Download 33.1 Cold War: Superpowers Face Off

The Cold War 1945-1990
US vs. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Democracy vs. Communism
Capitalism vs. Socialism
1
Chapter 29: US and Europe
the Cold War
The United States and the Soviet
Union vie for superiority, and both
countries extend their control over
other nations.
Cold War Tensions
Objectives
•
Understand how two sides faced off in Europe during the Cold War.
•
Learn how nuclear weapons threatened the world.
•
Understand how the Cold War spread globally.
•
Compare and contrast the Soviet Union and the United States in the
Cold War.
Terms and People
•
superpowers – nations stronger than other powerful nations
•
anti-ballistic missiles (ABMs) – missiles that can shoot down other
missiles from hostile countries
•
Ronald Reagan – the president of the United States from 1980 to 1988
•
détente – the relaxation of Cold War tensions
Terms and People (continued)
•
Fidel Castro – leader of an armed rebellion in
Cuba, who took power there in 1959 and allied
with the Soviet Union
•
John F. Kennedy – the president of the United
States from 1961 to 1963
•
ideology – a system of values and beliefs
Terms and People (continued)
•
Nikita Khrushchev –
•
Leonid Brezhnev –
•
the leader of the Soviet Union after
Stalin’s death in 1953, who called for “peaceful
coexistence” with the West
the leader of the Soviet Union from
the mid-1960s until 1982; reinstated the policy of
imprisoning critics
containment – the policy of trying to keep communism within its
existing boundaries and preventing further expansion
What were the military and political consequences
of the Cold War in
the Soviet Union, Europe, and the United States?
After World War II ended, the United States and the Soviet Union
emerged as superpowers.
They engaged in a Cold War that involved most of the world for the
next 40 years.
After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union faced off
along the Iron Curtain.
The United States
led the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) in
democratic Western Europe.
The Soviet Union led the
Warsaw Pact in
communist Eastern
Europe.
Both sides relied on European alliances: the United States with the West and
the Soviet Union with the East.
The city of Berlin in Germany became a focus of the Cold War.
•
West Berlin was democratic and East Berlin was communist.
•
East Germans fled into West Berlin in droves before East Germany
built a wall in 1961.
•
The barrier of concrete and barbed wire became a symbol of the
Cold War.
In the 1950s and
1960s, the Soviet
Union crushed
attempted revolts in
Eastern Europe.
•
In 1953, 50,000 workers in East Berlin
unsuccessfully stood up to the Soviet
Army.
•
Hungary tried to pull out of the Warsaw
Pact in 1956. Soviet tanks overcame
Hungarian freedom fighters.
•
The leader of Czechoslovakia introduced
limited democracy in 1968, but Warsaw
Pact troops ended the effort.
The Soviet Union and the United States engaged in a deadly arms
race.
Both sides had nuclear weapons by
1949 and hydrogen bombs by 1953.
Each side hoped that the threat of
“mutually assured destruction” would
deter the other from launching its
weapons.
The arms race fed a worldwide fear of nuclear doom.
Despite Cold War tension, the two sides did meet to discuss limiting nuclear
weapons.
One agreement limited antiballistic missiles (ABMs).
In the 1980s, President Ronald
Reagan supported a “Star
Wars” missile defense
program.
An era of détente
occurred during
the 1970s due to
the arms control
agreements.
President
Richard Nixon
visited the Soviet
Union and
communist
China.
Détente ended in
1979 when the Soviet
Union invaded
Afghanistan.
Around the world, the two superpowers confronted each other indirectly by
supporting opposite sides in local conflicts.
Cuba became a communist nation in the 1950s.
•
Fidel Castro led a revolt against the corrupt dictator there in the 1950s.
•
Castro took power in 1959, allied with the Soviet Union, and nationalized
businesses.
•
U.S. President John F. Kennedy wanted to bring down the communist
regime and supported the Bay of Pigs Invasion, which failed.
The Soviet Union sent nuclear missiles to Cuba
in 1962, sparking the Cuban missile crisis.
President Kennedy blockaded Soviet ships and demanded that the Soviets
remove the missiles. As the threat of nuclear war loomed, Soviet leader Nikita
Khrushchev agreed and the crisis was over.
The Soviet Union in the Cold War
The government controlled most of public life.
• Leaders wanted to spread the communist ideology
around the world.
•
•
Under Leonid Brezhnev, who held power from the mid1960s until 1982, Soviets who spoke out against the
government were imprisoned or silenced.
The Cold War was really a struggle between
two different economic and political systems.
During the
Cold War, the United
States pursued a
policy of
containment.
•
The United States worked to keep
communism within its existing
boundaries.
•
It supported any government
facing communist invasion.
Life in the United States during the Cold War
was marked by a fear of both nuclear fallout
and communism within.
•
Many people built bomb shelters in their yards.
•
Public schools conducted air-raid drills.
•
Americans worried there were communists in the United States. This
“red scare” led to many
false accusations and ruined lives.
The Red
Guards:
China’s
Teenage
Police Force
Between 1966
and 1976,
students in
China’s Red
Guard waged a
Cultural
Revolution on
teachers and
professionals
that left a
million people
dead and the
country in
chaos.
Red Guards holding
Mao’s “Little Red
Book” of his sayings
during the cultural
revolution.
Cold War Timeline, 1946-1980
Cold War: Superpowers
Face Off
The opposing economic and political
philosophies of the United States and
the Soviet Union lead to global
competition.
Allies Become Enemies
Yalta Conference: A
Postwar Plan

