The End of the Cold War And the last power-point notes you have to take for the year!!

Events not just in Vietnam Prague Spring Leonid Brezhnev became leader of the Soviet Union after Khrushchev lost power. In 1968, the reforms of Alexander Dubcek threatened the single party leadership in Czechoslovakia. The Soviet Union sent 250,000 troops to suppress the revolution. The Brezhnev Doctrine is introduced which gave the Soviet Union the ability to intervene and protect socialism against internal or external forces.

Prague Spring in action

M.A.D Throughout the 1960’s and 70’s the arms race began and continued through the 1980’s. Weapons of every type were developed. By 1986, there were an estimated 50,000 nuclear warheads. Also throughout the 60’s and 70’s, Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) doctrine of retaliation.

Nixon in China When Nixon took office in 1969, the growing importance of China had to be recognized. In 1971, the U.S. withdrew its objections for China’s entry into the UN It was no longer a bi-polar world and the emerging powers (such as China) had to be recognized. In 1972, Nixon visited Mao in Beijing and initiated diplomatic and economic relations with China.

Pressure for detente U.S. diplomatic relations with China put more pressure on the Soviet Union for détente. SALT I-Strategic Arms Limitation Signed in 1972 by both the U.S. and the Soviet Union and reaffirmed the goal of “peaceful coexistence”. The Helsinki Accords was not a formal treaty, but was the high point of détente in 1975.

Can détente continue?? In 1974, Nixon resigns and Gerald Ford takes office. In 1977, Jimmy Carter takes office. SALT II is signed Carter focuses on human rights, but meanwhile both the U.S. and the Soviet Union reinforced their nuclear and military strength.

Afghanistan-The Soviet Union’s Vietnam Beginning in 1979, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, based on the request of the Afghan government. Lasted until 1989, involving 100,000 Soviet troops. Carter proclaimed that this was “the most serious threat to world peace since 1945” and a “stepping stone in their possible control over much of the world’s oil supplies”.

Mujahideen (Islamic guerrillas) stand on top of a Soviet helicopter they brought down. The mujahideen fought against the Soviet military occupation of Afghanistan). They used guerrilla-war tactics to ambush Soviet troops..

Reagan is Elected In January 1981, Ronald Reagan took office. Reagan’s position was to take a “hard line” on the Cold War. He openly called the Soviet Union: – “the focus of evil in the modern world” – “an evil empire with dark purposes”.

Nuclear Arms Control Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union continue to build arms: – Strategic long-range missiles – Continental ballistic missiles – Launched from land, sea or air – Guided missiles – Continuous testing of nuclear weapons

Nuclear Powers and Capacity #1 The United States #2 The United Kingdom #3 The Soviet Union #4 France #5 China #6 India Today: Israel, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya and North Korea

Star Wars (not the movie) On March , Reagan announces his plan for the interception of long-range missiles from both the ground and space. Reagan hoped this would end the threat of nuclear attack Called “Star Wars” by the press, Strategic Defense Initiative by Reagan. Over 10 years, $50 Billion was spent on this initiative. In 1993, Clinton renamed “Star Wars”, Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO)

''What if free people could live secure in the knowledge... that we could intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reached our own soil...?” -Ronald Reagan March 1983

The Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev rises to power in the Soviet Union Perestroika: drastic modification of the centrally planned command economy inherited by Stalin Glasnost: openness, which would be linked to economic reform. Changes were brought about that had not been seen since the revolution.

Gorbachev and Reagan Gorbachev becomes very popular in the West In 1981, Reagan administration focuses on arms limitations, now called START (Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) Gorbachev sees détente as a real way to achieve peace The leaders meet multiple times to attempt to deduce long-range nuclear weapons.

“Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall!” -Ronald Reagan, June 12, 1987

The Collapse of Communism Some events prior to the collapse Détente and Gorbachev’s “open” policies. Centrally planned economies had stagnated since the 1970’s. Lech Walesa rose to power in Poland calling for free elections. In 1989, Hungary opens it’s boarders to Germans. Revolutions continue to spread to Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria.

The Berlin Wall On November 9, Germans on both sides of the wall began to tear it down. On October 3, Germany officially reunited.

The Collapse of the Soviet Union Boris Yeltsin elected to the legislature in 1989 was opposed to Gorbachev. Gorbachev was intent on keeping the “union” in tact, Yeltsin demanded independence for the Baltic states. On December 22nd, 1991 the republics of the Soviet Union agreed to its dissolution. Gorbachev resigns and Yeltsin becomes the first popularly elected president.

Questions to consider: Why did the Soviet Union collapse? Was the Soviet system always destined to fail? If communism failed, could capitalism also fail? What becomes of all the weaponry produced during the Cold War? In the end-who won the Cold War?