Transcript Chapter 9: End of Cold War

Chapter 9: End of Cold War
Focuses:
1. What were the weaknesses of the Communist
System and the Economy in the USSR?
2. How did Gorbachev try to get the system to
work again?
– What were Perestroika and Glasnost, how did they
affect USSR?
– How did they affect Eastern Europe?
3. Why did the Soviet Union Collapse?
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Background
Leaders of the Soviet Union
• Joseph Stalin, 1945-1953 (post-war)
– Economic transformation in the USSR’s industry
and agriculture
– Suffering for the people
•
Nikita Khrushchev 1953-1964
– A reformist of Stalinism (destalinisation)
– Introduced reforms to improve food production
– Gave people more say in running industry &
agriculture
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– Proposed to end the Cold War
Background
Background: The Soviet Union 1953-85
Leaders of the Soviet Union
• Leonid Brezhnev 1964-82
– “An age of stagnation”
– Wanted to reverse Khrushchev reforms
•
Foreign policy under Brezhnev
– Began a policy of détente with the USA
•
lessening of tensions – co-existence
– Achievements of Détente – Relationship improved
•
•
Started talks known as SALT that agreed to limit certain
types of nuclear weapons
Signed the Helsinki Accords
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Background
Limitations of Détente
- Maintained competition
 Continuation of the arms race and the space race
-
Continuation of the Cold War in the form of
proxy wars
 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968
- Gave rise to the Brezhnev Doctrine
 US involvement in the Vietnam War, 1960s-1973
 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, 1979
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Weaknesses of Communist Govt
•
USSR did not have an effective government
for 10 years
1976 – 1982 – Brezhnev was ill
1982 – 1983 – Yuri Andropov who was also ill
1984 – 1985 – Konstantin Chernenko, also ill
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Weaknesses of Communist Govt
Society
Security (KGB)
• Housing provided
• Censorship
• Jobs provided
• Political arrests
• Education provided
• Surveillance
• Healthcare provided
• Passport system to control
movement in USSR
• Coupons for basic foods
STATE BUREAUCRACY
Agriculture
Industry Gosplan
• Sets production targets
• Decides what to produce
• Provides Raw Materials
• Keeps any profits
• State-run farms
Trade
• Foreign Trade Ministry
• Small plots for farmers’ own
use
controls trade
• State decides crops to grow
•State keeps surplus
•State sets production targets
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Weaknesses of Communist Govt
Hard for Eastern bloc to
become self sufficient
Protectionist trade
+ Eastern bloc
Just 1 good production
for convenience of
USSR
Profit into state ventures,
not reinvested
No incentive to
work well
State sets production
targets & fixes wages
In control of Eastern
Europe via Comecon
Command Economy
Run by those loyal to
Comm Party, not those
with best skills
Slow
Choices not
always best
Corruption
Initiative & innovation
discouraged
Quantity, and not
quality, emphasised
GOSPLAN supplies raw
materials
Delays
Coupon scams
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Weaknesses of Communist Govt
1. Ineffective Government
 Politburo controlled by the Communist Party
-
Dominated by the ‘old guards’ / ‘hardliners’
Refused to introduce changes
Corruption among party and governmental
officials
Officials chosen based on favouritism, friendship
and length in Communist Party
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Weaknesses of Communist Govt
2. Inefficient economy
 Low levels of economic growth in the late
1970s and early 1980s
 Low productivity of Soviet industry
-

Paid workers regardless of work quality
Gave workers lifetime employment
Problem of alcohol
Little incentive for local factories to make
improvement
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Weaknesses of Communist Govt
Investment focused on heavy industry –
military and defence industry

-
USSR was head of Warsaw Pact – led defence of the E.
European countries and supported Communist allies
Serious shortage of basic goods
Rise of black markets – govt couldn’t collect tax
Disorganised transportation and distribution
system

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Factories were located far away
Time wasted on getting the raw materials to factories
crops sometimes rot and go to waste during bumper crops
or large harvest because of inefficient transport system11
Weaknesses of Communist Govt

Low agricultural production
- insufficient workers to harvest crops
- did not use technology to improve its farms and
factories
- fell in output