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In February 1945, British,
American, and Soviet
leaders meet at Yalta
They agree to divide
Germany into zones of
occupation when WWI
ends
Soviet leader Stalin agrees
to allow free elections in
Eastern Europe
Allies Become Enemies
Creation of the United Nations

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June 1945, 50 nations form the United
Nations—an international organization
All members are represented in the General
Assembly; 11 nations are on the Security
Council
Five permanent members have Security
Council veto power
Allies Become Enemies
Differing U.S. and Soviet Goals

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U.S. and Soviets split sharply after WWII ends
U.S. is world’s richest and most powerful
country after WWII because of consumer
spending.
Soviets recovering from high war casualties
and had many destroyed cities
Eastern Europe’s Iron Curtain
Soviets Build a Buffer

Soviets control Eastern European countries
after World War II to protect against attack.
The US was Alarmed by soviet control of Eastern
Europe because the US was worried about the
spread of communism

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Stalin installs Communist governments in
several countries
Truman urges free elections; Stalin refuses to
allow free elections
In 1946, Stalin says capitalism and
communism cannot co-exist
Eastern Europe’s Iron Curtain
An Iron Curtain Divides East and West

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Germany is divided; East Germany is
Communist, West Germany democratic
Iron Curtain—Winston Churchill’s name for
the division of Europe
Russia receives the largest share of German
reparations after WWII
Churchill, Truman, and Stalin at the Potsdam Conference
Fence alone the East/West Border in Germany
The nations on the
eastern side of the
“Iron Curtain” were
known as the Eastern
Bloc
Preserved section of the border between
East Germany and West Germany called
the "Little Berlin Wall" at Mödlareuth
United States Tries to Contain Soviets
Containment

Containment—U.S. plan to stop the spread of
communism
The Truman Doctrine

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Truman Doctrine—U.S. supports countries
that reject communism
Congress approves Truman’s request for
Hundreds of millions in aid to Greece and
Turkey
United States Tries to Contain Soviets
The Marshall Plan



Much of Western Europe lay in ruins after
World War II
Marshall Plan—U.S. program of assisting
Western European countries with massive
economic aid let Western Europe make a
rapid recovery
Congress approves plan after Communist
takeover of Czechoslovakia
United States Tries to Contain Soviets
The Berlin Airlift
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In 1948, U.S., Britain, and France withdraw forces
from West Germany
Their former occupation zones form one country
Soviets oppose this, stop land, rail, and water traffic
into West Berlin; to force the West to leave Berlin
West Berlin, located in Soviet occupation zone, faces
starvation
U.S. and Britain fly in supplies for 11 months until the
blockade ends
Divisions of Germany
Divisions of Berlin
Routes of Berlin Airlift
The Cold War Divides the World
The Cold War

