1. The Fall of Communism & End of Cold War

2. 1970s: Detente
Period of détente in which the US & USSR’s relationship began to improve
Détente ended when the USSR invaded Afghanistan
President Ronald Reagan took the opposite approach & used tough rhetoric on the USSR
USSR was struggling economically

3. Mikhail Gorbachev PEOPLE
Leader of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1985 until its collapse in 1991.
Reformed many Communist policies, bringing more freedom and openness (glasnost)

4. Ronald Reagan President of the United States from 1981-1989
PEOPLE
Ronald Reagan
President of the United States from
Tough on the Soviet Union
Dramatically increased US military spending
the Soviet Union realized they could not keep up

5. Lech Walesa
PEOPLE
Polish politician, trade union organizer, and human rights activist
In August 1980 he led the Gdansk shipyard strike which inspired a wave of strikes throughout Poland
Elected first President of Poland

6. 1978: Election of John Paul II
EVENTS
1978: Election of John Paul II
He was the first non-Italian Pope in 400 years – inspired Polish nationalism
Spoke out strongly against Communism, encouraging freedom for all people and human rights
Pope John Paul II speaking to a crowd in Poland

7. 1970s- 1980s
Growth in the West
Western capitalist nations experienced huge rise in the standard of living after World War II
Homeownership became common along with car ownership

8. 1970s- 1980s
Growth in the West
A wide variety of consumer goods were produced including radios, televisions, phones, VCR's, microwaves and clothing.
Huge production of consumer goods fueled economic growth.

9. Problems in the Soviet Union
1970s- 1980s
Problems in the Soviet Union
In contrast, communist Soviet Union & its satellites experienced rapid industrialization but mainly focused on producing military equipment
Production of consumer goods was limited, resulting in a shortage of basic living staples.  

10. Problems in the Soviet Union
1970s- 1980s
Problems in the Soviet Union
Standing in line for products and rationing became common along with a shortage of housing
Eventually the spending on the military came at the expense of consumer production
This led to the collapse of the Soviet economy.

11. 1980: Solidarity Movement in Poland
Lech Walesa inspired a series of workers’ strikes across Poland in 1980
The authorities were forced to negotiate with Walesa and gave the workers the right to strike and to organize their own independent union, called Solidarity. nt

12. Late 1980s: Gorbachev Reforms the Soviet Union
When Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, he wanted to preserve Communism but reform it in many ways
He introduced two new policies: Glasnost and Perestroika nt

13. Gorbachev Reforms the Soviet Union
Glasnost  political policy that allowed more “openness” such as freedom of speech.
Perestroika  economic policy that encouraged more private ownership of business and innovation nt
FREE SPEECH

14. 1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall
: Change in the UUSR
1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall, which had separated East and West Berlin since 1961, was opened in November 1989.
Germans could now travel freely back and forth nt

15. Protests throughout Eastern Europe
Inspired by Poland’s Solidarity movement, people across Eastern Europe staged mass demonstrations calling for democratic reform
Only in Romania, the protests turned violent nt

16. Election of Lech Walesa
In 1990, Lech Walesa was elected President of the Republic of Poland
Poland was the first Eastern European country to establish a non-communist government.
By 1990, every Eastern European country had replaced its communist govt.

17. 1990: Reunification of Germany
West Germany’s leader helped negotiate the reunification of Germany which was official in 1990
Germany became a Democratic Republic nt

18. THE IRON CURTAIN FALLS

19. The Soviet Union Collapses
Reforming the Soviet Union ultimately led to its break up
Various ethnic groups began calling for their freedom from the Soviet Union
After a failed overthrow, Gorbachev resigned and the Communist party disbanded

20. The Soviet Union Collapses
In 1991, Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine all declared their independence from the Soviet Union.
Other republics of the Soviet Union soon did the same, leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union

21. Newly independent nations formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union