Download Unit 7: The World Since 1945: 1945 to Present The contemporary

Unit 7: The World Since 1945: 1945 to Present
The contemporary world is the world in which you are living today. This world is an
interdependent one. That is, you depend on people around the world. You eat food that
farmers grew in Asia and Africa. You listen to Latin American music. Your family may drive
a car made in Europe. These products, mass communication, and technology link you to
people around the globe.
With this unit, you end your study of world history. What an adventure it has been! You have
visited the past. Now you will look at the present. You will see new nations develop. You
will also see how your global village changes. You will learn the lessons that prepare you to
greet the future. Where will the 21st century take you? Changes lie ahead. Be ready to meet it
and to grow into a good citizen of this global village we call the earth.
Chapters in Unit 7
Chapter 28: The Cold War: 1945–1991 704
Chapter 29: New Nations Emerge: 1946–1999 728
Chapter 30: The Developing World: 1950–Present 756
Chapter 31: The World Today: 1990–Present 782
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Chapter 28: The Cold War: 1945 – 1991
Both the United States and the Soviet Union came out of World War II as superpowers. The
United States lost 300,000 men and women in battle, but Germany and Japan had losses of
several million people. More than 18 million Soviets lost their lives. The Soviet Union fought
much of the war on its own soil.
Between the end of World War II and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United
States and the Soviet Union were engaged in a “cold?? war. This was a war of ideas, not
bombs.
Goals for Learning
To explain how the cold war began
To describe U.S. conflicts with the Soviets and explain the Korean War
To explain why Communism failed in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe
To describe the changes in European countries
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Europe Divided
Map Skills: This map shows how Europe was divided by two alliances—NATO and the
Warsaw Pact. The map legend tells you what countries were NATO members in 1955,
Warsaw Pact members in 1955, other Communist countries, and nonaligned countries, or
countries that are not in any of these groups.
Study the map, then answer the following questions:
1. Which countries were NATO members in 1955?
2. Which countries were members of the Warsaw Pact?
3. Which alliance did most countries of Western Europe join?
4. Which country in the Warsaw Pact was probably the most powerful?
5. Which countries did not belong to either NATO or the Warsaw Pact?
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Reading Strategy: Metacognition
Metacognition means “thinking about your thinking.?? Use metacognition to become a better
reader:
Write the main idea, details, and any questions you have as you read the text.
Make predictions and ask yourself what you already know about the topic.
Summarize what you have read and make inferences about the meaning.
Visualize what is happening in the text. If something doesn’t make sense, go back and read it
again.
Key Vocabulary Words
Lesson 1
Cold war: The war of ideas between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War
II
Propaganda: One-sided information meant to change people’s thinking
Truman Doctrine: The American plan to rebuild Europe after World War II
Marshall Plan: The American plan to rebuild Europe after World War II
Lesson 2
Truce: An agreement to stop a war for a time
Lesson 3
Glasnost: A Russian word that means openness; under Gorbachev it meant openness in
government
Perestroika: An economic policy used by Gorbachev to encourage factories to produce the
goods people wanted
Coup: A takeover of the government
Lesson 4
Strike: The act of refusing to work until certain demands are met
Solidarity: The name of the Polish shipbuilder’s union that went out on strike in 1980
Berlin Wall: The wall that divided the people of East and West Berlin
Ethnic cleansing: The act of getting rid of a group of people because their religion or race is
different from the majority group
Tariff: A tax that countries put on goods they import or export
Currency: The form of money a country uses
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Lesson 1: The Cold War Begins
Objectives
To explain what the cold war was
To identify the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan
To explain why NATO was formed
Reading Strategy: Metacognition
Before you read this lesson, think about what you can do that will help you understand all the
reasons for the cold war.
Cold war
The war of ideas between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II
Propaganda
One-sided information meant to change people’s thinking
Truman Doctrine
President Truman’s plan to stop the spread of Communism
Soon after World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union began a cold war. That is,
they became rivals who used words and ideas as weapons instead of bullets. They fought the
cold war with propaganda, or one-sided information. They used this propaganda to change
people’s way of thinking.
