The End of the Cold War 1989-1991

New Polish pope John Paul II elected in 1978 became an outspoken critic of communism Strikes broke out in Gdansk shipyards in 1980 led by Lech Walesa Gov’t responded by allowing the formation of Solidarity, an independent union

Reagan Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980 promising economic reform and a renewed hard line toward the USSR U.S. increased military spending, deployed a new European missile system, and began SDI (“Star Wars”) research These measures forced a corresponding military buildup in the USSR that the Soviets could ill afford

Gorbachev Mikhail Gorbachev reenergized Soviet leadership when he came to power in 1985 New policies… -perestroika -glasnost Gorbachev believed these reforms would strengthen Soviet communism and allow it to survive

An American leader (Reagan) and a Soviet leader (Gorbachev) together in Red Square-not a photo most Americans ever expected to see.

1989: Year of Revolution in Eastern Europe New strikes erupted in Poland in 1988 Gov’t failed to re-impose order and Solidarity was legalized Poland now chose its first non-communist gov’t since 1945 with the approval of Gorbachev Throughout the year, one Soviet-dominated state after another in Eastern Europe moved toward independence

When mass demonstrations erupted in East Germany, Soviets informed the East German communist party that they wouldn’t intervene to stop them East German gov’t then resigned New German gov’t ordered the opening of the Berlin Wall paving the way for German unification in 1990

The Collapse of the Soviet Union Central Committee accepted Gorbachev’s proposal to relinquish the Communist Party’s monopoly on power in 1990 Conservative coup in August, 1991 discredited the Communist Party and strengthened the reformer Boris Yeltsin Gorbachev left office in December and the Soviet Union dissolved into the Commonwealth of Independent States

Содружество Независимых Государств