Other Key Players in ending the Cold War · 2016. 4. 4. · Mikhail Gorbachev The Fall of the Soviet Union • Gorbachev sought a compromise between Democracy and Totalitarianism

OTHER KEY PLAYERS IN ENDING THE COLD WAREmily Ganley

ON ENDING THE COLD WAR: “ACCOMPLISHING THIS REQUIRED ACTORS. ONLY THEIR DRAMATIZATIONS COULD REMOVE THE MENTAL BLINDERS. . . THAT HAD LED TO MANY TO CONCLUDE THAT THE COLD WAR WOULD LAST INDEFINITELY.”

Pope John Paul II

Background• May 18, 1920 (Wadowice, Poland)- April 2, 2005

• Karol Józef Wojtyła

• Jagiellonian University, Kraków

• Joined the priesthood after coming home to find his father had died alone.

• Priest during a time of communist restrictions on Catholicism as well as Nazi opposition.

• October 22, 1978: Installation mass. “Be not Afraid!”

Impact on the Cold War

• Pilgrimages to Poland

– Inspired Polish Catholics to realize their political strength and resist the Communist regime.

• The Polish Solidarity movement: the Pope helped keep the trade union non violent, and negotiated with Polish and Soviet leaders.

• His approach made a new kind of thinking possible.

“Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.”

Pope John Paul II

Ideology

• Intangibles: courage, imagination, faith

– Exposed difference between what people believed and

the way the systems during the Cold War made them live

• Movement towards humans rights

Summary of Impact

• Inspired hope in world leaders

• Empowered Catholics (and people everywhere) to

continue practicing their religion under Communist or

Socialist regimes

“The future starts today, not tomorrow.”

Pope John Paul II

“Social justice cannot be attained by violence. Violence kills what it intends to create.”

Margaret Thatcher

Background• (October 13, 1925, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England-April 8, 2013,

London)

• University of Oxford: Studied Chemistry, active in Politics

• 1951: Married Denis Thatcher (Supported her political career)

• 1959: Entered the House of Commons

• February 1975: Became head of the Conservative Party

• 1979-90: Prime Minister of England (3 consecutive terms)

Impact on Cold War

• Made it clear that the West and Democracy would defend itself (Britain retaking the Falkland Islands)

• Broke the perception that Western societies were inevitable moving towards state socialism (Took away the power of unions)

• The reunification of W and E Germany

“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.”

Margaret Thatcher

Political Beliefs and the Conservative Party• When she came to office: Britain had become known as a

declining, ungovernable nation dominated by far-left unions.

• Independence of the Individual from the State

– Privatization, Monetarism, restrictions on trade unions

• Thatcherism

– Moral absolutism, nationalism, individualism

• Revived the reputation of Capitalism in W. Europe

Foreign Policy• Thatcher and Reagan

– 1980’s= a time of Conservatism

– Shared view: Soviet Union an enemy deserving no compromise

• The “Iron Lady”: 1976 Speech Condemning Communism

• Strongly supported NATO and Britain’s independent Nuclear deterrent

• The Falkland Islands

“There is no such thing as society: there are individual men and women, and there are families.”

Margaret Thatcher

“If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.”

Iron Lady Speech

1979 with Employment Law

OPCVL• Britain Awake

• Origin: Speech at Kensington Town Hall ("Britain Awake") made

January 19, 1976. Kensington Hall is in Chelsea, Great Britain. At this

time, Thatcher is the head of the Conservative Party.

• Purpose: To make the British people and the world’s people aware of

the growing military power of the Soviets, and to say that these

countries intend to use this power to take over the world.

– “But let us make no mistake. The Russians calculate that their military

strength will more than make up for their economic and social weakness.

They are determined to use it in order to get what they want from us.”

– To move British people to action: “We in Britain cannot opt out of the

world.”

– To attack the Labor Party/ Socialism, and to “sell” the Conservative Party:

• “But we cannot afford, in Labour's view, to maintain our defences at the

necessary level”

• “Perhaps some people in the Labour Party think we are on the same side as

the Russians!”