Which Countries Did the Truman Doctrine Help?
At the end of the war, the Communists threatened to take control of Greece and Turkey. But
American President Harry Truman wanted to prevent the spread of Communism.
In 1947, Truman announced the Truman Doctrine. This plan gave economic and military
help to nations threatened by an outside power. The Truman Doctrine helped Greece and
Turkey defeat the Communists. But it also showed the world that the United States would do
everything short of war to stop the spread of Communism.
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Marshall
Plan The American plan to rebuild Europe after World War II
Reading Strategy: Metacognition
Remember to ask yourself questions as you read. This will help you understand what you are
reading.
Whom Did the Marshall Plan Help?
Both Communism and economic collapse threatened Europe. In 1948, the U.S. Congress
approved the Marshall Plan, or European Recovery Program. It helped European nations get
back on their feet after the war.
The Marshall Plan was a big success. By 1950, countries were producing more goods than
they had before the war. Instead of being rivals, some European countries began to work
together for economic growth.
What Two Military Alliances Brought Countries Together?
In 1948, the Communists took complete control of Czechoslovakia. They forced Finland to
sign a treaty with them and tried to take over Berlin. The West was afraid that the cold war
might suddenly become hot.
Several nations formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). They said that an
attack on any one of them would be an attack on all of them. Today, NATO has 19 members.
It has taken part in many missions to keep world peace.
In 1955, the Soviet Union established the Warsaw Pact. This treaty set up a military alliance
between the Soviet Union and other Communist countries in Eastern Europe.
Lesson 1 Review
On a sheet of paper, use the words from the Word Bank to complete each sentence correctly.
Word Bank
Communism
Marshall Plan
NATO
propaganda
Truman Doctrine
1. President Truman wanted to contain _____.
2. The cold war used _____ to try to change people’s way of thinking.
3. The _____ helped rebuild Europe after World War II.
4. The _____ helped Greece and Turkey defeat the Communists.
5. _____ is an alliance among 19 countries of Western Europe.
What do you think?
In Chapter 25, you learned that alliances led to World War I. Why do you think nations once
again formed alliances?
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Lesson 2: Conflicts Between Superpowers
Objectives
To describe the blockade of Berlin and the Berlin Airlift
To explain how the Korean War began and ended
In 1948, the cold war threatened to become a real war in Berlin. After World War II,
Germany was divided into four sections. The United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet
Union each controlled one zone. Its capital, Berlin, was located completely within the Soviet
zone. The four countries agreed that each would control a part of Berlin.
Why Did the Soviets Set Up a Blockade?
In June 1948, the Soviets tried to take over all of Berlin by starving the people living there.
To do this, they used a blockade. That is, they “blocked?? all roads, waterways, and railroads
into the city. The people of Berlin had no food, fuel, or other necessary supplies.
How Did the West Get Around the Blockade?
President Truman said,“The United States is going to stay. Period.?? Almost immediately the
West began to use planes to fly in supplies. For more than a year, American and British
planes brought tons of food and fuel to the people of Berlin. Planes took off and landed
around the clock at the rate of one every three minutes. During the blockade, the pilots flew
over 277,000 flights. They delivered more than two million tons of supplies.
Then and Now
The Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre was named for Maria, wife of Tsar Alexander II. It was built in 1860
in St. Petersburg, Russia. It became a thriving center for the ballet. After the Russian
Revolution, the Bolsheviks renamed it the Academic Theater. When government support
ended, many performers had to leave. During the Cold War era, three famous dancers—
Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, and Mikhail Baryshnikov—defected to Western nations
from their ballet home at the Mariinsky (then called the Kirov). This caused strife between
the theater management and Soviet authorities.
Today, the renamed Mariinsky Theater is a renowned performance center, featuring its own
opera and ballet companies. Every year in June, it hosts the St. Petersburg White Nights
Festival. Performers and tourists, once afraid of the Soviet Union, now visit St. Petersburg
and the Mariinsky Theatre.
