Decline in the standard of living
 Perestroika = “restructuring” = reform of the economy
 Glasnost = “openness” = political and social reform = encouragement of public and open discussion
-> RADICAL REFORMS REQUIRED

 The Congress of People’s Deputies 1989 - a new Soviet parliament with elected members
 1990 political parties legalized and Article 6 allowing monopoly on political power by the party abolished
 Nationalism in the Soviet Union -> Soviet
Republics begin calling for sovereignty and independence
 May 1990 Lithuania declares independence from the USSR
 June 1991 Boris Yeltsin is elected first president of the Russian Soviet Republic

 Soviet conservatives feared the breakup of the USSR and loss of power
1.
Army
2.
Government
3.
KGB
4.
Military industries
1.
Gorbachev is arrested
2.
Yeltsin and reformers and people in Moscow resist
3.
Army refuses to get involved
4.
Attempted take over collapses and leaders arrested
5.
All of this speeds the process of the collapse of the USSR

THE NEW RUSSIAN FLAG FLYING
OVER THE KREMLIN
 Soviet Republics move for complete independence
1.
Ukraine declares independence
2.
Leaders of major republics declare the
Soviet Union has
“ceased to exist
3.
Gorbachev resigns
4.
Dec. 25, 1991 the red hammer and sickle flag above the Kremlin is lowered forever

 Yeltsin is first ever democratically elected leader of
Russia
 Transition from communist economic system to free market economic system
 Privatization, shock therapy, corruption, inflation, economic chaos, rise of the oligarchs, inequality
 Rise of organized crime and social change
 Loss of international prestige, power and status
 Increased support for former communists and hard core nationalists
 Chechnya
 Yeltsin reelected Russian president in 1996
 1999 Yeltsin suddenly resigns and names Vladimir
Putin as his successor

 Fights brutal war against Chechnya and regains control
 Adopts more assertive/independent role in international relations
 Stabilizes the economy
 Benefits from massive rise in revenues from oil resources
 Begins to limit political rights and freedoms
 Uses state power to censor and control the media and the oligarchs/big business leaders
 The more heavy handed he is the more the
Russian people seem to like him
 Russian people choose stability, order and control over freedom and liberty

 Solidarity - independent noncommunist labor union
1. Workers
2. Intellectuals
3. Catholic Church
 Lech Walesa - leader of Solidarity
 1981 crackdown
1. Walesa and Solidarity leaders arrested
2. Union is outlawed
3. Military rule imposed
 Continued economic problems
• Continued support for Solidarity by Pope John Paul, Margaret Thatcher, and Ronald Reagan
• 1988 the military government agrees to free elections
• Solidarity led political coalition wins elections, communist rule in Poland ends, and Lech
Walesa becomes first leader of post-communist Poland

THE VELVET REVOLUTION
PLAYWRIGHT/DISSIDENT -> FIRST DEMOCRATIC LEADER OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Ceauşescu – communist dictator of Romania
Ceauşescu flees by helicopter from his capital

Ceauşescu and his wife Elena fled the capital and headed, by helicopter, for Ceauşescu's
Snagov residence, from where they fled again, this time for Târgovişte . Near Târgovişte they abandoned the helicopter, having been ordered to land by the army, which by that time had restricted flying in Romania's airspace. The Ceauşescus were held by the police while the policemen listened to the radio. They were eventually turned over to the army. On Christmas
Day, 25 December, the two were tried in a brief show trial and sentenced to death by a military court on charges ranging from illegal gathering of wealth to genocide , and were executed in Târgovişte. During the trial, Ceauşescu repeatedly denied the court's authority to try him, and asserted he was still legally president of Romania. The video of the trial shows that, after sentencing, they had their hands tied behind their backs and were led outside the building to be killed.
The Ceauşescus were killed by a firing squad consisting of elite paratroop regiment soldiers.
The firing squad began shooting as soon as the two were in position against a wall. The firing happened too soon for the film crew covering the events to record it. Before his sentence was carried out, Nicolae Ceauşescu sang " The Internationale " while being led up against the wall.
After the shooting, the bodies were covered with canvas. The hasty show trial and the images of the dead Ceauşescus were videotaped and the footage promptly released in numerous western countries. Later that day, it was also shown on Romanian television.

“IT’S REUNIFICATION…”
BLUE = WEST GERMANY
RED = EAST GERMNAY
YELLOW = BERLIN

ESTABLISHES COMMUNIST DICTATORSHIP -> STASI = SECRET POLICE

“We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the
Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary
Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate.
Mr. Gorbachev, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
”
President Ronald Reagan
1987

TEARING DOWN THE WALL MARKED THE SYMBOLIC END OF THE COLD WAR

“I AM NOT A CROOK”
AUGUST 1974
WATERGATE COMPLEX