Cold-War—struggle of U.S. and Soviet Union using
means short of war
Superpowers Form Rival Alliances
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In 1949, U.S., Canada, and West European countries
form NATO
NATO—North Atlantic Treaty Organization—is a
defensive military alliance
In 1955, Soviets and Eastern nations sign the
Warsaw Pact alliance
In 1961, Soviets build the Berlin Wall to separate East
and West Berlin
NATO
Warsaw Pact
and
Non-aligned nations
Warsaw Pact
Nations
Note: Federal
People’s
Republic of
Yugoslavia is
forced out of the
Warsaw Pact in
1948
The Cold War Divides the World
Effect of the Arms Race
The Threat of Nuclear War

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Soviet Union explodes its first atomic bomb in
1949
U.S. and Soviet Union both develop the more
powerful hydrogen bomb
Brinkmanship—policy of willingness to go to
the edge of war
Increasing tensions lead to military buildup by
U.S. and the Soviets
The Cold War Divides the World
The Cold War in the Skies



In 1957, Soviets launch Sputnik, first
unmanned satellite. THE SPACE RACE
BEGINS!
In 1960, Soviets shoot down American spy
plane (a U-2), increasing tensions
The US and Russia base their defense
strategies on the principle of deterrence
because of the development of nuclear
weapons.
Turn in Text Book
If you were absent on Friday: Writing prompt:
Write three paragraphs, the title needs to be a
thesis statement.
One goal I achieved for my nation.
One problem I solved for my nation.
What did I learn about world politics?
Thesis outline: The UN project was ____ and
____, the nation of ______ was improved by
achieving a goal of______, solving the problem
of______, and the most important thing I learned
was __________.
A replica of Sputnik 1
U-2 spy plane similar to the one shot down over the U.S.S.R.
Francis Gary Powers with a model of a U-2 spy plane.
Wreckage of Gary Powers’ U-2
Communists Take
Power in China
After World War II, Chinese
Communists defeat Nationalist forces
and two separate Chinas emerge.
Communists vs. Nationalists
World War II in China

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Mao Zedong—leads Chinese Communists
against Japanese invaders
Jiang Jieshi (a.k.a. Chiang Kai-shek)—
leads of Chinese Nationalists in World War II
Nationalist and Communist Chinese resume
civil war after WWII ends
Communists vs. Nationalists
Mao Zedong
Jiang Jieshi (a.k.a. Chiang
Kai-shek)
Communists vs. Nationalists
Civil War Resumes

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Economic problems cause Nationalist soldiers
to desert to Communists
Mao’s troops take control of China’s major
cities
In 1949, People’s Republic of China is
created
Nationalists flee to Taiwan
The Two Chinas Affect the Cold War
The Superpowers React

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U.S. supports Nationalist state in Taiwan,
called Republic of China
Soviets and China agree to help each other in
event of attack
U.S. tries to stop Soviet expansion and
spread of communism in China
The Two Chinas Affect the Cold War
China Expands under the Communists
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China takes control of Tibet and southern
Mongolia
India welcomes Tibetan refugees fleeing
revolt against Chinese
China and India clash over border; fighting
stops but tensions remain
The Communists Transform China
Communists Claim a New “Mandate of
Heaven”

Chinese Communists organize national
government and Communist Party
Mao’s Brand of Marxist Socialism

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Mao takes property from landowners and
divides it among peasants
Government seizes private companies and
plans production increase
The Communists Transform China
The Great Leap Forward

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Communes—large collective farms often
supporting over 25,000 people
Program is ended after inefficiency leads to
crop failures and famines
The Communists Transform China
New Policies and Mao’s Response

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China and Soviet Union clash over leadership
of communist movement
Strict socialist ideas are moderated, Mao
reduces his role in government
Red Guards—militia units formed to enforce
strict communism in China
The Communists Transform China
The Cultural Revolution