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Why Did the Soviets Stop the Blockade?
Historians call this the Berlin Airlift because the West “lifted?? supplies into the air and took
them to Berlin. With this airlift, the Western powers showed one big thing—they would not
let the Communists control any more European land. The West was not going to allow
Communism to spread.
All this made the Soviets mad, but they did not shoot down any Western planes. They did not
want to start a war. In May 1949, the Soviets stopped blockading Berlin.
What Started the Korean War?
Korea lies between China and Japan. In 1910, Japan made Korea part of its empire. When
World War II ended, Soviet forces took over the northern half of Korea. American forces
occupied the south. The 38th parallel of latitude became the border that divided the two
republics. On June 25, 1950, Communist troops crossed this border into South Korea.
How Did the UN Help South Korea?
South Korea asked the United Nations to stop the North Koreans. The UN Security Council
voted to send aid to South Korea. (The Soviet Union was not attending the UN meetings at
that time. If it had been, the Soviets probably would have vetoed any UN action.) The United
Nations sent soldiers to help South Korea. The Chinese and Soviet Union helped North
Korea.
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Map Study: Korean War (1950–1953)
This map shows the Korean War. What parallel of latitude divided North and South Korea?
Near what small city did Communist forces push UN troops in September 1950? What river
did the Chinese cross when they entered the war?
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Truce
An agreement to stop a war for a time
Reading Strategy: Metacognition
Note the important details in this lesson. Summarize what you have read about the cold war.
How Did the UN Troops Push Back the Communists?
By September 1950, the Communists controlled most of Korea. However, the UN forces got
behind the North Korean lines. Then they made a surprise attack that cut the Communist
forces in two and forced them to retreat.
By November, UN forces had pushed the Communists back to the Yalu River, the border
between China and North Korea. It looked as if the war was over. The UN hoped that Korea
would become one country again. But then China sent in thousands of troops to help the
North Koreans. The fighting continued.
What Ended the Korean War?
In July 1951, truce talks began. A truce is an agreement to stop a war for a time. The talks
dragged on for two years. Finally, the two sides signed an armistice. It left Korea divided.
The border between the two Koreas was almost what it had been before the war.
Why Was the Korean War Important?
The Korean War showed that the UN could stop an attack on a member nation. It showed
that China could hold its own in a war that did not use atomic weapons. It also showed that
the cold war between the two superpowers would continue.
Since 1953, the United States has continued to support South Korea. It has become an
industrial powerhouse in Asia. North Korea remains Communist.
Lesson 2 Review
On a sheet of paper, write the answer to each question. Use complete sentences.
1. Why did the Soviets blockade Berlin in June 1948?
2. What caused the Soviets to stop the blockade?
3. What event started the Korean War?
4. How did the United Nations help South Korea?
5. What were the effects of the war on Korea?
What do you think?
Since neither the Communists nor the UN troops won the Korean War, was it worth fighting?
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Lesson 3: Reforming the Soviet Union
Objectives
To describe the reform efforts of Khrushchev and Gorbachev
To explain why the Soviet Union collapsed
To describe Russia under Putin
Reading Strategy: Metacognition
Note the main idea and important details of this paragraph. Summarize what you have read to
make sure you understand this important event.
Throughout its history the Soviet Union has had serious economic problems. Soviet dictator
Joseph Stalin tried to industrialize the Soviet Union. By the late 1930s, the Soviet Union had
become a major industrial nation. Still, the standard of living in the Soviet Union remained
very low.
Why Did Khrushchev’s Reform Efforts Fail?
Stalin died in 1953. Nikita Khrushchev became the leader of the Soviet Union. He wanted to
reform the weak Soviet economy and to end the government’s cruel treatment of the Soviet
people. To raise the people’s standard of living, factories produced more consumer goods.
Artists and writers were allowed some freedom to create what they wanted for the first time.
In 1964, all this changed. Leonid Brezhnev replaced Khrushchev. He opposed reform.
