the fall of the soviet union 1970s to 1991 cold war
TRANSCRIPT
The Fall of the Soviet Union
1970s to 1991 Cold War
Leonid Brezhnev and Détente Post Khrushchev – why was
he retired? High-ranking officials were
worried that he was trying to undercut their authority
USSR sees Arms race as unsustainable
DETENTE – the relaxation of Cold War tensions during the 1970s
Brought in to ease relations between the superpowers and restore Soviet dignity
The Prague Spring - 1968
Alexander Dubeck and Czechoslovakia want a little of what Poland and Hungary want Students again… People are tired of
working for the state Want to be independent
bridge between superpowers
Soviets invade after “too much independence”
US watches…again
Brezhnev Doctrine 26 Sept 1968
“When forces…try to turn the development of some socialist country towards capitalism, it becomes…a common problem and concern of all socialist countries.”
US Finally Wins Space
Soviet tragedies set back program
US develops Saturn V rocket and learns secrets of linking crafts in space
16 July 1969 – Apollo 11
And then the 1970s… Vietnam failure
Nixon and Watergate
Carter’s presidency (1973) Oil crisis – OPEC decided to cut
back on fuel production and that hurt US as fuel prices rose sharply
Soviets in Afghanistan Iron Hostage Crisis
student revolutionaries took control of the US embassy in Tehran
Reagan released $8 billion in assets and the hostages were freed after 444 days
Three Mile Island and Love Canal Nuclear meltdown
The Communists Strike Back
In the 1970s, communist movements spread into Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Central Asia
US stock falls
“Help us Ronald Reagan, you’re our only hope”
1980 election – Reagan runs to oppose spread of communism Raises defense
spending Star War
Liberals see him as dangerous…what is he doing?
Afghanistan and Reagan
Afghan War spending combined with new US arms race, cause Soviet economic disaster Social programs cut Soviets can’t buy
bread and guns at the same time…
Mikhail Gorbachev: The Last Hope
Perestrokia Economic
restructuring Capitalism?
Glasnost Social openness
Freedoms of press and speech
1989 In the wake of
Gorbachev renouncing Brezhnev…
Solidarity leads Poland (Lech Walesa) Backed by Pope
John Paul II (assassination attempt b/c of threat)
Berlin Wall falls 9 Nov 1989
Other States Fall…
Hungary
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia (Velvet Revolution and Vaclav Havel)
Romania (Ceausescu)
Freedom!!
Christmas 1991
Aug 1991 – hardliners seize power and Gorbachev
Boris Yeltsin (President of the Russian Republic) “leads people to freedom”
25 December 1991 USSR bans communism
The Return of the Jedi