The cold war (the end)

The Cold War (The End)(The dissolution of the Soviet Union...)

As the Cold War carried on..1980’s: Soviet -U.S relations improve considerably

Gorbachev’s appointment followed the death of three previous Soviet leaders in three years.

1985: Gorbachev appointed leader

Q.....What would this create?

A feeling of uneasiness?

Gorbachev’s Reforms..Perestroika: economic reforms (1987), attempt to aid the economy. Some Free Market elements were added.

Glasnost: With the Soviet public becoming more disenchanted with their secretive government, Gorbachev attempted to compensate by committing to openness and transparency with the media. However, this backfired as the public learned of long-standing political cover ups revealing past and recent atrocities, missteps by leadership, social and health failures of the USSR and the true extent of national economic problems.

Results.....

Still failing economy and public knowledge of wrongdoings...

Add to the mix... The Chernobyl Disaster...

1987:Reagan and Gorbachev sign the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in Washington. It removes more than 2,600 medium-range nuclear missiles from

Europe.

1989: Hungary decides to allow free elections and take down the fence between Hungary and Austria.

Gorbachev says he will not stop the moves. June 1989 — Poland holds its first free elections. The Solidarity (labor) Party beats the Communists.

July 1989 — Thousands of East Germans "vacation" in Hungary and then flee to the Austria and the West.

October 1989 — East German leaders celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Communist GDR. Two days later 70,000 protesters demand an end to the regime. Russian troops stay in their barracks and GDR soldiers and police back down. Communist leader Honecker is voted out of office by the Politburo.

November 1989 — Soldiers in East Berlin open some of the gates in the Berlin Wall. Crowds respond by tearing the wall down.

Soldiers open flood gate....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snsdDb7KDkgABC News - Celebration at the Berlin Wall

November 1989 — Bulgaria's communist party leader resigns. Free elections held in June, 1990.

December 1989 — Protesters in Czechoslovakia jangle keys in front of the government saying, "Your time is up." The government gives up without violence, and elections are held.

December 1989 — Romanian communist forces kill 73 in riots. Crowds storm the government and later capture the leader Ceausescu. He and his wife are tried and executed. Elections are held.

June 1991 — In Yugoslavia, the provinces of Croatia and Slovenia declare their independence igniting a decade of fighting and genocide. Eventually, the country splits into Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and the region of Kosovo.

August 1991 — Russian military leaders put Gorbachev under house arrest and take over governing in order to save the Soviet Union. Boris Yeltsin, leader of the Russian Republic, occupies the Parliament building, defying the coup. The Army backs down.

!

December 1991 — The republics of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine act to dissolve the Soviet Union, finally freeing Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia,

Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.

!On Aug. 23, 1991, Yeltsin suspended all Communist Party activity. Party files were seized and sealed. The statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of the Soviet secret police, was removed

from its pedestal in front of the KGB's headquarters.

Moscow was jubilant.

Meaning........????

The end of Soviet Union/USSR and the subsequent end of the Cold War...

Russia is now... “The Russian Republic”

with Boris Yeltsin as President..

Add to your timeline.....1985: Gorbachev appointed leader 1986: Chernobyl Disaster 1987: Nuclear Forces Treaty (removal)1989: Destruction of the Berlin Wall 1991: End of the Soviet Union & Cold War

ActivitiesActivity 1: Gorbachev and Yeltsin character profiles

For both Gorbachev and Yeltsin, create a character profile similar to the ones you have created for other

historical players. Make sure you include their legacy... i.e. what are they

known for...? For Gorbachev, you should include descriptions of the

two major reforms he brought in: ‘Perestroika’ and ‘Glasnost’

Activity 2: Chernobyl Answer the following questions... 1. Write a paragraph in your own words describing the Chernobyl Accident. Include; when and where it happened, why it happened, and the affects it had.

2. Which nuclear disaster was stronger? Chernobyl or Hiroshima? (WWII)3. Find 3 different photos that represent some of the effects of the Chernobyl Disaster. 1. photo of Human effects 1. Environmental effects 1. Effects on building and infrastructure.

Activity 3: Winners or losers Do you think the U.S actually won the ‘Cold War’? What pros and cons can you think of in terms of

their involvement.