Brezhnev punished anyone who spoke out against the government.
What Role Did Gorbachev Play in Reforming the Soviet Union?
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the new Soviet leader. Gorbachev was a younger man
with new ideas. He faced big problems. The Soviet economy was falling apart. Almost onethird of the Soviet population lived in a state of poverty. People spent hours a day standing in
lines to buy food and clothing. Prices were high and wages low. (A pair of winter boots cost
the average citizen a month’s wages!)
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Glasnost
A Russian word that means “openness??; under Gorbachev it meant openness in government
Perestroika
An economic policy used by Gorbachev to encourage factories to produce the goods people
wanted
Coup
A takeover of the government
Gorbachev introduced a policy of glasnost or openness, in government. For the first time,
people could speak out against the government. He allowed more freedom of the press. To
help rebuild the economy, he introduced perestroika. That is, he let factories produce the
goods people wanted. Gorbachev called for the beginning of a market economy with less
government interference.
Then, Gorbachev moved his country toward a more democratic government by creating a
new Soviet parliament. The Russian people elected representatives to this parliament. Other
political parties besides the Communists were allowed to run candidates. In May 1989, the
Soviet parliament met for the first time. The elected representatives were allowed to speak
freely. The entire meeting was carried live on Soviet television. Glasnost was being put into
practice.
Gorbachev struggled with the problems that resulted from his reforms. He began to back
away from them. The army and the KGB, the secret police, were worried. They knew that a
breakup of the Soviet Union would mean a loss of power and influence for them. They tried
to arrest Gorbachev. The attempted coup, or overthrow of the government, failed. A new
leader named Boris Yeltsin led thousands of Russians against the army and police. Yeltsin
became a national hero.
What Caused the Collapse of the Soviet Union?
The Soviet Union continued to have economic and social problems. Part of the problem was
that the Soviet Union was a country made up of more than 100 different ethnic groups. It had
92 nationalities and its people spoke 112 different languages. The new policy of glasnost
encouraged some groups to demand an independent country of their own. Between 1988 and
1990, people in Soviet Georgia, Latvia, Estonia, Moldavia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and
Lithuania demanded independence.
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Reading Strategy: Metacognition
Make a prediction about what you think will happen next in the Soviet Union. As you
continue reading, check to see if your prediction was right and revise it if necessary.
On December 1, 1991, the Ukraine voted for independence from the Soviet Union. Within
days other Soviet republics declared their independence. Gorbachev tried to stop the breakup,
but he could not. He resigned. On December 25, 1991, the Soviet flag was lowered from the
Kremlin for the last time. The Soviet Union no longer existed.
Yeltsin was elected president of the new Russian republic. It had the most people and was the
largest republic of the old USSR. He tried to maintain some unity among the newly
independent republics by forming the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Yeltsin
had great difficulties governing. At the end of 1999, he resigned and was replaced by
Vladimir Putin.
What Is Russia Like Under Putin?
One of the problems Yeltsin faced was an unpopular war in Chechnya. Chechnya is a largely
Muslim area in southwestern Russia. Fighting continued for almost ten years. Putin took
strong action to put down the rebellion. This helped him win election as president in 2000.
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Geography Note
Georgia is a republic in southeastern Europe made up of Abkhazia, Ajaria, and South
Ossetia. It was part of the former USSR. It declared its independence in 1991.
Since then, Putin has become more and more powerful. These moves are supported by most
Russians. He has brought peace and stability back, but at a high price. The Russian people
have lost some of their freedom. Newspapers that have criticized the president have been
shut down. The government had taken over national television. The power of the country’s
governors has been greatly reduced. The Russian parliament has been turned into a rubber
stamp. Many former members of the KGB, the secret police, hold positions of power.
The Russian people have been willing to support Putin because for many of them the quality
of life has improved. His move to seize control over the nation’s rich natural resources was
popular. Russian oil, natural gas, and coal are in great demand and are its chief exports. The
economy is booming. Russians, in particular those living in cities, are enjoying higher living
standards. The Russian government is spending millions of dollars it earns on its vast natural
resources to build roads, schools, shopping centers, and hotels.