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Cultural Revolution—movement to build society of
peasants and workers
Red Guards—groups of violent and radical youth—
close schools and execute or imprison many
intellectuals
In 1968, Chinese army imprisons, executes, or exiles
most Red Guards who have been labeled by the
government “Counter Revolutionary.”
However, the Cultural Revolution continues until
Mao’s death in 1976.
Gang of Four
After Mao’s death, the Gang of Four—the
radical group that controlled the power organs of
the Chinese Communist Party throughout the
Cultural Revolution—is arrested and judged
responsible for the excesses and chaos that
occurred in China as a result of this revolution.
Life and Death in Shanghai
by Nien Cheng
Born in Beijing, Cheng became a target
of attack by Red Guards in 1966 due
to her management of a foreign firm in
Shanghai, Shell. Maoist revolutionaries
used this fact to claim that Cheng was
a British spy in order to strike at
Communist Party moderates for
allowing the firm to operate in China
after 1949. Her book documents her
amazing courage and fortitude that
enabled her to survive her 6 ½ year
imprisonment.
Wars in Korea and
Vietnam
In Asia, the Cold War flares into
actual wars supported mainly by
the superpowers.
War in Korea
A Divided Land

38th parallel—line dividing Korea into North
Korea and South Korea
War in Korea
Standoff at the 38th Parallel
The goal of the Korean War was to contain
communist expansion

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
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
In 1950, North Koreans invade South Korea with
Soviet support
South Korea requests UN assistance; 15 nations
send troops
Douglas MacArthur—leads UN forces against North
Koreans
North Koreans controls most of the peninsula when
MacArthur attacks
Half of North Korea’s army surrenders, the rest retreat
War in Korea
The Fighting Continues

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
UN troops push North Koreans almost to
Chinese border
Chinese send 300,000 troops against UN
forces and capture Seoul
MacArthur calls for nuclear attack and is
removed from command
In 1953, cease fire signed and border
established at 38th parallel
War in Korea
Aftermath of the War


North Korea builds collective farms, heavy
industry, nuclear weapons
South Korea establishes democracy, growing
economy with U.S. aid
War Breaks Out in Vietnam
The Road to War

Ho Chi Minh—North
Vietnamese nationalist,
later Communist leader
The Fighting Begins


In 1954, French surrender
to Vietnamese after major
defeat
Domino theory—U.S.
theory of Communist
expansion in Southeast
Asia
Ho Chi Minh
The War in
Vietnam, 19571973
Note the Ho
Chi Minh Trail
through Laos
and Cambodia
War Breaks Out in Vietnam
Vietnam—A Divided
Country



Ngo Dinh Diem
International peace
conference agrees on a
divided Vietnam
Ngo Dinh Diem—leads
anti-Communist
government in South
Vietnam
Vietcong—South
Vietnamese Communist
guerillas fighting against
Diem
Ngo Dinh Diem (1901-1963), President of South Vietnam 1955-1963, with U.S.
President Dwight Eisenhower at National Airport, Washington, 1957. Direct U.S.
involvement in the Vietnam war began in the mid-1950s, when the U.S. took
over the struggle from the French. The Eisenhower administration began by
supporting the Diem regime, and then providing military advisors and increased
support. However, by the end of the Eisenhower term, the U.S. had fewer than
2000 troops in Vietnam. Diem was murdered in a military coup in 1963.
Lyndon B. Johnson, the President
of the United States from 1963 to
1970, makes a public statement on
the Tonkin Gulf incident, August 4,
1964. When North Vietnam was said
to have attacked two U.S.
destroyers, Congress hastily
passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution,
giving the president blanket
authority to take necessary actions
to protect U.S. forces.
Subsequently, there have been
serious questions as to what
actually occurred in the Tonkin
Gulf, but with vastly increased U.S.
expenditures, the war quickly
escalated; by 1969 the U.S. forces
totaled almost 550,000 individuals.
There was much opposition to the
war in the Congress and among the
U.S. people, and Johnson's very
considerable domestic policy
achievements were overshadowed
by the criticism of his war policy.
General William C. Westmoreland, McGeorge Bundy
and General Kanh of South Vietnam, photographed at
Camp Holloway, South Vietnam, in February 1965. Gen.
Westmoreland commanded the U.S. troops in Vietnam
1964-68; Bundy was special assistant for national security
to President Johnson from 1961 to 1966, and a key
supporter of the Vietnam war.
The United States Gets Involved
U.S. Troops Enter the Fight

