2. Soviet Leadership StalinKhrushchevBrezhnevGorbachev

3. Life after Stalin Khrushchev reforms USSR after Stalin dies (1953) –Soviet people begin to enjoy some freedoms Reforms encourage resistance –Poland 1956 – workers strike for better conditions –Hungary 1956 – nationwide revolt against USSR –Czech 1968 – Prague Spring democratic reforms USSR uses force to maintain control

4. Problems in the USSR Military Burden –Arms Race is expensive to maintain –Détente: Relaxation of tensions in 1970s Both sides reduce number of nuclear weapons Economic Burden –USSR produces inferior goods; not enough for all –Low standard of living & poverty American Jeans being sold in the black market 1 pair = 1 month’s worth of wages

6. “Eternally Youthful”

7. External Challenges to Cold War Superpowers Internal Protest Reform U.S. U.S.S.R. Vietnam War Extremely unpopular war U.S. not successful 58,000 Americans dead 1 million Vietnamese dead Anti War Movement Students protest U.S. involvement in Vietnam Question U.S. Cold War strategies Civil Rights Movement African Americans & students protest End of the Vietnam War War Powers Act, 1973 Limited power of president to send troops to war w/o congress approval Church Committee Bans CIA abuses (Assassination & spying) Civil Rights Act, 1964 Bans discrimination Voting Right Act, 1965 Federal Supervision of elections Soviet Afghan War Czechoslovakian Revolt Defies soviet control Soviet Chinese Split Economic Reform (capitalism) No political reform (communist govt.) Gorbachev Pulled Soviets from Afghanistan Gave satellite countries independence Glasnost (openness) Lifted restrictions on freedom of speech/expression Perestroika (restructuring) Allowed for a democratic govt. Multi-candidate elections No public protest Why? Protest

9. USSR Crumbles 1989 Eastern Europe Breaks Free –Poland – Solidarity Movement holds free elections –Hungary – allows new political parties –Czech – elected a president Berlin Wall Falls –Berlin Wall supposed to keep people IN –East Germany begins to let people OUT –Thousands help dismantle the Berlin Wall Germany will unify

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13. End of the Cold War Cold War officially ends in 1991 –USSR controlled nations become independent –USSR becomes Russia once again United States only remaining superpower