• “[The Conservative Party’s plan” is based on the remarkable qualities of the

British people. Labour has neglected that role.”

OPCVL• Value:

– Claims supported with facts (“In the past ten years Russia has spent 50 per cent more than the United States on naval shipbuilding.”)

– Shows the fear felt by the British during the war (“We have seen the Communists make an open grab for power in Portugal, our oldest ally—a sign that many of the battles in the Third World War are being fought inside Western countries.”)

• “Third World War”

– Shows the shift in British Politics from Socialism to Conservatism

• Limitation:

– Thatcher is highly biased toward the Conservative Party’s POV (“Well, we in the Conservative Party believe that Britain is still great.”)

“There are moments in our history when we have to make a fundamental choice. . .Let's ensure that our children will have cause to rejoice that we did not forsake their freedom.”

Lech Wałęsa

Background

• September 29, 1943 in Popowo, Poland

• Son of a carpenter

• Primary and vocational education

Impact on Cold War• 1976: anti-government union activist

• August 14, 1980: Joined and became head of the Lenin Shipyard protests

– Took charge of an Interfactory Strike Committee

– August 31: Government granted to the workers the right to organize freely and independently.

• October 1980: Interfactory Strike Committee -> Solidarity (Solidarność)

– First independent, self-governing trade union in the Marxist-Leninist world

• 1981- Solidarity outlawed and Wałęsa was arrested

“The thing that lies at the foundation of positive change, the way I see it, is service to a fellow human being.”

Lech Wałęsa

Impact Continued

• 1983: Won the Nobel Peace Prize, could not travel to accept it (feared involuntary exile)

• 1988: Solidarity restored to legal status

• 1989: Round Table Agreement

– June 1989: semi-free Parliamentary Elections

– Solidarity-led Government

• 1990-95: Won Poland’s first direct Presidential Election

Later Years/ Legacy

• 1995: Lech Wałęsa Institute

• 2006: Quit the Union, saying “This is no longer my union. This is a different era, different people, different problems.”

• Accusations of informing to Communists

“I got politics and economics moving and then others took over.”

What this Showed about Poland:-Survival of a Polish Identity

-The state had lost control of the post-WWII economy, discrediting

the ruling party’s ideology

Lech Wałęsa

“We hold our heads high, despite the price we have paid, because freedom is priceless.”

December, 1980

Deng Xiaoping

Background

• August 22, 1904, Guang’an, China- February 19, 1997, Beijing

• Son of a land owner

• Studied in France, where he joined the Communist movement

• Jiangxi Soviet- SW China, established by Mao Zedong

• 1947-49: Chinese Civil War: After communist takeover, became regional leader (SW China)

• 1955: Member of ruling Political Bureau

• 1966-1976: The Cultural Revolution: Attacked by Mao’s followers (the Gang of Four)

The beginning of his Impact

• 1976- Mao Zedong dies, by mid 1977 Deng is restored to high posts.

• 1981- Deng has control over the premier of government and the secretary of the CCP

“Keep a cool head and maintain a low profile. Never take the lead - but aim to do something big.”

Deng Xiaoping

Deng’s Policies• One-child policy

• The Four Modernizations: Agriculture, Industry, National Defense, and Science and Technology (1978)

• Stressed individual responsibility in economic decisions and material incentives

• Freed many industries from government control, encouraging them to pursue a profit.

• Strengthened trade ties with the West

• 1987: Stepped down from position within the CCP, remained a huge influence within the party

• 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests: Deng supported use of force

Summary of Impact• Revived China after the Cultural Revolution

• China’s economy grew, people experienced more freedom and a connection to the World Economy

• Embraced capitalism, a blow to Marxism.

“ It doesn’t matter if the cat is white or black, so long as it catches mice”

Deng Xiaoping

1987

Tiananmen Square 1989

1985

Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev

Background• March 2, 1931, Privolye, Stavropol kray, Russia

• Son of Russian peasants

• 1946: Joined the Komsomol (Young Communist League)

• 1955: Degree in law from Moscow State University

• 1970: Secretary of the Regional Party Committee

• 1980: member of the Politburo

• Mikhail Suslov and Konstantin Chernenko

Beginning of Impact

• March 10, 1985: Chernenko died, the next day

Gorbachev is appointed general secretary

– At this time, he was the youngest member of the

Poliburto

“Jesus was the first socialist, the first to seek a better life for mankind.”

