Chapter 29 The Contemporary Western World (Since 1970)

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The Revolutionary Era in the Soviet Union Leonid Brezhnev ( ) Brezhnev Doctrine – right to intervene if socialism threatened Access to Western styles of dress, music, and art Emphasis on heavy industry Overall, industrial growth declined Impact of central economic planning Agricultural problems Bad harvests in mid-1970s Unwilling to tamper with the party leadership and state bureaucracy Serious internal problems

The Gorbachev Era Problems of rigid and centralized planning Perestroika (restructuring) Glasnost (openness) Political reforms Call for a new Soviet parliament, 1988 Congress of People’s Deputies elected nationalist movements erupt Lithuania declares independence, 1990

The End of the Soviet Union Gorbachev arrested, August 19, 1991; coup fails Ukraine votes for independence, December 1991, others follow December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigns and turns power over to Boris Yeltsin, president of Russia Yeltsin introduces a free market economy Yeltsin wins the presidency of Russia in 1996 but resigns in 1999 Brutal war against Chechnya Vladimir Putin replaced Yeltsin when he resigned In 2001 launches reforms including unrestricted sale and purchase of land

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Eastern Europe: The Collapse of the Communist Order in Poland Edward Gierek, 1971, Economic problems Solidarity Lech Walesa (b. 1943) Free parliamentary elections, 1988 December, 1990; Walesa elected President November, 1995; Alexander Kwasniewski elected President

The Collapse of the Communist Order: Hungary & Czechoslovakia Hungary Jano Kadar in power for more than 30 years Moves slowly toward legalizing small private enterprises The Democratic Forum won the elections of 1990 Were committed to a democratic government and free market economy Czechoslovakia Communist government collapsed in 1989 Vaclav Havel was in control of the government Ethnic problems will lead to a peaceful division

Collapse of the Communist Order Romania Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu established dictatorial regime Crushed demonstrations in Timisoara that led to other demonstrations Army will not support Ceausescu Ceausescu and his wife were arrested, tried and executed Desire of Eastern European states to join NATO The Reunification of Germany Unrest due to economic problems Communist government falls, November 1989 Berlin Wall comes down Politically unified, October 3, 1990

The Berlin Wall

The Disintegration of Yugoslavia Death of Tito in 1980 League of Communists In 1990 republics of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Macedonia worked toward a federal structure Slbodan Milosevic rejects these efforts without new border arrangements to accommodate Serb minorities Slovenia and Croatia declare independence Yugoslavian army sent to attach Croatia Army becoming more and more a Serbian Army 1992 Serbs turn on Bosnia-Herzegovina Ethnic cleansing NATO strikes back

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War in Kosovo War erupted in 1999 Ethnic Albanians Stripped of autonomous status in 1989 Kosovo Liberation Army US and NATO intervene Milosevic refused to sign agreement and NATO resumes air strikes Milosovic ousted from office in fall elections, 2000 Brought to trial by an international tribunal for war crimes against humanity

Western Europe: The Winds of Change Economic recessions, mid-1970s and early 1980s Increase in the price of oil Integration of economies – European Economic Community Treaty on European Union European Community became the European Union, 1994 Euro, 2001

Germany Restored Willy Brandt ( ), Ostpolitik, “opening toward the east” Treaty with East Germany, 1972 Helmut Schmide (b. 1918) Technocrat; concerned with economic conditions Helmut Kohl (b. 1930) Problems of union

Great Britain: Thatcher then Blair Thatcherism Problems of Northern Ireland Direct rule from London, 1972 Conservatives gain political power, 1979 Political changes of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (b. 1925) Broke power of the labor unions Austerity to control inflation Hard line toward communism Rebuilds the military Anti-tax riots force Thatcher to resign, November 1990 Tony Blair (b. 1953), Labour Party, 1957

Uncertainties in France François Mitterrand ( ), Economic difficulties Socialistic policies Economic weaknesses of the 1990s Move to conservatism, Jacques Chirac elected 1995

The United States: The American Domestic Scene Richard Nixon ( ) elected in 1968 Ends Vietnam war, 1973 Watergate scandal Resignation, August 9, 1974 Jimmy Carter (b. 1924), Stagflation – high inflation and unemployment Oil embargo, hostages held by Iran

The United States: The American Domestic Scene Present Ronald Reagan (b. 1911), Reverses the welfare state Military buildup Supply-side economics George H. Bush (b. 1924), Economic downturn Bill Clinton elected 1992 Misconduct George W. Bush Terrorism Economic policies

Presidents Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon in Historic Photo

Contemporary Canada Pierre Trudeau ( ), elected in 1968 Brian Mulroney (b. 1939), elected in 1984 Quebec René Lévesque Parti Québécois

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Towards a New World Order Détente Antiballistic Missile Treaty, 1972 Helsinki Agreements, 1975 Human rights become an issue with President Carter Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, 1979 President Ronald Reagan’s “evil empire” The End of the Cold War Mikhail Gorbachev (b. 1931) “New thinking” Plan for arms limitation Autonomy for Communist regimes in Eastern Europe Gulf War; Balkans; Terrorism; Iraq

An Age of Terrorism Terrorist methods Munich Olympic Games, 1972 Left and right wing terrorist groups Militant nationalism Terrorist Attack on the United States September 11, 2001 Al-Qaida Osama bin Laden Afghanistan

Briefing on Iraq, with Bush Sr.

New Directions and New Problems in Western Society Transformation in Women’s Lives Decline in the birthrate Rise in the work force The Women’s Movement Abortion Women’s studies Anti-nuclear movement/Ecology International women’s conferences

The Environment and the Green Movements Problems in the environment Chernobyl, 1986 Green parties

The World of Western Culture Trends in Art, and Literature Abstractionism and Abstract Expressionism Pop Art Postmodern “Theater of the Absurd” Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot Philosophy of existentialism Albert Camus ( )  Absence of God Postmodernism in literature

Religion & Technology The Revival of Religion Karl Barth ( ) Pope John XXIII, Pope John Paul II, The New World of Science and Technology Military-Industrial Complex German rockets; jets British work in computers J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb Computers E.F. Schumacher ( ), Small is Beautiful

The Explosion of Popular Culture Support of the economic system Popular Culture and the Americanization of the World Motion pictures Television Popular music Experimentation in rock and roll Video music Growth of Mass Sports

Toward a Global Civilization? Problems are global not just national Nongovernmental organizations Interdependency

Discussion Questions How might we see Brezhnev as a transition between the old Soviet regime and the changes brought by Gorbachev? What steps did Czechoslovakia take to gain freedom from communism and then a peaceful split of the country? What have been the problems with the break up of Yugoslavia? How did the 9/11 attack affect United States domestic and foreign policy?

Web links Mikhail Gorbachev Vladimir Putin Slobodan Milosevic Helmut Kohl Margaret Thatcher Ronald Reagan Al-Qaeda Taliban Nongovernmental organizations