1. Collapse of the Soviet Union

2. Cold War Alliances Western Bloc Eastern Bloc
USSR and Warsaw Pact allies
Economic System: command economy
Political System: Communism
Goal: promote communism and support nations facing aggression from Western Bloc
bloc = a combination of countries, parties, or groups sharing a common purpose
USA and NATO
Economic System = capitalism
Political System = Democracy
Goal: contain communism
Containment = prevent communism from expanding and support nations facing threat of communism

4. USSR in 1970’s and 80’s 1970’s: Soviet Union at its height
Strong economy
Communist victory in Vietnam
Support for communism in South America
1980’s: Decline
Economy slows
Satellite nations slow
Military spending ↑
Invasion of Afghanistan = disaster
Soviets losing faith in their system  looking to the West

5. Political Reforms in USSR
1985: Mikhail Gorbachev comes to power
Promotes glasnost and perestroika
Glasnost = openness/transparency
freedom of press
access to Western press
the creation of political unions that opposed communism
banned books that challenged Soviet history or Communist rule were published in large editions
dissidents were released from prison
greater religious tolerance
freedom to travel to Western countries

6. Political Reforms in USSR
Perestroika = restructuring of government and economy
farmers were allowed to sell goods on the free market
reduced the size of the bureaucracy
supported limited private ownership
Gorbachev pulls troops from Afghanistan
Improves relationship with US
Grants self determination to Republics
1989: Berlin Wall falls

7. Final Collapse of the USSR
Republics call for self rule and secession
1989: Lithuania
By end of 1991: all republics declared independence
Gorbachev faces political challengers and attempted coup
December, 1991: Gorbachev resigns and the Soviet Union officially dissolves
Replaced by loose federation of the former republics