Mikhail Gorbachev

Reforms• Glasnost (“openness”): Expanded freedoms of expression and

information

• Perestroika (“restructuring”): Modest attempts to democratize the system

– Limited free-market mechanisms

– Multicandidate contests and a secret ballot

• U.S.S.R. Congress of People’s Deputies: To release executive and legislative branches from the CPSU

– Constitutional changes created a bicameral parliament (December 1988)

– This congress elected a new U.S.S.R. Supreme Soviet

– May 1989: Gorbachev elected head of the Supreme Soviet, thereby retained national presidency

– 1989: Abolished the Communist Parties monopoly of political power

• New Parties could be formed

1987-8

8

“The market is not an invention of capitalism. It has existed for centuries. It is an invention of civilization.”

Mikhail Gorbachev

Foreign Affairs• December 1987: Signed agreement with Reagan for both countries

to destroy all existing stocks of intermediate-range nuclear-tipped missiles.

• 1988-89: Withdrew troops from Afghanistan

• 1989-90: Began the withdrawal of Soviet troops from countries with new Democratic governments. (East Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia)

• 1990: Agreed to the reunification of East and West Germany

– Assented to the idea that Germany would join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

• 1990: Nobel Peace Prize for achievements in international relations

The Soviet Union’s Enemy

“It is better to discuss things, to argue and engage in polemics than make perfidious plans of mutual destruction.”

Mikhail Gorbachev

The Fall of the Soviet Union• Gorbachev sought a compromise between Democracy and

Totalitarianism in vain.

– Wanted to move to a representative democracy, but also was unwilling to give up the centralized economy.

– Centrally planned economy crumbled, with no private enterprise to replace it.

• 1991 coup- Boris Yeltsin

• December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigned his post in the Soviet Union, which ceased to exist that same day.

“We are not abandoning our convictions, our philosophy or traditions, nor do we urge anyone to abandon theirs.”

Mikhail Gorbachev

Meeting with shipyard workers (1988)

“The Marked One”

“If what you have done yesterday still looks big to you, you haven't done much today.”

Giving a speech to the congress of East Berlin. 1986

1985 1990

CONNECTIONS

Unlikely Heroes

Came to power in the

80’s

• Margaret Thatcher: The first woman Prime Minister

• Lech Wałęsa: Not highly educated, almost stumbled into political power

• Deng Xiaoping: Exiled multiple times

• Mikhail Gorbachev: The youngest leader of the Poliburto

• Pope John Paul II: From a Communist country

• Margaret Thatcher: Elected in 1979

• Lech Wałęsa: Solidarity was formed in 1980

• Deng Xiaping: By 1981 he was China’s paramount ruler

• Mikhail Gorbachev: by 1985 he was the head of the Poliburto

• (Pope John Paul II: 1978)

Proved Capitalism

worked

TIME: People of the Year

• Margaret Thatcher: Restored the reputation of

capitalism in Britain

• Deng Xiaoping: Brought Capitalism to China

19861982 19941990

1979

19841985

1984

Works Cited

"Deng Xiaoping." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.

Gaddis, John Lewis. The Cold War: A New History. New York: Penguin, 2005. Print.

Gorbachev, Mikhail. Video. Encyclopædia Britannica. Web. 3 Apr. 2016. <http://media1.school.eb.com/eb-media/71/179671-024-6B3140E5.mp4>.

"Lech Wałęsa." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.

"Margaret Thatcher." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.

"Mikhail Gorbachev." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.

"Saint John Paul II." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

Thatcher, Margaret. "Speech at Kensington Town Hall ("Britain Awake") (The Iron Lady)." Speech at Kensington Town Hall ("Britain Awake") (The Iron Lady). Web. 30 Mar.

2016. <http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/102939>.