Little contact with the world economy
- unable to sell goods abroad
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Weaknesses of Communist Govt
3. External Pressure
 Ronald Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ Programme
-
Aimed to create a defensive shield of laser-beam
firing satellites
USSR’s economy too weak to keep up with
Reagan’s new arms race, which cost US$4 trillion
USSR worried about the new measures, pushed to
improve relations with USA
Significance?
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Weaknesses of Communist Govt
Pressure within the Eastern Europe Bloc

-
Eastern bloc not united
Rising displeasure and resentment against USSR’s
Politburo
Financial support to Warsaw pact allies, caused
strain in USSR
USSR spent US$3 billion annually on its satellite
states
Not including cost incurred from proxy wars. Eg
War in Afghanistan
Food for thought: Was the Comm Govt a total 14
failure?
Weaknesses of Communist Govt
PROVIDES JOBS
• Does not allow
movement between
jobs
PROVIDES HOUSING
• Not enough housing &
overcrowding common
• Does not
encourage incentive
& good work
PROVIDES EDUCATION
• Syllabus content
controlled by state
• Poor quality
PROVIDES BASIC
FOOD VIA COUPONS
• Irregular services
• Minimal amts of food
Social Structure
• State stores do not
always have food to
exchange for coupons
PROVIDES SECURITY
• Police state controls
drugs & crime but also
punishes ordinary
citizens
PROVIDES HEALTHCARE
• Police control many
aspects of ordinary life
• Staff Overworked
• Hospital poorly maintained
• Few Drugs
PROVIDES CHEAP TRANSPORT
• Mostly in cities
• Travel in USSR restricted,
passport system in force
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Weaknesses of Communist Govt
What are your conclusions about the Communist Govt in
USSR?
•Political
•Ineffective gov’t that is backwards and not receptive
towards any improvement as it was controlled by old
guards who did not want to endanger their own position
of power
•Economic
•Unable to provide for a comfortable standard of living
for its people. Very inefficient system- unable to prosper.
Any changes to the economic system was blocked by16the
old guards.
Gorbachev’s Reforms
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Perestroika
“ Restructuring” of the economy
Glasnost
“ Openness” for the political system
Perestroika
Aim: To restructure the economy & political
institutions in the USSR
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Gorbachev’s Reforms
Changes in foreign policy

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Cut defence budget
Withdrew Soviet troops from Afghanistan
Aimed to end Soviet competition in the arms race
Stopped supporting communist governments in E.
Europe – let Eastern European countries go their
own way (The Sinatra Doctrine 1985)
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Gorbachev’s Reforms
Social Programme
 continued with anti-alcohol programme
started by Andropov
 Increased price of Vodka
 Raise legal drinking age from 18-21
 Reduced hours of alcohol sales
 Result: Unpopular campaign – Failed
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Gorbachev’s Reforms
Central Planning Ended
 Introduced the Law on State Enterprises
-
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
Allowed market forces to decide type and prices of
goods produced and workers’ wages
Gave businesses more independence from govt or
state ministries
Encouraged workers to form small, privately
owned cooperatives
Allowed foreign companies to invest in joint
ventures
Permitted business to export goods & set
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prices to earn foreign currency
Gorbachev’s Reforms
Increased amount of land available for private
farming
Introduced some democracy within the
Communist Party
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Ended appointment of members of local Soviet by
the Communist Party
Allowed for election of members instead
Result: Met with resistance from the ‘old
guards’
They felt that these changes were not
acceptable as they were not consistent with
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Stalin’s style of communism.
Gorbachev’s Reforms
Market Economy introduced
 Economic change – Allowed groups of farmers
to lease land for a fixed price- sold surplus on
the open market (capitalism)
Political changes
 Aim: To introduce political institutions to
bypass existing ones that were resisting
perestroika
-
Replaced old parliament (Supreme Soviet) with
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the Congress of People’s Deputies (CPD)
Gorbachev’s Reforms
Formed new Supreme Soviet (an organisation
that make laws in USSR)

