1. The End of the Cold War

2. The Soviet Union Declines
Following WWII, little rewards for USSR.
Khrushchev more freedom than Stalin
Still command economy
Still forced obedience in satellite nations

3. The Soviet Union Declines
What is a command economy?

4. The Soviet Union Declines
In USSR, command economy couldn’t match capitalism in US.
Soviet goods were not good quality.
Why?

5. The Soviet Union Declines
1985: Gorbachev
Wanted to avoid Cold War tensions
Signed arms control treaty with US
Glasnot—Open discussion of political and social issues
Perestroika
(per-es-troi-ka)— Restructuring of the government and economy

6. The Soviet Union Declines
Still economic problems
Gorbachev’s policies fed unrest
Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania regained independence
Gorbachev resigned
1991: remaining satellite nations split and gained independence

7. The Berlin Wall

8. Communism Fails Berlin Wall fell In Vietnam North Korea Cuba
First time since 1939, Eastern European nations were free
1991: Warsaw pact crumbled
In Vietnam
Changed economically
Encouraged tourism
Exported coffee
North Korea
Isolationism, famine
Cuba
Decline without USSR support

9. The result?
US the sole superpower