The Soviet Union Declines

Decline of Soviet Union

• A. The command economy stagnates• 1. Took resources from Germany– a. Poured resources into Sputnik I , the first

artificial satellite in 1957.– b. Agriculture remained unproductive– C. Could not match the west in consumer goods.– D. Central planning was wasteful and inefficient– E. Could not keep up with U.S. in arms race

• 2. Soviet Union in Afghanistan– A. Soviet backed government tried reforms, such

as land redistribution– B. Warlords took up arms against the government,

the Soviets moved in with troops– C. Battling the mujahedin (Muslim warriors) was

too difficult, resulted in heavy casualties and few successes.

• 3. Gorbachev tries reform– A. 1985- Gorbachev became new Soviet president.– B. Called for glasnost (openness). Ended

censorship– C. Urged perestroika, restructuring– of government and economy.– D. Allowed Limited private – enterprise

• 4. An empire crumbles– A. shortages grew and prices soared– B. high unemployment resulted– C. Reforms fed unrest across East Europe– D. Countries regained independence starting in

1989.– E. 1991- the remaining – Soviet republics separated.– The Soviet Union– ceased to exist

• Poland embraces Solidarity– A. The Solidarity – was a labor union established in

1980 in Poland led by Lech Waleesa– B. Had millions of members and demanded

political and economic changes.– C. Union was outlawed,– Waleesa arrested– D. Unrest continued – and Waleesa became – a national hero.

• E. In 1989, Poland legalized Solidarity and held free elections.

• F. Waleesa elected president in 1990.• G. Transitioned from a command economy to

a market economy.

Changes Transform Eastern Europe

• Many Eastern Europeans opposed Communist rule

• In the 1980s demands for change mounted

• Hungary quietly reformed– 1970s expanded its market – Growing criticism of communist government– 1988-89 allowed greater freedoms, new p[olitical

parties formed

• East Germans demand change– Communist government banned Soviet

publications in 1988 (glasnost reforms)– Blocked market economy or political freedoms– East Germans saw how West Germans lived

through television and demanded change.

• Reform movements spread across Eastern Europe – 1989

• People took to the streets demanding change• One by one, communist governments fell.• Czechoslovakia elected a new president• Berlin wall was opened-east and west Germany

reunified• Romania’s dictator was overthrown and executed• Warsaw Pact was dissolved in 1991 • Soviet Union dissolved in 1991• 1992-Czechoslovakia split into Czech Republic and

Slovakia