THE END OF THE COLD WAR

In the final decades of the 20th, the Eastern bloc collapsed.

THE END OF THE COLD WAR

The end of the

cold war

Reform in the Soviet

Union

The collapse of the Eastern

Bloc The dissolution

of the USSR

THE END OF THE COLD WAR

THE END OF THE COLD WAR

The collapse of

Communism

The Russian Federation

The survival of

CommunismChina

REFORM IN THE SOVIET UNION

After 1975, important developments occured

in the Eastern Bloc.

Repressive policies in Eastern Europe

USSR economic stagnation

Perestroika

Repressive policies in Eastern EuropeThere was increasing

popular discontent in Eastern

Europe.

This was caused by the

Soviet Union´s repressive

policies, which prevented

democratic reform.

REFORM IN THE SOVIET UNION

USSR economic stagnationCauses:

The Soviet´s high military expenditure.Consequences:

This reduced investment in other areas and led to a fall in agricultural and industrial productivity.

There were shortages of food and consumer goods.

REFORM IN THE SOVIET UNION

The Perestroika

In 1985, Gorbachev was

named Secretary General of

the Soviet Communist Party

and leader of the USSR.

He implemented a series of

political and economic reforms

known as perestroika.

The goal of the perestroika

was to end Soviet economic

stagnation.

REFORM IN THE SOVIET UNION

Political Reform Economic Reform

REFORM IN THE SOVIET UNION

PERESTROIKA: POLITICAL REFORM

The USSR evolved from a single-party system to one in

which other political parties were permitted.

The State also adopted a policy known as glasnost, which

aimed to make government more open and transparent.

As a part of glasnost,

limitations on freedom of

speech were also relaxed.

REFORM IN THE SOVIET UNION

PERESTROIKA: ECONOMIC REFORM

In order to increase agricultural productivity, PRIVATE

OWNERSHIP OF LAND was allowed.

SPENDING CUTS were also introduced in an attempt to reduce

state expenditure.

However, these measures failed to improve the economic situation.

REFORM IN THE SOVIET UNION

In 1987, United States President Reagan and Gorbachev had commited to withdraw Soviet troops from Eastern Europe.

THE COLLAPSE OF THE EASTERN BLOC

As a result, popular protest movements emerged in these countries.

They wanted to remove the Communist regimes from power.

In 1989, the Eastern European Communist regimes were in a very weak position.

The most important revolutions occured in:POLAND

In 1989 elections were

won by Solidarity. This

led to the formation of a

non-Communist

government.

THE COLLAPSE OF THE EASTERN BLOC

In 1989, the Eastern European Communist regimes were in a very weak position.

The most important revolutions occured in:BERLIN

In 1989 the people of

Berlin pulled down the

Berlin Wall. In 1990, the GDR (East Germany) was dissolved and Germany was reunified.

THE COLLAPSE OF THE EASTERN BLOC

The fall of the Berlin Wall. 1989, 11th November.

Independent movements had

emerged in the Soviet republics

after the introduction of perestroika.In 1991, a number of these

republics gained independence.Gorbachev resigned and the

Soviet Union was dissolved.As a result, the Cold War

ended.

THE DISSOLUTION OF THE USSR

REMEMBER: THE USSR MAP

THE CIS

The USSR was replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which included the Russian Federation and a majority of the old Soviet republics.

THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS)

In 1990, the Socialist republics that made up Yugoslavia demanded their independence.

The largest republic was Serbia, which wanted to maintain the unity of Yugoslavia and opposed to the independent movements.

THE DISSOLUTION OF YUGOSLAVIA

The independence movements were based in religious differences among the different republics of Yugoslavia.

THE DISSOLUTION OF YUGOSLAVIA

As a consequence of political and religious conflicts there was a Civil war (1991-1995).

As a result, Yugoslavia was divided into various states: Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia and Montenegro .

In 2006, Montenegro

became independent. In 2008, the region of

Kosovo declared its

independencde from Serbia.

THE DISSOLUTION OF YUGOSLAVIA

However, Serbia and Russia, and some European countries didn´t recognise Kosovo as an independent state.

The Russian Federation was created in 1991.First president: Boris YeltsinCapital: MoscowState: Federal State made up of republics and regions.Political system: a democracy

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

As president, Yeltsin abandoned the system of centrlised economic planning and introduced capitalism through a series of measures:

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

• Agricultural land and state-owned industries were privatised.

• Industries that used outdated technology were closed down.

• Public subsidies for housing, healthcare, electricity and other services were ended.

• Multinational companies were allowed to establish themselves and operate in Russia.

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Negative consequences of the introdution of capitalism

The closure of state-owned companies produced high unemployment, and this led to an economic crisis.

In 2000, Putin became president and the economy began to recover.

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Consequences of the introdution of capitalism

Russian society became more like other Western societies with peculiar features:

Social inequalities

A small minority have become very rich

because they bought state companies at very

low prices when they were privatised.

Most Russians are poorer due to the end

of state subsidies.

High unemployment

This has produced high levels of emigration to

Western Europe.

The Cold War ended in 1991 and the Communist regimes of the USSR and Eastern Bloc ceased to exist.

However:

THE SURVIVAL OF COMMUNISM

Still Communist

StatesChina

Vietnam

LaosNorth Korea

Cuba

Still Communist States

Citizens do not enjoy

many freedoms

They have gradually introduced capitalist economic reforms to estimulate grouth

and development..

Communist states now

allow private property.

Foreign countries can

operate in these

countries

The exception is North Korea:

centrally planned

economy.

THE SURVIVAL OF COMMUNISM

Mao Zedong´s successors have maintained the Communist Party in power in China.

THE SURVIVAL OF COMMUNISM

A picture of the Communist Party on 24 january 2014

Xi Jinping is the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and the Presiden of the People´s Republic of China (P.R.C.)

THE SURVIVAL OF COMMUNISM

The Chinese regime has intensified its repression of protest movements which demand democratic reform.

THE SURVIVAL OF COMMUNISM

Tiananmen Square protests of 1989

China has resisted political reform but it has introduced capitalist economic reforms: Since 1980, foreign businesses have been allowed to operate in

certain areas of the country.

These companies have been benefited from cheap Chinese labour, while the arrival of foreign capital has enabled the Chinese to invest in their own industrial develpment.

THE SURVIVAL OF COMMUNISM

As a consequence of these changes, China has experienced dramatic economic growth .

Its products have flooded the markets of Western countries because they are much cheaper than European or American-made goods.

Today China is the second leading economic power .

THE SURVIVAL OF COMMUNISM