1. Struggle for Democracy in Eastern Europe
How does Communism end in Eastern Europe?

2. Poland
1980: Polish shipyard workers led by Lech Walesa go on strike, demand communist govt recognize their union Solidarity
Polish gov outlaws Solidarity and cracks down on dissent
1985: Soviet leader Gorbachev announces glasnost (more freedom)
: Polish Economy worsens, walkouts, strikes & rioting occur, Polish gov will allow elections, Communists voted out, Walesa is Pres
Hungary
1989: Inspired by glasnost & Poland, Hungary’s leaders call for elections
Radicals take over Hungarian Communist Party & vote to dissolve party
1990: First national elections held, communists no longer control govt

3. 1989: Many E. Germans flee into Hungary (no longer communist)
Germany
1989: Many E. Germans flee into Hungary (no longer communist)
E. German leader Erick Honecker closes all borders – major protests
Nov 89: Hoping to stop protests, E. German govt allows people to travel between East & West Berlin – thousands leave for the west
1990: E. German communists lose power, two Germanys reunified
Czechoslovakia
Czech writer Vaclav Havel calls for democracy and is arrested
Thousands protest, Czechs have new elections, Velvet Revolution
New economic policy creates unemployment, esp in Slovakia
Czechs and Slovaks agree to split country

4. Romania
Communist leader Nicolae Ceausescu uses his secret police to end reform movements
Thousands protest in Timisoara, Ceausescu orders army to open fire on protestors
Major uprising occurs, Ceausescu tries to flee but is caught, tried and executed
Yugoslavia
1980s: ethnic & cultural tensions grow after Josip Titio’s death
1991: War breaks in Slovenia & Croatia, Serb led Yugoslav army tries to stop their independence, Serbs defeated in both wars
1995: Bosnia wants independence, Radovan Karadžić leads Bosnian Serbs against Bosnian Muslims, starts ethnic cleansing, UN steps in
1998: Muslims in Serbian province of Kosovo want indp. Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic begins a ethnic cleansing against Muslims
UN intervenes, arrest Milosevic : Serbia & Montenegro split ending Yugoslavia