-
Results:
- Elected Gorbachev as President of the USSR –
could operate independently of the Communist
Party
- Rise of open political debate and discussion
- Gave people a choice of candidates to vote for
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Gorbachev’s Reforms
Glasnost (openness)
 Reasons
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To restore faith in the government
To end corruption
To reform the Communist Party in order to carry out
Perestroika reforms
Reforms (pg 241)

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Relaxed censorship
Allowed for the press and the TV to criticise the govt
Permitted for open discussion & reduced suppression of
information
Allowed for publication of previously-banned books and
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publications
Gorbachev’s Reforms
Glasnost (openness)
 Reforms
-
Set up independent media agencies outside
control of Communist Party
- Gave religious freedom
- Allowed for spread of western idea, music and
businesses
- Encouraged workers to voice opinions, criticise
corrupt/incompetent bosses & suggest
improvements
Gorbachev hoped that these reforms would make
CPSU more open to new ideas, more democratic
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and uncorrupted.
How Gorbachev’s refoms affected
USSR
The Result of Perestroika
 Economic growth did not improve
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1988-1989: Pre-Perestroika level
1990 & 1991: Fall of national income
1991: Serious crisis
Severe shortages of basic consumer goods
Revival of black markets
Rationing of goods
Govt printed money to pay workers’ increased wages
Increase in number of people living in poverty
Rise of strikes against the govt.
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How Gorbachev’s refoms affected
USSR
The Result of Glasnost
 Rise of criticism against the govt
-
Discoveries of corruption among leaders
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Gorbachev & his failure to improve the economy
Military defeat in Afghanistan
Loss in confidence in the Communist Party
Weakened appeal of communism
Re-examination of Soviet History – discredited
the Communist regime
Eg: Stalin’s atrocities
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
Impact of Glasnost & Perestroika
on Eastern Bloc
Gorbachev’s actions:
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Encouraged E. European govts to adopt reforms
Allowed Communist hardliners to be replaced by
more reformist leaders
Refused to use the Red Army to support the
Communist govt in E. Europe
Result:
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Growing expression of discontent
Rising expectation of significant changes within
the country
Weakening of Communism – Led to fall of
communism in E. Europe
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Impact of Glasnost & Perestroika
on Eastern Bloc
Poland
 The trade union, Solidarity, had won support from
Polish Workers


Outlawed in 1981
Remained influential
The Polish Communist govt started talks with
Solidarity leaders
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Allowed for free elections in June 1989
Solidarity won most of the seats – formed a
solidarity coalition govt
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Was first non-communist govt in E. Europe
Renamed as the Republic of Poland with Lech Walesa
(Leader of Solidarity) as President
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Impact of Glasnost & Perestroika
on Eastern Bloc
Hungary
 Changes started in early 1980s

