Chapter 25A World

Transformed

Section 25.124

The Crisis in the Soviet

Union

Introduction

Introduction• 1989 – breakup of Communist regimes of central

and eastern Europe with no violence

• 1991 – Soviet Union collapsed with little violence

• Communisms imploded

• Ideals of Enlightenment (Declaration of Independence, Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, Revolutions of 1848, Treaty of Versailles (Wilson’s Fourteen Points), UN, all returned!!

• Other Revolutions

• Technology and culture

• Idea of a “global village” appeared during the 90s

Perestroika• Mikhail S. Gorbachev came to

power in 1985 (only 54)

• A technocrat, specialized in agriculture at University of Moscow, rising star in Politburo

• After Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin U. Chernenko died quickly after taking office as General Secretary

Perestroika (literally reconstruction) was Gorby’s economic reform plan to decentralize Soviet’s command economyGosplan no longer responsible for detailed instructions, just overall guidelinesCreativity, individual initiative, quality, consumer demands were not being achieved in Central planning economyEntrenched bureaucrats within Politburo didn’t like this in the least

Glasnost• Literally “openness”

• Gorby’s political reform which curtailed strict censorship of Stalinist Russia

• Russians give right to criticize existing system

• Pasternak’s Dr. Zhivago and Solzhenitzyn’s Gulag Archipelago appeared

• KGB under public and legislative scrutiny

• Gorby publicly acknowledged “Stalin’s enormous and unforgivable crimes”

• New history books written

Gorbachev’s Constitutional Reforms• Constitutional reforms of 1988 allowed for

multicandidate elections• Gorbachev knew that this would challenge

communist party’s hegemony of power• Congress of People’s Deputies aired to the

public info about its mistakes in the past• Chernobyl, poor grain production, etc.• Poor health and medical services,

environmental and housing decay, poverty (20%)

Gorby encouraged individuals to start up their own businesses and form cooperativesEncouraged managers to travel abroad and learn better business practicesBut entrenched bureaucrats blocked many of these reforms and economic system remained relatively unchangedAgricultural reform did not succeedAllowed them to lease land for life but state remained the owner

The Party’s Grip Loosened• First free elections held in March

1989 (since 1917)• Although half seat were reserved

for communist party voters elected members of Congress of People’s Deputies

• Empowered to initiate legislation and debate issues

• 1990 the Congress created a presidency with executive power under US model

• Gorby elected president• Gorbachev was trying to save

Communism by reforming it

Criticism of Gorbachev• Nation was divided between old

guard and young democratic reformers who didn’t think Gorby had gone far enough (wanted outright market economy and end of collectivized agriculture)

• Long suppressed ethnic tensions erupted

• Azerbaijan and Armenia fought each other

• 15 federated republics of USSR demanded independence (especially in Baltic states)

Gorbachev and the West• Gorby said his highest concern was

for “universal human interests”

• Changed the view of leadership of USSR menacing to one of a western style diplomat

• Removed troops and weapons from eastern Europe, negotiated nuclear arms reduction, ended Afghan War, respected human rights

• A true thaw in the Cold War felt after 1985

End of the Cold War• Brezhnev had in early 80s deployed

intermediate-range nuclear missiles (1, 500 miles range) in eastern Europe

• US responded with more troops and its own intermediate missiles

• Gorbachev’s emergence cooled this heated atmosphere

• 12/1987 (meeting in Washington) they agreed to remove intermediate missiles

• Gorby also agreed to reduce 4xs more short-range missiles than US and allow for verification inspections

• Gorby mingled freely with Americans in streets of Washington

• Reagan spoke openly in Moscow of repression in Soviet Union

• Cold War was over