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
In 1964, U.S. sends troops to fight Viet Cong
and North Vietnamese
U.S. fights guerilla war defending increasingly
unpopular government
Vietcong gains support from Ho Chi Minh,
China, and Soviet Union
The United States Gets Involved
The United States Withdraws



War grows unpopular in the U.S.; in 1969,
Nixon starts withdrawing troops
Vietnamization—Nixon’s plan to withdraw
U.S. from war gradually
Last U.S. troops leave in 1973; South Vietnam
overrun in 1975
Nixon appeared on television January 23, 1973, to announce
the ceasefire. The agreement ended nearly 12 years of
warfare in which 58,000 Americans had lost their lives. It did
not contain an enforceable plan for the peaceable settlement
of Vietnam's internal problems; within a year, fighting there
had resumed. Eventually, the South Vietnamese government
of Thieu was defeated by the Provisional Revolutionary
Government (PRG) of South Vietnamese communist rebels
and North Vietnamese troops. Even had Nixon wished to
intervene, Congress passed, over his veto, a ''War Powers
Act'' that gave Congress the power to prevent him from acting
without its consent - a consent that Congress would have
been unwilling to extend in 1974 or 1975.
Postwar Southeast Asia
Cambodia in Turmoil



Khmer Rouge—
Communist rebels who
take control of Cambodia in
1975
They slaughter 2 million
people; overthrown by
Vietnamese invaders
In 1993, Cambodia adopts
democracy, holds elections
with UN help
Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer
Rouge (Cambodian Communist
Party, literally “Red Khmers”) in
1977 at the height of his power
Eddie Adams (photographer)
It was while covering the
Vietnam War for the
Associated Press that he
took his best-known
photograph – the picture
of police chief General
Nguyễn Ngọc Loan
executing a Vietcong
prisoner, Nguyễn Văn
Lém, on a Saigon street,
on February 1, 1968,
during the opening stages
of the Tet Offensive.
Postwar Southeast Asia
The Killing Fields were
a number of sites in
Cambodia where large
numbers of people were
killed and buried by the
Khmer Rouge regime,
during its rule of the
country from 1975 to
1979, immediately after
the end of the Vietnam
War.
Postwar Southeast Asia
At least 200,000 people
were executed by the
Khmer Rouge (while
estimates of the total
number of deaths
resulting from Khmer
Rouge policies, including
disease and starvation,
range from 1.4 to 2.2
million out of a population
of around 7 million).
A commemorative stupa filled
with the skulls of the victims.
Choung Ek
Killing Field:
The bones
of young
children
who were
killed by
Khmer
Rouge
soldiers.
Mass grave in Choeung Ek.
History in Film: The Killing Fields (1984)
The Killing Fields is a 1984
British drama film about the
Khmer Rouge regime in
Cambodia, which is based on
the experiences of three
journalists:


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Cambodian Dith Pran
American Sydney Schanberg
British Jon Swain.
The film won three Academy
Awards, including


Best Supporting Actor for Haing
S. Ngor as Dith Pran.
Sam Waterston from Law and
Order stars in the film as Sydney
Schanberg
Postwar Southeast Asia
Vietnam after the War

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Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam
united as Communist nation
About 1.5 million people flee Vietnam, some
settling in the U.S. and Canada
In 1995, United States normalizes relations
with Vietnam
The Cold War Divides
the World
The superpowers support
opposing sides in Latin American
and Middle Eastern conflicts
Fighting for the Third World
More Than One “World”

Third World—developing nations; often
newly independent, nonaligned
Cold War Strategies


U.S., Soviet Union, and China compete for
influence over the Third World
They back revolutions and give economic ,
military and technical aid
Fighting for the Third World
Association of Nonaligned Nations



