Chapter 28 – Section 2 The BIG Idea: (Self-Determination) Popular Revolutions helped end Communist Rule in Eastern Europe.

When Gorbachev decided the Soviets would no longer send troops to support the governments of the satellite countries, revolutions broke out throughout Eastern Europe. Historians refer to this time period as “The Fall of the Iron Curtain” The first thing we will do in this powerpoint is to discuss four different Eastern European countries after the fall of Communism. Please label the four big boxes on your sheet: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania & Germany.

The first major changes in Poland actually happened in 1980 when a worker named Lech Walesa organized a trade union known as Solidarity. Solidarity was backed by workers as well as Pope John Paul II (who was Polish), and because of their popularity they were able to force the government to hold free elections in 1988 The elections led to the end of Communism in Poland and Walesa was elected president in POLAND

Lech Walesa won the Nobel Peace Prize in The approval of Pope John Paul II (the first Polish Pope) helped Walesa’s popularity

After the Soviets crushed the Writers Revolt of 1968, the intellectuals in Czechoslovakia had little success until mass demonstrations of 1988 & By November 1989, as many as 500,000 people were gathering in Prague (the capital) and in December the Communist new Government collapsed. The new government was faced with old ethnic tensions, and agreed to peacefully divide the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Czechoslovakia

Communist leader Nicolae Ceauşescu ruled Romania with an iron grip but when his economic policies led to lower standards and food shortages opposition grew. In December 1989 Ceauşescu’s secret police murdered thousands of people who were peacefully protesting, causing the Army to stop supporting Ceauşescu. Without the support of the Army, Ceauşescu was captured along with his wife, and they were both executed. Romania

Nicolae Ceauşescu was executed by firing squad after the new government of Romania convicted he and his wife in a two hour long trial.

When the Communist Government opened the borders with the West, thousands of East Germans swarmed to reunite with their families and friends. People on both sides of the Berlin Wall began tearing it down, and since the government was helpless to stop it the ordered the entire Berlin Wall to be torn Down The Reunification officially took place on October 3, It was forty-five years after the allies had liberated Germany from the Nazis and divided the country Germany

Show Berlin Wall Video Now

Yugoslavia, which was Communist but not a Soviet satellite would have seemed to be isolated from change, but that was not the case. Yugoslavia was made up of many republics, drawn by ethnic lines. Serbians were the dominant ethnic groups, led by their president Slobodan Miloševic. When Croatia and Slovinia declared independence from the Serbs, Miloševic’s army attacked and captured one-third of Croatia’s territory. Yugoslavia

Next, Milosevic and the Serbs attacked Bosnia-Herzogavina, taking 70% of their land. Many Bosnians were Muslims, and the Christian Serbs used a policy called ethnic cleansing to kill the Bosnians or forcibly remove them from their land. With help from NATO the Bosnians were able to regain most of their lost land, but there were still 30,000 NATO peace keepers in Bosnia as of 2006.

Yugoslavia A third war erupted in 1998 over Kosovo which was an autonomous (self-governed) province within Yugoslavia. After Miloševic stripped Kosovo of its autonomy, the people of Kosovo formed the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). To crush Miloševic slaughtered ethnic Albanian members of the KLA. The U.S. and NATO helped create a settlement and Kosovo regained its autonomy.

Yugoslavia Show Kosovo Video An Rebuilding Kosovo Video

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ceased to exist in 2004 when the government changed the name to Serbia and Montenegro. By 2006 Montenegro had voted to become independent, and all six of the republics that formed Yugoslavia in 1918 had become independent nations.

Chapter 28 – Section 3 The BIG Idea: (Ideas, Beliefs and Values) Postwar Western societies rebuilt their communities, but shifting social structures led to upheaval and change

Change in Western Europe Eastern Europe was not the only area changing. Countries and Western Europe underwent massive change during the years after World War II. Between the early 1950’s and the late 1970’s Western Europe experienced nearly full employment and good economic times, that lasted until a downturn in the 1980’s when oil prices rose. In addition to the strong economies of the 1970’s the Western European countries began to have a greater union of their economies which led to the adoption of the Euro as the common currency for 12 of the 15 nations of the European Union.

France After the economic fallback of the 1970’s, France’s political scene shifted to the left and a socialist government was voted into power. The socialists in France instituted an increase in minimum wage, the 39-hour work week and higher taxes for the rich. However, these changes did not stop the economic downfall and France’s politics shifted back to the right.

Germany Joys over the re-unification of Germany soon faded as new problems arose. It became clear that rebuilding Eastern Germany would be more expensive than anyone had thought. Economic problems continued to exists and led to increasing attacks on foreigners. Because Germany’s immigration laws are very liberal many foreigners and immigrants came to Germany looking for work. Many Germans who were unhappy with the poor economy used the immigrants as a scape-goat and attacked them.

Great Britain In 1979 Margaret Thatcher became Great Britain’s first female Prime Minister after being elected as a member of the Conservative Party. Thatcher’s policies of restricting unions activities, limiting welfare and privatizing government jobs worked for small businesses, but did little to help the manufacturing cities in the north In the 1990’s Thatcher’s plan to institute a flat tax lead to her resignation.