Lesson 3 Review
On a sheet of paper, write the word or name in parenthesis that best completes each sentence.
1. Under Communism, all major economic decisions are made by (government, consumers,
investors).
2. The Soviet leader who introduced openness in government was (Khruschev, Gorbachev,
Yeltsin).
3. The man who became a hero for putting down an attempt by the KGB and the army to
overthrow the Soviet government was (Khruschev, Gorbachev, Yeltsin).
4. The Soviet Union broke up in (1981, 1991, 2001).
5. Under its President Vladimir Putin, Russia has become more of a (dictatorship,
democracy, monarchy).
What do you think?
Why do you think Russian President Putin is popular with many Russian people?
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Lesson 4: Europe Experiences Great Change
Objectives
To describe how Eastern Europe forced their Communist leaders out
To describe the reunification of Germany and the fall of the Berlin Wall
To explain the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo
Reading Strategy: Metacognition
Remember to look at the photographs and maps as you read this lesson. Note the descriptive
words. This will help you visualize what you are reading.
Eastern Europe revolted against Communist rule many times. The people of Hungary
revolted in 1956. Their revolt was crushed by 2,500 tanks and 200,000 soldiers of the Soviet
Union. Soviet tanks also put an end to a brief period of freedom in Czechoslovakia in the
spring of 1968. Poland rebelled against the dictatorship of their Communist leaders in 1956,
1979, and in 1981. All these rebellions failed. Then, in 1989, the people of Eastern Europe
finally were able to force their Communist leaders out.
How Did Hungary Cut a Hole in the Iron Curtain?
Since Gorbachev had encouraged a policy of glasnost, the Hungarian government began to
allow its citizens more freedom of speech and assembly. Then, on May 2, 1989, Hungarian
soldiers were ordered to begin cutting down the barbed-wire fence between Austria and
Hungary.
The 150-mile fence and its minefield had been built in 1969. On one side of the fence was
the Communist nation of Hungary. On the other was the democratic nation of Austria. The
barbed-wire fence was part of the Iron Curtain. Cutting the fence that separated the two
countries was historic. Hungary was the first country in Eastern Europe to allow people to
freely travel to a Western nation. Word quickly spread that there was an opening in the Iron
Curtain. Soon thousands of people from East Germany, Poland, and Czechoslovakia moved
through Hungary to freedom in the West. For the first time in decades, people were being
allowed to “vote with their feet?? about whether they wished to live in a Communist country.
In October of 1989, the Communist party in Hungary ceased to exist. Hungarian leaders set
about trying to create a new democratic constitutional state.
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Strike
The act of refusing to work until certain demands are met
Solidarity
The name of the Polish shipbuilders’ union that went out on strike in 1980
Reading Strategy: Metacognition
Predict what will happen next in the collapse of Communist rule in Europe.
How Did Communists in Poland Give Up Power?
In 1980, a group of workers in a shipyard in the city of Gdansk, Poland went on strike. That
is, they refused to work until their working conditions improved. (Striking was not legal in
Poland.) The workers wanted Poland’s Communist government to recognize their union as
legal. They called their union “Solidarity,?? or unity.
For eight years, Solidarity struggled to bring about reform. In the past, protests against the
government would have led to a Soviet crackdown. But in 1989, things were different. The
Soviet Union stayed out of the dispute. The Communist Polish government agreed to share
power. In free elections held in June of 1989, the citizens of Poland elected representatives.
Solidarity won a huge victory.
How Was Germany Able to Reunite?
In Chapter 27, you learned that after World War II, Germany was divided. Since 1949, there
had been two Germanys. West Germany was a democracy; East Germany was Communist.
In 1989, East Germans took to the streets demanding reform. In November 1989, the entire
East German government gave up their positions. The new government now said its people
were free to travel where they wanted, even to West Germany.