Eg. : Allowed for independent candidates to stand against
Communist Party candidates
Talks took place between the Communist govt &
opposition groups
The barbed wires separating Hungary & Austria were
removed in May 1989 – opened first chink in the
Iron Curtain
Free elections held in March 1990 – The Communist
Party was defeated and the state was renamed the
Hungarian Republic
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Started reforms
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Introduced market economy, set up many political parties
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Impact of Glasnost & Perestroika
on Eastern Bloc
East Germany
Background
- Divided into West Germany (GFR) and East Germany
(GDR)
- Built Berlin Wall in August 1961
- Leader: Eric Honecker – resistant to change
- Rise of protest
- May 1989 – Removal of barbed wires between
Hungary & Austria
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East Germans escaped to the West via Austria
Honecker tried to get Hungary to close its borders.
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It accelerated the exodus of Germans to Hungary
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Impact of Glasnost & Perestroika
on Eastern Bloc
East Germany
- Oct 1989: Gorbachev visited East Germany
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Told Honecker that USSR would not provide
military help to put down the demonstrations
Wanted political changes to take place in E
Germany
Honecker resigned
-
9 Nov 1989: The Berlin Wall was opened
1990: The Berlin Wall was demolished
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Impact of Glasnost & Perestroika
on Eastern Bloc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnYXbJ_bcLc
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Impact of Glasnost & Perestroika
on Eastern Bloc
East Germany
- Significance of the fall
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3 million East Berliners crossed to W Berlin
Berlin Wall was a symbol of the Iron Curtain –
Symbol of the collapse of Communism – Inspired
other E European countries to end Comm rule
Eg: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Romania and
Yugoslavia
Re-unification of Germany became possible in Oct
1990.
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Impact of Glasnost & Perestroika
on Eastern Bloc
Czechoslovakia
- Gorbachev encouraged the Czech leaders to
reform Communism – Resisted
- Nov 1989: a huge anti-govt demonstration in
Prague was put down harshly – triggered off
larger demonstration
- The comm govt overwhelmed – Resigned
- Democratic elections held – A non-communist
govt formed
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Impact of Glasnost & Perestroika
on Eastern Bloc
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Impact of Glasnost & Perestroika
on Eastern Bloc
Romania
- Rule of Nicolae Ceausescu since 1965
(one of the most ruthless rule in Europe)
- Ceausescu refused to implement reforms
- An anti-govt demonstration started in Dec 1989 –
harshly put down
- Rise of bloody battles between the secret police, the
army and the demonstrators
- Ceausescu fled Bucharest – later captured & then
sentenced to death
- May 1990: Elections held & new govt dominated by
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former communists, was formed
Impact of Glasnost & Perestroika
on Eastern Bloc
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The End of the Soviet Empire
1. The speed of reform
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
Inherited problems from Stalin’s era
Had a govt machinery that could not cope with so
many changes so quickly
2. The size of the USSR’s problem


Inherited problems from Stalin’s era
Had to deal with corruption and inefficiency
3. Lack of support from the West


Welcomed the reforms
Refused to give huge loans needed to finance
them
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The End of the Soviet Empire
4. Opposition from Communist hardliners


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Felt the reforms went against Communist
principles
Believed the security of the USSR was endangered
through reducing armaments
Felt the USSR was threatened when it withdrew
from Eastern European countries and let them
decide their own future
5. Opposition from the Soviet people


Caused people to see problem with the
Communist govt
Led to demand for more extensive reforms at a
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quicker pace
The End of the Soviet Empire
6. The multi-ethnic nature of the Soviet Union


USSR was made up of different people and
nationalities – could no longer be held together by
the central govt and the Red Army
1989: Red Army was in disarray


Heavy losses in Afghanistan
Soviet govt struggled to pay wages of the soldiers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIyP7Ji-TWk&feature=related
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The End of the Soviet Empire
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The End of the Soviet Empire
The collapse of USSR
 Background
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USSR was a union of 15 Republics
Russia was the largest & most powerful
270 different nationalities speaking different
languages
Impact of Perestroika & Glasnost: Reemergence of nationalism in Soviet Union
The Baltic states demanded for separation
from the USSR
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The End of the Soviet Empire
The collapse of USSR
 March 1990: Lithuania declared independence
– Occupied by the Soviet army
 Rise of similar demands for independence in
other Republics
 The stability & unity of the USSR threatened

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
Used force (eg. Baltic States)
Gave concessions
By 1991: The USSR was on the verge of
breaking up
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The End of the Soviet Empire
The Trigger: The August Coup
 By 1990: Gorbachev had lost support within Central
govt
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Blamed by hardliners for the breakup of USSR
Criticised by pro-democratic group by Boris Yeltsin
18 Aug 1991: The hardliners launched a coup to
seize power
Put Gorbachev under house arrest & ruled the USSR by
emergency decree
Yeltsin gathered supporters to condemn coup & get
pp to resist the coup leaders
The coup leaders asked the military to stop the
demonstrations – refused to open fire
21 Aug 1991 – coup collapsed
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The End of the Soviet Empire
Aftermath
 Gorbachev’s reputation was destroyed –
resigned on 25 Dec 1991
 Fall in support of communism
 The collapse of the USSR sped up
 The Commonwealth of Independent States
was formed in Jan 1992
 Boris Yeltsin became president of the new
Russia
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The End of the Soviet Empire
Boris Yeltsin became president of the new Russia
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