Many countries, like India, want to avoid
involvement in the Cold War
In 1955, Indonesia hosts Asian and African
leaders who want neutrality
Nonaligned nations—independent countries
not involved in the Cold War
Confrontations in Latin America
Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution



Fidel Castro—leads revolt in Cuba against
dictator supported by the U.S.
By 1959, Castro in power, nationalizes
economy, takes U.S. property
In 1961, Castro defeats U.S. trained Cuban
exiles at the Bay of Pigs
Fidel
Castro
Confrontations in Latin America
Nuclear Face-off: the Cuban Missile Crisis



In 1962, U.S. demands removal of Soviet
missiles in Cuba
Soviets withdraw missiles; U.S. promises not
to invade Cuba
Cuban economy is left dependent on Soviet
support
Confrontations in Latin America
Civil War in Nicaragua
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Anastasio Somoza Debayle—Nicaraguan dictator
supported by the U.S.
Daniel Ortega—leads Sandinista rebels who take
power in Nicaragua
U.S. and Soviet Union both initially support
Sandinistas
Sandinistas aid Communist rebels in El Salvador
U.S. helps anti-Communist Contras in Nicaragua to
assist El Salvador
In 1990, Nicaragua holds first free elections,
Sandinistas lose
Anastasio Somoza Debayle
(U.S. supported president of
Nicaragua from 1967-1980)
Daniel Ortega on Time magazine,
March 31, 1986
Confrontations in the Middle East
Religious and Secular
Values Clash in Iran



Shah Reza Pahlavi
Shah Reza Pahlavi
embraces Western
governments and oil
companies
Iranian nationalists
overthrow shah, seize
British oil company
U.S. restores shah to
power, fearing Soviet
encroachment
Confrontations in the Middle East
The United States
Supports Secular Rule



Shah Reza Pahlavi
westernizes Iran with U.S.
support
Ayatollah Ruholla
Khomeini—Iranian Muslim
leader; lives in exile
In 1978, Khomeini sparks
riots in Iran, Shah flees
Confrontations in the Middle East
Khomeini’s Anti-U.S. Policies



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Islamic revolutionaries hold
American hostages in Tehran
(1979-1981) for 444 days
Muslim radicals take control in Iran,
increasing tensions with Iraq
Saddam Hussein, fearing the
spread of the Iranian Revolution
into Iraq, attacks Iran.
Iran and Iraq fight an 8-year war;
U.S. aids both sides, Soviets help
Iraq
Blindfolded American hostages in Iran in 1979.
Confrontations in the Middle East
The Superpowers Face Off in Afghanistan




Soviets invade Afghanistan to help
Communist government against rebels
Muslim rebels fight guerilla war against
Soviets with U.S. weapons
U.S. stops grain shipments to Soviet Union
Soviets eventually withdraw in 1989
The Cold War Thaws
The Cold War begins to thaw as
the superpowers enter an era of
uneasy diplomacy
Soviet Policy in Eastern Europe and China
Destalinization and Rumblings
of Protest




Nikita Khrushchev—leader of
Soviet Union after Stalin dies
(1953)
Khrushchev condemns Stalin;
Soviets and West can peacefully
compete
Citizens of Soviet-controlled
governments begin protesting
communism
Khrushchev sends Soviet military to
put down Hungarian protesters.
Soviet Policy in Eastern Europe and China
The Revolt in
Czechoslovakia


Leonid Brezhnev—
Soviet leader after
Khrushchev—
represses dissent
In 1968, Warsaw Pact
troops block reforms in
Czechoslovakia
Soviet Policy in Eastern Europe and China
The Soviet-Chinese Split


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In 1950, Mao and Stalin sign friendship treaty,
but tensions grow
Chinese and Soviets each want to lead world
communism
Khrushchev ends economic aid and refuses
to share nuclear secrets
Soviets and Chinese fight small skirmishes
across border
From Brinkmanship to Détente
Brinkmanship Breaks Down



