Beginning of the end of the USSR

Leadership changes in USSR Khrushchev lost support after Cuban Missile Crisis Leonid Brezhnev takes over from 1964-1982 Many Soviet satellite nations begin to revolt and declare independence (Czechoslovakia, Hungary) Soviet relations with China also end as China no longer wants to hide in the shadow of the Soviet Union

Hungary 1956 An anti-communist revolt breaks out and Hungarian soldiers and civilians install a new government led by Imre Nagy. Soviet troops crush the uprising and executed Nagy.

Czechoslovakia 1968 Czech communist leader Alexander Dubcek begins the democratic reforms known as the Prague Spring. Soviet Union invades Czechoslovakia, repeals Dubcek’s reforms, and expels him from the party.

Tension begins to weaken Nixon’s policy of détente- nations should deal practically and in a flexible manner Nixon became first President of a free nation to visit China (Bejing, 1972)

SALT I Treaty- 1972 Strategic Arms Limitation Talks Soviets and Americans agreed to limit the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The arms race is winding down (for now)!

Nixon Doctrine June 1973 - Brezhnev visited Washington and produced SALT II (second arms agreement) New Guidelines on foreign policy became known as the Nixon Doctrine U.S. would help allies and friends resist aggression and communist subversion Basic responsibility rested on the allies or friends

Third World Nixon believed the third world held the majority of problems in the world The U.S. would support pro-American governments in the third world (even if corrupt and oppresive)

Nixon Video

New Leaders emerge in the 1980s U.S.= Ronald Reagan Soviet Union= Gorbachev Glastnost- a new openness of ideas and outside influences Perestroika- economic restructuring that allowed some small privately owned businesses Gorbachev also reopened churches, lifted bans on authors and other leaders of the arts

Mikhail Gorbachev March 1982 - Leonid Brezhnev died Communist party leaders were aging and trying to hold on to their power Party members chose a younger, energetic party member Mikhail Gorbachev (1985)

Gorbachev introduced reforms At 54, Gorbachev wasn’t influenced by Stalin 1986 - Gorbachev introduced “glasnost” (an openness that encouraged Soviet citizens to revitalize society) Churches were allowed to re-open Dissidents were released The public was allowed to read previously banned books

Perestroika Soviet consumers protested without fear The Soviet government’s central planning was inefficient and caused shortages in consumer goods Perestroika = a new economic plan to give managers more freedom over their collective farms and allowed people to open small private businesses

Demkratizatsiya The new policy of demkratizatsiya called for a new legislature where voter could choose a candidate instead of ratifying the parties choice The Soviet people chose less known candidates over party bosses (ie Boris Yeltsin who became Gorbachev’s rival)

New Thinking The Soviet Union couldn’t afford to keep the arms race going Gorbachev depended on diplomacy instead 1987 - President Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) banning all missiles between the 300 to 3,400 mile range

Ronald Reagan Moved away from Détente Increased defense spending, putting pressure on Soviet Union Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) Protect against enemy missiles Also known as Star Wars

Reagan Video

Built in 1961 to separate communist East Berlin from the free West Berlin The new leader, Egon Krenz, promised reform November 9, 1989 - he opened the Berlin Wall Berlin Wall is demolished in 1991 Gorbachev agrees to tear down the wall West and East Germany would re-unify October 3, 1990

The Curtain Falls Czechoslovakia and Romania overthrew their Communist dictators Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will gain independence The lack of economic improvement will hurt Gorbachev and in an unsuccessful coup attempt Boris Yeltsin becomes a hero and Gorbachev will resign

CIS Yeltsin met with the leaders of the new republics and formed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Gorbachev tried to save the Soviet Union and reform the Communist party but he is known for the Soviet break-up

Final collapse of the Soviet Union Many smaller Soviet nations declared their independence in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s The Soviet Union as we knew it collapsed in 1991 It then became known as the Russian Federation Today, there are 15 individual AND INDEPENDENT countries that make up the former Soviet Union

Past Present

Summary Video

Summary Make two columns Label one column US Leaders and the other Soviet Leaders List all the names of the leaders of each country during the Cold War

Check your answers United States Soviet Union Truman Eisenhower Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson Richard Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan Soviet Union Stalin Khrushchev Brezhnev Dubceck Gorbechev Yeltsin