19.4 CHANGES IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

POLAND

 Poland was the first country in the Soviet Union to fight for their independence  1980:  Polish shipyard workers went on strike demanding that the gov’t recognize their union, Solidarity  Millions of Poles supported Solidarity ∴ the gov’t couldn’t refuse + gave into the union’s demands  Lech Walesa emerged as leader of Solidarity POLAND REFORMS

 1981: Polish gov’t banned Solidarity + declared military rule  BUT the military was not successful in reviving the struggling economy  During 1980s:  Industrial production declined  Foreign debt rose to $40 billion+ SOLIDARITY DEFEATS COMMUNISTS

 August 1988:  Upset, workers walked away from their jobs  Demanded raises + the legalization of Solidarity  Military agreed to talk w/ Solidarity leaders  April 1989  agreed to legalize Solidarity + hold the first free elections since Communists took over Poland in  Elections of  Voted Communists out and elected Lech Walesa as President SOLIDARITY DEFEATS COMMUNISTS

 President Walesa used shock therapy to establish a free market in Poland  Same as in Russia  1 st shock then therapy  Inflation + unemployment initially rose then by mid-1990s the economy was improving.  Today, Poland is a member of NATO + sides w/ the U.S. in their fight against terrorism,  But does have problems w/ corruption. POLAND AFTER INDEPENDENCE

GERMANY

 East Germany was ruled by Erich Honecker  Vast unemployment, poor standard of living, ppl trying to escape to West Germany still  1989:  Hungary allowed East Germans to cross its border travel to West Germany  Thousands of East Germans escaped this way. GERMANY REUNIFIES

 ∴ E. German gov’t entirely closed its borders in October, 1989  Mass riots followed by the ppl of East Germany  Demanded the right to travel freely + the right to free elections  Honecker had lost his authority completely + resigned on Oct. 18, 1989  Replaced by Egon Krenz  Thought he could restore order in East Germany + save communism by taking down the Berlin Wall  WRONG: By December 1989, Communist East Germany no longer existed  FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL

 After the fall of the Berlin Wall many Germans wanted East + West Germany to be reunified (reunification)  BUT many foreigners worried that an unified Germany would be dangerous (WWI + WWII)  West German leader Helmut Kohl assured world leaders that things would be different  Human rights protections + committed to democracy  ∴ October 3, 1990 Germany was reunited REUNIFICATION

 East Germany was in ruins from 40 years of Communist rule  Railroads, highways, + telephone systems not updated since WWII  Industry produced antiquated goods that couldn’t compete globally  East Germany’s economy was bankrupt  ∴ Kohl raised taxes on all Germans to rebuild E. Germany  Many in sufficient factories closed leaving thousands of E. Germans out of work GERMANY’S CHALLENGES

 German leaders tried different policies w/o much success of reviving the German economy  UNTIL: Angela Merkel was elected chancellor 2005!  Unemployment fell below 4 million  Germany’s budget deficit was w/in EU’s required standards  ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

 Led by Milos Jakes, the gov’t in Czechoslovakia, resisted all change  1989: gov’t arrested several leading dissenters  Wenceslas Square, Prague  October 28, 1989  10,000 people gathered, demanded freedom + democracy  Hundreds arrested  Three weeks later:  25,000 students gathered in Prague again  this time even more inspired after the fall of the Berlin Wall  Police brutally attacked, injuring hundreds CZECHOSLOVAKIAN GOV’T RESISTS DEMOCRACY

 The gov’t crackdown angered the Czech ppl + huge crowds gathered in Wenceslas Square  Demanded an end to Communist rule  November 25, 1989:  500,000 protestors gathered + Milos Jakes + Czech Politburo resigned  The ppl elected Vaclav Havel as President DEMOCRACY SPREADS IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA

 Reformers also used shock therapy to create a new free market economy  Same results… shock then therapy  The shock hit Slovakia worst ∴ the country’s 2 parts drifted apart  January 1, 1993  Czechoslovakia formally split up  Havel was newly elected to be president of the Czech Republic  Both Slovakia + the Czech Republic followed Western paths  Members of EU, NATO, democracy, free market CZECHOSLOVAKIA BREAKS UP

YUGOSLAVIA

 MANY ethnic groups in Yugoslavia  Most did not get along THE BREAKUP OF YUGOSLAVIA

 The Serbian-led Yugoslav army + gov’t tried to force all the ethnic groups to remain in the Yugoslavian Republic  :  Slovenia, Croatia, + Bosnia-Herzegovina all declared independence  were met w/ heavy resistance.  After months of bloody fighting Slovenia + Croatia free themselves  Different story w/ Bosnia-Herzegovina A BLOODY BREAKUP

 Serbs attacked the Muslim Bosnian population  Forced them out of their homes + killed = ethnic cleansing  Trying to get rid of their entire population  By 1995 the Serbs controlled 70% of Bosnia  UN + U.S. intervened forcing a cease-fire + mandated an independent Bosnia.  Other ethnic groups followed their lead.  Yugoslavia formally + completely dissolved in 2006 ETHNIC CLEANSING