Fall of the Soviet Union

So today our biggest focus was the year 1989, otherwise known as the year Taylor Swift was born. 


What exactly happened in 1989? 

* The Soviet Union collapsed and most of its satellite nations declared their independence 
- the thing was, the USSR didn't really fight back to keep these nations as their own 
- Thus began the fall of communism itself 



Was this all Gorbachev's fault? 

• 1986—April: Chernobyl disaster.  Worst nuclear accident / meltdown up to the recent events in Japan. Policies of glasnost [political openness] and perestroika [political and economic restructuring] announced.
  
  
  BUT, he also passed the:
  • Breznet- supporting communist nations against capitalism
  • Response to Truman doctrine
    
    

America helped in the fall of communism- of course 

• Reagan- Berlin Wall
• Created an arms race that the Soviet Union just couldn’t keep up with
• 
  
  

  The Pope at the time also played a role 

  • 1989—April: Roundtable Talks between Polish Communist government and Solidarity movement [independent labor movement begun by Lech Walesa in 1980, supported by Pope John Paul II]. Beginning of transformation to free elections in Poland.
• His labor union supported Poland- which was still under control of communist Russia 
  Comprised of urban workers- called solidarity 
  
  
  Important: Satellite countries fall apart from communism previous to when the Soviet Union actually does
  
  
• • Gorbechev didn’t try to take control of the people that were revolting
  • The people in Russia were also revolting- so they had to focus on domestic issues rather than international results
  • Issues at home were more important
  • In 1848, there were revolutions all across the continent, none of which really stuck
  • None of them were successful
  • However, in 1989, they were successful
  • Gorbechev didn’t have a strong enough plan to keep the Soviet Union in power- allowed other leaders to revolt
  • He becomes weaker than the people who are revolting against him
  • Origins of these problems
  • Who they are revolting against
  • Poverty, economy, suffering of people
    As Maeve said- it always comes down to those peasants and their complaining
    
  • Suffering was also greater in 1989 than in 1848 (time when another revolution took place)
  • Metternich was leading during the previous time
  • He exerts more control in this period compared to Gorbachev
  • Nationalism- extent to which one was more a factor (which revolution)
  • More of a factor in 1989- after WWII- countries came to their identities more than they had prior to it
  • 1989- 14 points
  • International unity
  • League of Nations
  • Self determination- after WWI
  • More nationalism
  • Balkans
    So basically, everyone had a lot more pride than before
    
  • Difference between 1989 and what happened to the Soviet Union
  • In 1989, Gorbachev was trying to keep things together (kind of the same thing with the Brits and decolonization)
  • Goal was to restructure- make it a better place/stronger country
  • Gorbachev thought that making these changes would help (it didn't, oops) 
    After the fall --> became the Commonwealth of Independent States
  • Two people in charge of Russia after Gorbechev
  • Putin and Yieltzen