1. The End of the Cold War – Mikhail Gorbachev

2. Soviet leadership was in crisis Brezhnev died 1982 (from 1964) Yuri Andropov died 1984 Konstantin Chernenko died 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev – only 54 in 1985 (youngest since Stalin)

3. WEAKNESSES IN THE SOVIET BLOC West did not realise the USSR was on the edge of disaster Soviets spending too much money on the Arms Race & Afghanistan (25% GNP – USA was only 7%) Soviet industry was lazy & inefficient Communist Party = corrupt – selling materials on the black market rather than sharing it Quantity & quality was failing Detente – had left the USSR in huge debt to the West

4. Soviet bloc – v. Polluted Aral sea had dried up – overuse of water for farmlands Chernobyl Nuclear Power plant – 1986 = disaster – deaths & radiation poisoning Standard of living was lower than the West Communist party officials lived in Luxury People were fed up – 1/5 of soldiers were alcoholics – people made jokes of the system.

6. NEW SOVIET POLICIES Gorbachev introduced: 1.Perestroika – restructuring Changed economic policies to allow competition – also on consumer demand – businesses had to pay for themselves through profit not Govt money 2. Glasnost – Openness Ending corruption, no punishments for just disagreeing with Govt – instead open debate 3. Cut back on global commitments

8. USA RESPONDS President Reagan relaxed his aggressive anti- soviet stance Cut military spending as USSR had done before RR & Gorbachev met several times: 1985 – Geneva – cut weapons by 50% Dec 1987 – INF Treaty – dismantle all medium & short range weapons 1989 – Gorbachev won noble peace prize Dec 1989 – Gorbachev met George Bush (new President) to announce the end of the cold War

10. Tear down this wall http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjWDrTXMgF8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0uTYAyiHqA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO_ymlznJR0

11. THE COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM Many people imprisoned for disagreeing with the USSR were released People were allowed to buy & sell for profit – for the first time in 60 years (pre Stalin) Hard line Communists were horrified – said Gorbachev was stirring up trouble Once he allowed freedom of speech – the media & people openly said they wanted rid of Communism (esp. In Eastern Europe)

12. TROUBLE IN EASTERN EUROPE People = increasingly discontented March 1989 – Gorbachev told the Communist leaders, the Red Army would no longer protect them Other political parties were allowed to be formed The soviet Union disintegrated.

14. The Fall of the Soviet Union Using pages 132-33, create a flowchart explaining the fall of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev was widely respected in the West for his willingness to reform and the fact that his policies had led to the break-up of Eastern Europe. As a result, Gorbachev officially announced the dissolution of the Soviet Union and his resignation as President on 25 December 1991. Leading members of the communist party believed Gorbachev had severely weakened communism. They organised a coup on 19 August 1991 which removed him from power. Gorbachev was away from the capital at the time and was prevented from returning. The new gvt declared a state of emergency and aimed to restore the power of the Soviet Union. The new gvt lasted 3 days. Boris Yeltsin, played a crucial role in defeating the coup. he called upon the people to resist the new regime. 21 Aug Gorbachev returned and resumed his position as Soviet leader, and announced it was his goal to save communism. But the coup had damaged his authority. Gorbachev’s final attempt to save the Soviet Union was a new constitution which gave Soviet republics greater independence. However the leaders of these countries did not accept as they wanted full independence.

15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut5t3hWyAwQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnYXbJ_bcLc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmRPP2WXX0U&feature= related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmRPP2WXX0U&feature= related

16. THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION 1990 – 3 Baltic states declared independence from the USSR – Latvia, Lithuania & Estonia. To many Russians it seemed Gorbachev had done little to prevent the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. Feb 1990 – 250,000 people campaigned against Communism May Day parade – Gorbachev was booed

18. August 1991 hard line communists led a coup against Gorbachev Imprisoned him in his home in Dacha It seemed as if the USSR was going to return to the bad old days

19. Boris Yeltsin – the new President of the Russian Republic – led a demonstration against the coup He was seen as a hero He went on to disband the Soviet Communist Party He formally ended the USSR in December 1991 Gorbachev resigned as Soviet President - and the red flag was lowered from the Kremlin for the last time