Brinkmanship cause repeated
crises; nuclear war a constant
threat
John F. Kennedy—U.S.
president during the Cuban
Missile Crisis
Lyndon Johnson—president
who increases U.S.
involvement in Vietnam
From Brinkmanship to Détente
The United States Turns to
Détente




Vietnam-era turmoil fuels desire for
less confrontational policy
Détente—policy of reducing Cold
War tensions to avoid conflict
Richard M. Nixon—U.S. president
who launches détente
Détente grows out of philosophy
known as realpolitik—”realistic
politics”—recognizes need to be
practical and flexible
From Brinkmanship to Détente
Nixon Visits Communist Powers


Nixon visits Communist China and Soviet
Union, signs SALT I Treaty
SALT—Strategic Arms Limitation Talks—
limits nuclear weapons
Nixon visiting China
The Collapse of Détente
Policy Changes



Nixon and Gerald Ford improve relations with
Soviets and China
Jimmy Carter has concerns about Soviet
policies but signs SALT II
Congress will not ratify SALT II due to Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan
The Collapse of Détente
Reagan Takes an Anti-Communist Stance
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Ronald Reagan—anti-Communist U.S.
president takes office in 1981
Reagan increases military spending and
proposes a missile defense program
In 1985, new Soviet leadership allows easing
of Cold War tensions
In 1989
USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev loosened
soviet control in Eastern Europe, which led to
many revolutions.
President Ronald Reagan at desk. George H.W. Bush
behind him along with several advisors.
The End of the Cold War
In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed
because of severe economic problems
After the fall of communism and the
introduction of market reforms in Eastern
Europe lead to rising immigration from
Eastern Europe to western Europe.
Reagan’s Star Wars Interrupts Thaw
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was a proposal by President Reagan
on in 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the US from
attack by nuclear ballistic missiles. It focused on strategic defense rather
than doctrine of mutual assured destruction (MAD).
It was quickly nicknamed “Star Wars.”
Criticism of SDI:
It would require the US to change, withdraw from, or break earlier treaties.
 The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which requires "States Parties to the Treaty
undertake not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear
weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, install such
weapons on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space in any
other manner" and would forbid the US from pre-positioning in Earth orbit any
devices powered by nuclear weapons and any devices capable of "mass
destruction.“
The program proposed to use unproven technology.
The program would cost many billions of dollars.
 It would start a new arms race with the Soviets.
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Artist rendering of satellites
and lasers to be used in SDI
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Cold War Thaw Continues
Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev
Gorbachev becomes Soviet premier and
understands that the Soviet economy cannot
compete with the West, partly because of
Afghanistan and partly because of the costs of
keeping up militarily.
Gorbachev recognizes there is increasing
unrest in the country.
He tries to reform the USSR with glasnost (=
openness: think “glass” because you can see
through it) and perestroika (=restructuring:
think “structure/stroika”).
Gorbachev is further pressured to reform the
USSR when Reagan gives his speech in
Germany challenging Gorbachev to “tear down
this wall.”
President Reagan delivers his speech in
Berlin.
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The Wall Falls, 1989
A wave of rebellion against Soviet influence
occurs throughout its European allies.
Poland’s Solidarity movement breaks the Soviet
hold on that country
Hungary removed its border restrictions with
Austria.
Riots and protests break out in East Germany.
East Germans storm the wall. Confused and
outnumbered, border guards do not fight back.
The wall is breached.
Eventually East and West Germany are
reunited in 1990.
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The USSR Dissolves
Boris Yeltsin (far left) stands on a tank
to defy the 1991 coup
On December 21, 1991, the presidents of
Russia, Ukraine and Belarus signed the
Belavezha Accords declaring the USSR
dissolved and established the
Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) in its place.
On December 25, 1991, Gorbachev
yielded as the president of the USSR,
declaring the office extinct. He turned the
powers that until then were
vested in
him over to Boris Yeltsin,
president of
Russia.
The following day, the Supreme Soviet,
the highest governmental body of the
Soviet Union, recognized the collapse of
the Soviet Union and dissolved itself.
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This is generally recognized as the
official, final dissolution of the Soviet
Union as a functioning state.
Rocky beats Ivan Drago.
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