Breakup of the USSR History Arms race exhausts USSR economy Helsinki Accord on human rights, Andrei Sakharov Afghanistan War Mikhail Gorbachev

Arms race exhausts USSR economy and Helsinki Accord on human rights, Andrei Sakharov a. USSR Built extensive military, nuclear weapons Spread ideas across the globe Totalitarian system on its own people and on neighboring countries LED TO: Not enough food or modern items for its citizens b. Human rights 1975 Helsinki Accord signed by the United States, Canada, USSR and 30+ European countries Post WWI boundaries would be honored USSR control over Eastern Europe Boundaries only change through peace treaties Intended to ease tensions between the non-Communists and Soviets Create an agreement to respect human rights Protect freedoms: thought, religion, and cooperate in scientific, economic, humanitarian efforts. USSR not willing to accept the human rights conditions Rebels formed within the Soviet bloc countries –Hungary, Poland and others. Challenged their governments openly on issues of free speech, free assembly **Andrei Sakharov - Soviet human rights advocate – Nobel Peace Prize winner 1975 Worked on H-bomb, but changed his view on the weapons Exiled for 6 years for his protests Eventually led to the overthrow of the Communism in the Soviet Union Forced labor camps, censorship, emigration restrictions

Afghanistan War Mikhail Gorbachev Afghanistan was a republic until Communist take over in % Muslim. Soviets sent troops to keep the Communist movement strong AND out of fear of a strong Islamic group Stayed for 10 years 1/3 population fled Afghanistan - refugees went to Pakistan and Iran Created small labor force and economy suffered 13,000 USSR soldiers killed - 35,000 wounded USSR spent millions on military equipment – couldn’t afford it Saudi Arabia and US were anti-Soviet supporters Supported mujaheddin Soviet withdraw (left buried mines that still kill and maime) Afghanistan faced with a civil war Taliban taking over 90 percent of the country Group of students whose goal is to establish an Islamic state US aided Taliban until it learned of civil rights abuses Soviet leadership changed Lenin  Stalin  Nikita Kruschev ( ) Brezhnev ( death) Yuri Andropov ( death) Konstantin Chernenko (1984 – death) Mikhail Gorbachev ( Leader of communist party (President of USSR ) Awarded peace prize in 1990 for supporting new non-com countries Wanted to democratize USSR (started with secret ballots) Decentralize economy glasnost opened trade, freedom of expression, less press censorship

Background info for Solidarity, Germany Reunification, Legacies of USSR Soviet-bloc: Communist allied with USSR, including Bulgaria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania Foreign policies depended USSR USSR used military force to enforce politics Poland part of Warsaw Pact: 1955 agreement to help defend members (in response to NATO) Labor union: an organization of workers formed to protect the rights and interests of its members, including wages, benefits, and working conditions

Solidarity labor movement, Lech Walesa Began in 1980 Polish gov't caused prices to increase and wages to decrease Workers in the shipyard began their strike. Leader was Lech Walesa Social Accords Including right to have an independent trade union and the right to strike Success of strike led to a trade union, Solidarity Ten million workers, students and intellectuals joined within the 500 days 1981, a “state of war” was declared Many people lost their jobs Arrested/harsh sentences, a six-day work week was re-imposed, full censorship 1989, a roundtable of discussions with the government was joined by Solidarity. One month later, the USSR held its first elections in 75 years. 1989, Solidarity was again made legal, an economic plan was announced, more freedom for the media, an independent legal system and freedom of association This movement became the first independent labor union in a Soviet-bloc country. It gave rise to a broad, non-violent, anti-communist movement that claimed some 9.4 million members.

Reunification of Germany, demolition of the Berlin Wall Gorbechev's liberal reforms caused great distress in East Germany 1989 Hungary allowed thousands of East Germans in Mass demonstrations held in E. German cities demanding reforms economy in West improving, East as bad as USSR The Berlin Wall November 1989 citizens began dismantling the infamous wall Fatal for the East German communist government People demanding a voice in government First multi-party election took place and the communists suffered a crushing defeat West German Christian Democratic Union promised a speedy reunification Reunification treaty was signed in Sept/Oct 1990 December 1991, the first all German free election since the Nazi period was held

Legacies of Soviet policies Language barriers Ethnic minorities forced relocation often to a place where people already lived = ethnic cleansing Econ and gov’t issues most significant legacies of the Soviet Union Economies were underdeveloped or not developed at all in USSR communism Now became the responsibility of the country that assumed control of a specific region Many of these countries remain in the same state (BAD) today that they were in when the USSR collapsed