1. The End of the Cold War: 1981 to 1991 The End of the Cold War: 1981 to 1991

2. Ronald Regan }U.S. President 1981-1988 }Ideas: -Confront the Soviets everywhere -Increase military spending

3. }25% of Soviet GDP spent on arms }Result: -Soviet economic problems -U.S. military build- up

4. Konstantin Chernenko (1984) Yuri Andropov (1983) New Soviet Leadership Mikhail Gorbachev (New General Secretary in 1985)

5. Gorbachev’s Reforms }Glasnost: encouraged Soviet citizens to discuss ways to improve society }Perestroika: Soviet economic restructuring 1985

6. Gorbachev’s Reforms }Democratization: gradual opening of political system leading to election of new legislative body }Foreign Policy: diplomacy over force and arms control 1987

7. Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) }December 1987 }Banned nuclear missiles with ranges of 300 to 3,400 miles

8. Hungarian Communism Falls }October 1989: reformers take over communist party & disband party }October 1990: Free elections put non- communist govt. in power }April 1989: Solidarity Party legalized }1989-90: Free elections out Communist reign }FIRST TIME EVER! Poland Breaks Away

9. Communism Continues to Fall Czechoslovakia: }December 1989: Milo Jakes & communist govt. resigns Romania: }December 1989: uprisings lead to execution of Ceausescu }Free elections held in 1990 &1992

10. Fall of the Berlin Wall }October 1989: Closed borders leads to demonstrations & Honecker resigns }November 1989: new leader Krenz opens the Berlin Wall

11. German Reunification }By end of 1989: East German communism falls }October 3, 1990: officially reunited

12. Unrest in Soviet Union }Georgia, Ukraine, Moldavia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia demand self-rule }June 1991:voters elect Boris Yeltsin as first directly elected president Boris Yeltsin

13. The August Coup }August 1991 }Gorbachev detained }Protestors gather outside Yeltsin’s office in Moscow and demand constitution

14. Fall of the Soviet Union }December 25, 1991: Gorbachev resigns }Soviet parliament vote to stop all party activities………………….. Soviet Union falls!! }By early December all 15 republics had declared their independence