The Cold War Comes to an End Communist China Détente Afghanistan Reagan & Gorbachev The Fall of the Soviet Union

Communist China 1949: Mao Zedong’s communists took power Initially, UN refused to recognize the communist government & former government that had fled to Taiwan continued to sit on UN Security Council Eventually, many countries (including Canada) recognized “Red China” as the official government 1971: US finally allows Communist China to replace Taiwan on Security Council UN’s decision not to recognize China’s communist government due to US pressure UN’s decision also a source of Cold War tension US bowed to international pressure Recognition of Communist China = one aspect of détente and paved the way for China to become a major world power

Détente Period of decreased tensions between USSR & USA from late 60s to early 70s. “Hotline” was installed between Moscow and Washington. Both sides signed agreements limiting their nuclear weapons, including: Nuclear Test Ban treaty, 1963 SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks), 1972 Ended in 1979 when USSR installed missiles in Eastern Europe & invaded Afghanistan. Communist and capitalists countries increased trade and improved international relations at this time. USA threatened to retaliate with missiles in Western Europe Review: What do you remember about Afghanistan?

Afghanistan Late 1970s: civil war in Afghanistan. 1979: USSR invaded claiming to support the “legitimate” communist government. UN condemned the invasion, but USSR vetoed the Security Council’s motion to withdraw. USA stopped grain shipments to USSR & ended SALT talks. The government in power under Prime Minister Amin was communist. It was opposed by the Mujahedeen, a group of Muslim guerrillas. The Mujahedeen were composed of a number of factions that opposed Amin’s pro-Soviet government, but they were loosely organized. The Mujahedeen initially received financial support from the US government. Once they succeeded in getting the Soviets to withdraw, the different factions began fighting each other for power. An Islamic state was established in 1992 as part of a peace accord, but were defeated by the Taliban in 1996. Review: What does SALT stand for? (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) Canada, US & other western nations boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980. USSR boycotted the LA Olympics in 1984. Major significances: Ends détente USA inadvertently helped bring in the Taliban whom they would invade Afghanistan to bring down after 9/11 USA also helped train/arm many of those who would follow bin Laden

Reagan & Gorbachev 1981: Cold War tensions increased when Reagan became President He increased defence spending by $180 billion. He also proposed the Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI or Star Wars), a defence system that would destroy Soviet missiles from space. Regan had been known to refer to the USSR as the “evil empire”

Reagan & Gorbachev Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) eased tensions in the mid-80s. Late 80s: Gorbachev introduced perestroika (economic reforms) & glasnost (openness in public affairs). His reforms were designed to help the USSR run more efficiently, improve conditions for its citizens & bring its economic & political systems closer to those of the West Perestroika allowed a sort of capitalism in some industries and areas of the economy. Glasnost brought an end to much of the censorship of previous Soviet eras. Gorbachev’s policies resulted in calls for reform in many communist countries under Soviet influence like East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary and Romania

Fall of the Soviet Union Gorbachev’s reforms reduced Soviet control of Warsaw Pact countries. 1989: “Iron Curtain” began to collapse as Soviet satellite countries adopted democracy. End of communism in many of these nations led to political & economic turmoil (e.g. Bosnia)

The Berlin Wall had been built by the Soviets to keep East Germans from travelling freely into West Berlin (under American control). It had been a symbol of the Cold War and its destruction was a symbol of the Cold War’s end. The Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989 and East & West Germany were reunified.

In 1991, the USSR officially collapsed, dividing into 15 smaller countries including Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.