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Berlin Wall
The wall that divided the people of East and West Berlin
Ethnic cleansing
The act of getting rid of a group of people because their religion or race is different from the
majority group
Thousands of Germans rushed to the Berlin Wall. (Since 1961 the wall had divided the
people of East and West Berlin.) They climbed up on the wall and with hammers began to
break down the wall. People danced and cried, and cheered. In February 1990,
representatives of the East German and West German governments agreed to reunite.
What Caused the Breakup of Yugoslavia?
Like the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia was made up of many different ethnic groups. In 1990,
the Yugoslav republics of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Macedonia began a
push for independence. Slobodan Milosevic, who became the leader of the Serbian republic,
rejected the idea. He made war against the other republics. His forces, helped by the Serbian
minority in Croatia, captured one-third of Croatia’s territory. In early 1992, BosniaHerzegovina declared its independence. Bosnia’s large Muslim population favored
independence, but the Christian Serbs living there did not. By mid-1993 over 70 percent of
the republic was controlled by Serb forces. They began a policy of “ethnic cleansing.??
Bosnian Muslims were forced out of their homes and property. Over two million were left
homeless and nearly 250,000 Bosnians were killed. Finally, a treaty was signed that divided
Bosnia into two parts.
Milosevic next began a war in Kosovo, a small province of Serbia. About 90 percent of its
people are ethnic Albanians. They are related more to the people of Albania than they are to
the Serbs. Just as he had in Bosnia, Milosevic tried to force the non-Serbs out. Thousands of
refugees fled. Many of their villages were burned and many people were killed.
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Tariff
A tax that countries put on goods they import or export
Writing About History
In recent decades, many nations have struggled to establish democratic governments. In your
notebook, write an editorial for your local paper. Explain what you think democracy is. Tell
how you feel about it
On March 24, 1999 NATO began air strikes against Serbia. NATO hoped that bombing
would force Milosevic to stop his attacks in Kosovo. After two months of air strikes, Serbian
leaders finally took their forces out of Kosovo.
The region still has many problems, but the fighting has stopped. Milosevic was put on trial
for war crimes, but died during the trial. Yugoslavia no longer exists. All its former parts—
Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Macedonia—
are now all independent countries.
What Steps Has Europe Taken Toward Union?
After World War II a number of European countries sought closer ties. Many wanted to get
rid of trade barriers and tariffs. A tariff is a tax that countries put on exports or imports. In
1952, six European nations agreed to create a tariff-free market for European coal and steel
products. This was so successful that the same countries decided to reduce trade barriers even
more. In 1970, they created the European Economic Community, also known as the Common
Market.
During the 1980s and 1990s the European Community grew. In 1992, the name was changed
to the European Union. In 2007, the EU had 27 members with nearly 500 million people.
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Currency
The form of money a country uses
Just as people in all 50 states of the United States use the same currency, members of the
European Union use the same euro. The EU has a parliament that makes rules and
regulations about almost every aspect of economic and social life. It is working toward a
common defense and foreign policy for all the members.
Map Study: The European Union
This map shows the European Union, formed in 1993. The European Union works toward
economic cooperation among its 27 members. Which country is the farthest south? What
country lies between Estonia and Lithuania?
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History in Your Life: Technology
The Jet Age
New technology often comes out of war. In 1939, Germany made the first successful flight of
a plane powered by jet engines. By 1944, German Messerschmitt fighters were flying combat
missions. They flew at nearly 550 miles an hour. The first American jet was built in 1942.
After the war, the United States and the Soviet Union worked to build faster warplanes. By
the Korean War in the 1950s, they had succeeded. The Americans had the F-86 Sabre jet.
The Soviets had the MiG-15.
Jet planes soon changed passenger travel. Trips were faster, and there were fewer stops to
refuel. Britain built the first large passenger jet in 1952. American companies soon followed.
In 1958, a Boeing 707 carried passengers across the Atlantic. The first “jumbo jet?? was the
Boeing 747 in 1970. It could carry more than 400 people. Now, millions of people travel by
jet every day.
