End of the Cold War

ARMS RACE

Iran•1942—Invaded by England because of threats to the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company –today (BP)•1951—Iran’s first Democracy—Govt, led by Prime Minister Mossadeq, nationalizedthe Anglo-Iranian Oil Company•Time—Jan. 7, 1952 ―Man of the Year‖

Overthrow of Mossadeq•1953—CIA and British intelligence agency overthrows Iran’s govt. and props up the Shahof Iran who supports western policy•Nationalization of the Anglo-Iranian company is stopped. Iran Revolution•1979—Shah is overthrown in Revolution—American Embassy over thrown and 66 Americans taken hostage clip •Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Islamic revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and declares America to be the ―The Great Satan.‖ –Shia Muslim (Iraq controlled by a Sunni minority) –Implemented Iranian state under Islamic law (Sharia)

Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)

•Publicly, the US support Saddam and gave him money, weapons and intelligence. The CIA gave Iraq technology to use mustard gas against Iran. These weapons would later be used to attack the Kurds in the 1990’s.

•WMD’s were sold to Saddam by weapons manufacturers in England, Germany, and China

•2006--Saddam was recently executed for the murder of Iraq-Kurds during the Iraq-Iran War.

Cold War Thaws•1960’s Russia: ―Destalinization initiated by Nikita Khrushchev•China and Russia split •1970’s: President Nixon moves towards Détente with the Soviets:–Détente: French term, meaning a relaxing or easing, in the case of tension. •SALT Treaty signed–Strategic Arms Limitation Talks•Limit the number of ICBMs.

Cold War gets Colder

1980’s: Détente Cools•1980: Ronald Regan elected President•he is an adamant anti-communist

•Called the Soviet Union the ―Evil Empire

•Begins ―Star Wars –a missile defense program that increased tension between U.S. and Russia.

•The last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 until 1991, and also the last head of state of the USSR, serving from 1988 until its collapse in 1991. •He was the only Soviet leader to have been born after the October Revolution of 1917.•Regan’s friend and political nemesis. •Reformed Soviet Union and helped bring an end to the Cold War

Gorbachev’s Policies:Glasnost: Opens–Refers to openness in Soviet society

and with the West•Religion was allowed, banned books

were allowed, political prisoners released.

•Perestroika: Economic Reform–Capitalism was allowed to a degree in

the Soviet Economy•Pro-Democracy:–Gorbachev sought to democratize the

Soviet Union

Soviet “Bloc” or “satellite” nations

Fall of Communism

•Polish workers at the Gdansk shipyard demand recognition of Solidarity. •Government gives in to demands of Lech Welsea•1yr later Poland outlaws unions declares martial law. •Economy worsens Discontent grows People strike 1989 Solidarity legalized, FREE elections held and Lech Welsea elected!

Lech Welsea & Solidarity

Gorbachev Loses Power

Reform = economic chaos. Problems are actually worse

Without gov. help, factories closed, increasing unemployment

Discontent spread Independence for many

Bloc nations

1991: Gorbachev resigns.

Communism dead after 74 years.

Communism fell, but so did Gorbachev.

1989: Berlin Wall comes down

•Czechoslovakia and Romania overthrow Communists and demand democracy.

•1990: Germany Reunified

East Germany “Revolution

from Below” – Reform started by the people

"Wir sind ein Volk" = "We [all Germans] are one people."

East Germany not “modern”

West Germany vs. East GermanyWest Germany: “Economic Miracle”

Close ties to France, US; key role in NATO and ECPolitics dominated by Socialist party (welfare state)

East Germany: StagnationUSSR used workers and industry for its benefitAll trade done with other Soviet Bloc countries

E. German Positives: Low unemploymentWorkers: basic needs metMinimal goods available

Eastern Europe - 1989

Crisis in the USSR - 1989

Cold War in the 1980’sCold War tensions increased in the early 1980's.

United States President Ronald Reagan and his administration adopted a policy they called linkage, tying any U.S. arms agreement to consideration of Soviet expansion.

Meanwhile, the growing military power of the Soviet Union led the United States to increase its defense budget. Many observers thought the U.S. defense build-up would lead to a more dangerous nuclear arms race.

Cold War in the 1980’s

Events in the late 1980's led to a sharp reduction in U.S.-Soviet tensions.Signed a treaty to eliminate many nuclear missiles

U.S.S.R. began to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.

USSR began to reduce its military forces in Europe.

In 1985 new Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev worked for a more decentralized economic system and allowed more democracy and freedom of expression.

Gorbachev’s new policies Gorbachev new policies included:

glasnost (openness) –glasnost allowed intellectual and political debate.

perestroika (restructuring) perestroika allowed extensive political and economic change.

He also encouraged similar actions in Eastern Europe.

In Eastern Europe, he announced the Soviet Union would no longer control the destiny of their people.

End of the Cold WarAfter the Soviet Union announced it would

no longer control the destiny’s of its Eastern European countries, every one of them rose up and overthrew their communist governments.

The speed at which Communism collapsed took the West by surprise.

End of the Cold WarIn 1991, the Soviet Communist Party lost control

of the Soviet government. Later that year, the Soviet Union was dissolved, and the republics became independent states.

1992, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and U.S. President George H. W. Bush formally declared that their countries did not regard each other as potential enemies.

These events marked the end of the Cold War.

Russia and the Republics 2007