Pump-Up
• How do you think your life might be different after a Communist government leaves your country?
Changes after the Cold War
Today’s Vocabulary • Tiananmen Square – Massacre in China in which hundreds are killed who
protest for democracy.
Poland and Hungary Reform• Workers in Poland go on strike.
– The gov’t gave into the union’s demands.
• In 1989, the Polish communist gov’t agreed to hold Poland’s first free elections.– Voted against Communist leaders.
• Poles remained unhappy with the pace of economic progress.– In 1995, they voted in favor of a former
Communist leader.– New leader pushed for democracy and
free markets.
• In Hungary, the Communist Party votes itself out of power.
Germany Reunifies • Hungary allowed East German to cross the
border into Austria and on into West Germany.– Thousands escape from East Germany.
• East Germany closed its borders entirely.– Demonstrations break out.
• Stability could be restored by allowing people to leave East Germany.– November 9th, 1989—Berlin Wall falls.– The East German Communist Party also falls.
• Germany reunifies in 1990 after they assured world leaders that Germany was now committed to democracy and human rights.– Germany will still face problems after unification—
modernization of eastern Germany and unemployment.
Democracy Spreads in Czechoslovakia• Protestors gathered to demand
democracy and freedom in Czechoslovakia.– Many were arrested.– Students were brutally attacked.
• The communist gov’t resigns when 500,000 protesters crowded into Prague.
• Czechoslovakia split into two countries on January 1, 1993.– Slovakia– Czech Republic
Overthrow in Romania • Romanian communist gov’t
ordered the army to fire on demonstrators.– Killed and wounded hundreds of
people.
• The massacre ignited a popular uprising against the communist.– Within days, the army joined the
people.
• Communist leaders were then tried and executed.
Breakup of Yugoslavia • Serbia began asserting their leadership over all
of Yugoslavia.
• Bosnia-Herzegovina declared independence.– Very diverse population.
• The Serbian military used “ethnic cleansing” to rid themselves of Bosnians Muslims.– In 1995, the 3 sides involved in the war signed a
UN led peace treaty.
• The Serbian military also invaded Kosovo when they began fighting for their independence. – NATO began bombing Yugoslavia.– 2 months later, Yugoslav leaders withdrew their
troops from Kosovo.
• Serbia and Montenegro broke apart in 2003.
Differences Among Ethnic Groups in Yugoslavia
Group Language Religion
Albanians Albanian Muslim
Croats Croatian Roman Catholic
Hungarians Magyar Many types of Christians
Macedonians Macedonian Eastern Orthodox
Montenegrins Serbian Eastern Orthodox
Muslims Bosnian Islam
Serbs Serbian Eastern Orthodox
Slovenes Slovenian Roman Catholic
Differences Among Ethnic Groups in Yugoslavia
Legacy of Mao Zedong• Mao Zedong had a hard time
transforming China b/c of lack of modern technology and elimination of incentives for higher production.– Some Chinese Communists talked of
modernizing the economy.
• Mao began the Cultural Revolution to cleanse China of anti-communist influences. – This turned many people against
Communism.
China and the West• In 1972, President Nixon made a visit to
China.– Leaders from both countries agreed to begin
cultural exchanges and a limited amount of trade.
• Moderates then took control of the Communist Party.– They jailed several of the radicals who had led
the Cultural Revolution.– They were willing to use capitalist ideas to help
China’s economy.
• The Four Modernizations called for progress in agriculture, industry, defense, and science and technology. – Eliminated communes and leased the land to
individual farmers.– Permitted private businesses to operate.– Welcomed foreign technology and investment.
Massacre in Tiananmen Square • Chinese students began to question China’s
lack of political freedom.
• 100,000 students gathered in Tiananmen Square and protested for democracy.– As protests continued, more people poured into
the area.
• On June 4, 1989, thousands of heavily armed soldiers stormed Tiananmen Square.– They killed hundreds and wounded thousands.
• This was the beginning of a massive gov’t campaign to stamp out protest.– Police arrested thousands of people.– The gov’t used the media to announce that
reports of a massacre were untrue.