Lesson 4 Review
On a sheet of paper, write the answers to these questions. Use complete sentences.
1. Why was cutting the barbed-wire fence in Hungary important to the people behind the Iron
Curtain?
2. What was Solidarity in Poland?
3. Why was the tearing down of the Berlin Wall important?
4. What caused the breakup of Yugoslavia?
5. What are some ways in which European countries are uniting?
What do you think?
Would a United States of Europe be good or bad for the world? Why?
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Document-Based Reading
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
On November 11, 1989, the Berlin Wall, which had separated East Berlin from West Berlin
since 1961, fell. This is an excerpt from a personal account of that event by Andreas Ramos.
Ramos, an author and computer technology expert, was in Denmark when the wall fell.
From the East German side we could hear the sound of heavy machines. With a giant drill,
they were punching holes in the wall. Every time a drill poked through, everyone cheered …
People shot off fireworks and emergency flares and rescue rockets. Many were using
hammers to chip away at the wall. There were countless holes. At one place, a crowd of East
German soldiers looked through a narrow hole. We reached through and shook hands.…
Everything was out of control. Police on horses watched. There was nothing they could do.
The crowd had swollen. People were blowing long alpine horns which made a huge noise.
There were fireworks, kites, flags and flags and flags, dogs, children. The wall was finally
breaking. The cranes lifted slabs aside. East and West German police had traded caps.… The
final slab was moved away. A stream of East Germans began to pour through. People
applauded and slapped their backs … Packed in with thousands, I stood at the break in the
wall. Above me, a German stood atop the wall, at the end, balanced, waving his arms and
shouting reports to the crowd. With all of the East Germans coming into West Berlin, we
thought it was only fair that we should go to East Berlin. A counterflow started. Looking
around, I saw an indescribable joy in people’s faces. It was the end of the government telling
people what not to do, it was the end of the Wall, the war, the East, the West. If East
Germans were going west, then we should go east, so we poured into East Berlin. Around
me, people spoke German, French, Polish, Russian, every language. A woman handed her
camera to someone who was standing atop rubble so that he could take her picture. … On top
of every building were thousands of people. Berlin was out of control. There was no more
government, neither in East nor in West. The police and the army were helpless. The soldiers
themselves were overwhelmed by the event. They were part of the crowd. Their uniforms
meant nothing. The Wall was down.
Document-Based Questions
1. How do you know this is an important event?
2. What did the Berlin Wall represent?
3. Why might someone want their picture taken atop the rubble of the wall?
4. Why do you think people were helping each other to climb on and through the wall?
5. People traveled from many surrounding countries to witness this event. Why do you think
they did this?
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Spotlight Story: Fall of an Empire
Some historians call the Soviet Union the world’s last empire. In 1917, the Russian
Revolution ended the empire of the czars. The Soviet Union, though, took over its territory.
Officially, the country’s name was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It had 13
republics, based somewhat on ethnic groupings. The Russians made up the largest and most
powerful group.
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the Soviet leader. Gorbachev’s reforms changed Eastern
Europe first. He gave the republics more independence. Events were quick and dramatic. In
1989, the Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin fell. Then Germany was reunited in late
1990. Later, other Iron Curtain countries formed democratic governments.
Inside the Soviet Union, events also moved quickly. In 1990, reform parties were formed in
Russia. A reformer named Boris Yeltsin quit the Communist Party. In 1991, the Russian
Republic held its first free election. The people elected Yeltsin president.
In August 1991, some hard-line Communists plotted to get rid of Gorbachev. He and his
family were on vacation near the Black Sea. Armed men surrounded his country house. In
Moscow, security troops tried to take control. Tanks blocked the streets. They surrounded the
parliament building. But thousands of Russians who wanted democracy protested. Yeltsin
climbed on a tank and encouraged them. The crisis soon ended, but the Soviet Union was
crumbling. In late August, the Soviet legislature took away the Communist Party’s power.
Then even more republics broke away from the Soviet Union.
