Download Collapse of the Soviet Union

Europe’s History
(Conflict & Change)
Date
Name
SS6H7: The student will explain conflict and change in Europe to the 21st century.
a. Describe major developments following WWI: the Russian Revolution, the
Treaty of Versailles, world-wide depression & the rise of Nazism
b. Explain the impact of WWII in terms of the Holocaust, the origins of the Cold
War, and the rise of Superpowers.
c. Explain how the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the end of the Cold War
and German reunification.
The Russian Revolution
• For many years before World War I, Russian citizens had suffered under the rule of
Tsar (leader) Nicholas II.
• The ruling class held the country’s wealth, and the people barely had enough food to
eat.
• Russia fought on the side of the Allies in World War I and suffered terrible losses.
• By 1917, Russians were tired of food shortages, freezing from coal shortages, and
exhausted by war.
• Workers united against the Russian ruler, overthrew the monarchy, and killed
Nicholas and his family.
• A revolutionary group seized power and established the Soviet Union as a
communist country.
• The revolutionary group was known as the Bolsheviks (political party: communist).
• The Bolsheviks were led by Vladimer Lenin.
• The Bolsheviks were seen as good and a relief by the suffering people of Russia.
• Under Lenin, Russia became known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
• After a 3-year civil war, Russia’s traditional monarchy (czar) became the world’s first
communistic country.
• The government of the USSR followed the beliefs of Karl Marx, called Marxism.
The Treaty of Versailles
• It forced Germany to accept responsibility for causing the war
• It required Germany to pay reparations (payments) to other countries for their losses
and damage
1
Europe’s History
(Conflict & Change)
Date
Name
• It required Germany to give up 1 million square miles of land (size of Alaska and Texas
combined) much of which was rich in natural resources (Why does this matter?)
• It required Germany to limit its armed forces
• Germans greatly resented the restrictions put on it by the Treaty
of Versailles.
• Germans began to rise up in protest as economic conditions worsened.
• Germany also became isolated from and distrusted by other countries.
World Wide Depression
• After World War I, the world economy slipped into a worldwide depression.
• A depression is a time where business is bad and people lose their jobs.
• Soldiers came home needing jobs, but there were not enough. Unemployment
skyrocketed.
• European countries were in bad shape because they had suffered great loss of life
and property damage.
• Additionally, European countries had borrowed money to pay for war costs and now
had no money to repay their debts.
• Countries experienced Inflation where their money couldn’t buy as much as it used to
buy because it had lost value. How did that affect people?
• In 1929, the stock market crash in the United States crippled the already struggling
economies.
• Industry, shipping, and trade between countries were affected
• Unrest and nationalism grew, people wanted strong leadership to make their countries
rich and powerful again
The rise of Nazism
• The democratic government in Germany after World War I (Weimar Republic) faced
major problems
• A political party called the Nazi Party attracted the attention of dissatisfied Germans
• The Nazi Party’s leader, Adolf Hitler, described ideas to strengthen Germany
• Hitler also believed that Aryans (Germans) were the “master race”; he had racist
feelings about Jews, Slavs, gypsies, and blacks
• The Nazi Party believed in a strong central government controlled by the military and
run by a dictator
• Nazis offered solutions for Germany’s economic problems
2
Europe’s History
(Conflict & Change)
Date
Name
• Nazis appealed to German nationalism by calling for a larger military and an increase
in German territory (violation of Treaty of Versailles)
• Nazis united Germans against Jews by blaming them for the problems
• Nazis assured Germans they could protect them from enemies
• Nazis organized groups to threaten anyone who opposed them so few spoke out
The Holocaust
 Adolf Hitler’s plan was to conquer the world
 Began a systematic killing of every Jew, man, woman, or child, under Nazi rule
 Imprisoned Jews, made to wear identifying armbands, separated from their families
 Concentration camps: gas chambers
 Thousands died from forced labor, little food, exposure to weather
 Genocide: planned killing of race of people (6 million by the end of WWII)
The Cold War
 In 1945, a period of distrust and misunderstanding between the Soviet Union and the
U.S. began
 Soviets (Communist) believed powerful central governments should control the
economy as well as the government (socialism)
 United States (Democracy) believed business should be privately owned (capitalism)
 Joseph Stalin led the Eastern Bloc which the U.S. made up the Western Bloc
 Iron Curtain: invisible line separating the two counties
 After WWII ended, Germany was divided into four sections to keep it from regaining
power
 U.S., Great Britain, France, and Soviet Union each controlled a section
 1948: the Western Allies wanted to reunite Germany, Soviets did not
 The US, Great Britain & France united their sections into West Germany; Soviets
remained in charge of East Germany; capital city, Berlin, was also divided
 Communist leader built Berlin Wall
 Each side thought the other was trying to rule the world; neither side gave up, people
lived in fear of nuclear war, disaster for everyone on Earth
3
Europe’s History
(Conflict & Change)
Date
Name
 Countries formed new alliances
o NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): April 1949: alliance between the
US & 12 countries; agreed to defend each other if a Communist attack should
happen
o Warsaw Pact: May 1955: agreement between Soviet Union & 7 Eastern
European countries to defend each other should the United States & its allies
attack
Rise of the Superpowers
 U.S. and Soviet Union increased in influence
 More countries allied on either side
 Both had the ability to influence world events and project worldwide power
 Each side was evenly matched and the world took sides
The Soviets
 Held a permanent seat on the UN Security Council
 Had influence on other communist countries and dictatorships around the world
 Third largest in world population and second largest economy
 Had military and space technology
 Had a worldwide spy network (KGB)
 Had one of the largest stockpiles of nuclear weapons in the world
The United States
 Third largest country in the world and fourth most populated country
 Held a permanent seat on the UN Security Council
 Had strong ties with Western Europe and Latin America
 Had powerful military support from NATO
 Had the largest navy in the world
 Had military bases all over the world including in Warsaw Pact countries
 Had the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
 Had a large reserve of nuclear weapons
4
Europe’s History
(Conflict & Change)
Date
Name
Collapse of the Soviet Union
 The Soviet Union spent more money putting down revolts within their country and
keeping up with the U.S. in the arms race
 Their economy was unstable
 Mikhail Gorbachev wanted to reduce government control of business and increase
freedoms for Soviet citizens
o Helped improve relations with the U.S.
German Reunification
 In November 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn down
 Germany began unifying and people around the world celebrated
 East and West Germany were made one country in 1990
 The Cold War was over and the Soviet Union was no more
 Soviet republics began seeking their independence
o 15 republics in total: Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Latvia,
Estonia, Moldova, Russia (largest), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan, Armenia, Tajikistan
5