Fall of the Soviet Union

Origins of Decline

• East Berlin riots in 1953

• Unsuccessful Hungarian revolution in 1956

• Poor relations with China

• Cuban Missile Crisis embarrassment

Mikhail Gorbachev

• Shifting towards democracy

• Reform minded

• Perestroika – economic, political, and social restructuring

• Glasnost – openness in public discussion

• Stressed diplomacy over force

UNREST IN THE SOVIET REPUBLICS

“Tear Down This Wall”

Berlin, 1989

East German government announced that all citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin

Physical wall was removed by the end of 1990

German reunification in October 1990

Pope John Paul II

First non-Italian Pope since 16th century

Promoted democratic values

Spoke openly about human rights and the right to freedom of expression in 1979 visit

Massive social gathering had occurred without the presence of police or the state’s security forces

Poland

• Solidarity Movement, 1980-1989

• Social movement using civil resistance

• Lech Walesa, a factory electrician, organized a free trade union Solidarność

Solidarity Movement

first legal free trade union in communist Central and Eastern Europe

free elections in 1989

The Velvet Revolution

• Czechoslovakia in 1989

• Peaceful student protest interrupted by riot police

• Days later, 500,00 peaceful protesters assembled

• Communist government relinquished power

• Barbed wire fences along West Germany and Austria removed

Baltic Unrest

• Estonia demands autonomy in 1987

• Army sent to suppress rebellion in Lithuania in 1989

• Rising nationalism

• Gorbachev criticized heavily for response

Jeltoqsan Uprising

• 1986 unrest in Kazakhstan

• Gorbachev removes popular government official to consolidate power

• Popular protests turn violent

• KGB reports 168 civilians killed

COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION

1991

From U.S.S.R. to Russia

• Failed coup attempt by hardline Communists in 1991

• Gorbachev resigned, Soviet Union dissolved

• Communist Party ended

• Latvia and Estonia immediately declare independence