In December 1991, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus formed a new alliance. It was called the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Russia took over running most of the Soviet
central government. Then on December 25, Gorbachev resigned. The huge red Soviet flag
over the Kremlin came down. The Soviet Union, formed in 1922, was over.
Spotlight Story Wrap-Up
1. What was the structure of the former Soviet Union?
2. Who made up the largest and most powerful group in the USSR?
3. How did Gorbachev’s reforms affect Eastern Europe?
4. Who plotted to get rid of Gorbachev in August 1991?
5. How did Boris Yeltsin become president of Russia?
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Chapter 28 SUMMARY
Rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union became the Cold War. Under the
Truman Doctrine, the United States helped Greece and Turkey resist Communist takeovers.
The Marshall Plan helped Western Europe rebuild.
In 1948, the United States and its European allies formed the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO), a military alliance. In 1955, the Soviet Union set up the Warsaw Pact
with its satellite countries.
There were many conflicts between the superpowers, including the Berlin Airlift in Germany
and the Korean War.
Mikhail Gorbachev became the Soviet leader in 1985. He allowed more freedom (glasnost),
reformed the economy (perestroika), and moved toward democracy.
In 1991, the Soviet Union broke into independent republics. Boris Yeltsin was elected
president of Russia. He tried to continue economic reforms, but crime and poverty hurt many
Russians.
Changes in the Soviet Union affected Eastern Europe. In 1989, people in Hungary, Poland,
and East Germany overthrew Communist governments. The Berlin Wall came down, and
Germany was reunited.
The breakup of Yugoslavia brought conflicts. Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic went to war
against other ethnic groups in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Western European nations worked toward economic unity. In 1992 they became the
European Union. They adopted a new currency, the euro. In 2007, the European Union had
27 members, with nearly 500 million people.
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Chapter 28 REVIEW
On a sheet of paper, use the words from the Word Bank to complete each sentence correctly.
Word Bank
Berlin
China
currency
glasnost
Marshall Plan
perestroika
South Korea
truce
Truman Doctrine
Warsaw Pact
1. The _____ helped Europe recover from World War II.
2. In 1948, the Soviets tried to blockade _____.
3. In June 1950, the Communists tried to expand into _____.
4. A _____ is an agreement to stop a war for a time.
5. The _____ was an attempt to stop the spread of Communism.
6. Communist soldiers from _____ crossed into North Korea to join the fighting there.
7. Gorbachev introduced _____, or openness, to the Soviet Union.
8. Gorbachev also introduced _____, which was a looser economic policy.
9. The _____ set up a military alliance between the Soviet Union and its satellite nations.
10. Several European countries have also agreed to use one _____, or form of money.
On a sheet of paper, write the letter of the answer that correctly completes each sentence.
11. In 1985, _____ became the Soviet leader.
A Joseph Stalin
B Mikhail Gorbachev
C Nikita Khrushchev
D Boris Yeltsin
12. The Soviet Union came to an end in _____.
A 1980
B 1986
C 1990
D 1991
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13. When Boris Yeltsin resigned at the end of 1999, he was replaced by _____.
A Mikhail Gorbachev
B Nikita Khrushchev
C Vladimir Putin
D Slobodan Milosevic
14. Workers in Poland called their union _____.
A Gdansk
B Iron Curtain
C Solidarity
D Glasnost
15. All the countries of the European Union use the same _____.
A currency
B flag
C office building
D language
On a sheet of paper, write the answer to each question. Use complete sentences.
16. How did the Marshall Plan help Europe?
17. What was the purpose of NATO?
18. Why was the Korean War important?
Critical Thinking
On a sheet of paper, write your response to each question. Use complete sentences.
19. The United States and Great Britain used an airlift to help the people in Berlin during the
Soviet blockade. If they had not done this, what might have happened?
20. In Chapter 25, you read about the Russian Revolution of 1917. Which is more
important—that revolution or the Russian Revolution of 1991? Explain your answer.
Test-Taking Tip: Be sure you understand what a test question is asking. Reread the
questions if you have to.
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