1. The Decline of Communism
The Decline of Communism

2. Failure of Detente: Afghanistan
Dec. 1979: Soviets invaded Afghanistan
Failure of containment and Detente
US supported the Mujahideen (training & weapons)
Afghanistan became the USSR’s “Vietnam”
Unable to succeed, the Soviets withdrew in 1989

3. Enter: Reagan Nov. 1979: Ronald Reagan elected President
Boycott 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow (over Afghanistan)
1983:Called the Soviet Union an “Evil Empire”
1983: US invaded Grenada to undo a “communist” coup.
Supported Central American regimes threatened by communist guerillas.
1983- SDI (Star Wars)
KAL 007: Soviets shot down a Korean 747

4. Cracks in the Iron Curtain
SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT
1980 Poland’s economy was in ruin, workers went on strike against high prices & shortages.
The USSR jailed strike leaders, but the US secretly supported the workers
OLD TIMERS PARADE
1982 Brezhnev dies, succeeded by Andropov (1.5 years) and Chernenko (1 year) both died in office.
1985 Mikhail Gorbachev, a young reformer takes power

5. GORBACHEV SUMMITS 1985- Geneva: first meeting, “get to know you”
GLASNOST (openness)
A reform of government controls over free speech and an attempt at transparency
PERISTROIKA (economic restructuring)
restructuring of the economy, a reform of broken systems and priorities.
SUMMITS
1985- Geneva: first meeting, “get to know you”
1986- Reykjavik: Did not go well, but seen as the foundation for the Intermediate Range-Nuclear Forces Treaty, signed in Washington in 1987.
Comments From Reagan
1987- In Berlin: “Mr. Gorbechev, tear down this wall!”
1988- When asked about Russia being an “Evil Empire”, he declares, “That was another time, another place.”

6. The Bloc Crumbles
Jan 1989: Baltic states (Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia) declare aim of independence, protests since
June Free Elections in Poland- no support of communists (1st non-Communist gov’t in Eastern Bloc).
Oct Hungary changes its constitution, allowing multiple parties.
Oct In the face of rising opposition in East Germany, Erich Honecker is forced out.
Open uprisings spread throughout the Eastern bloc.
Nov-Dec Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia (peaceful strikes)
Dec Romanian Revolution (much more bloody than Czech.)
June Tiananmen Square: An exciting sign of change in another Communist regime, but when it was brutally put down, it cast a shadow on the fate of changes in Eastern Europe.

7. The Wall Falls
Nov 9- following ongoing protests, the opening of E. German borders is prematurely announced.
Gathering crowds breached the wall.

8. The End of An Empire 1990-91 1990: Baltic States declare independence.
Oct. 3, 1990: E&W Germany unified
1991: Warsaw Pact dissolved
Jan. 1991: Hardliners in Moscow send Soviet troops to crush Baltic protests, but after some clashes the military withdraws & Gorbachev denounces the fighting.
August Coup in Moscow- Hardliners try to isolate Gorbachev.
Boris Yeltsin leads the people to oppose the hardliners, and the coup collapses.
Dec Gorbachev resigns, the Soviet Union is dissolved; Bush announces end of the Cold War
By Dec 31, all Soviet institutions ceased operations.