fall of communism

THE FALL OF COMMUNISM

USSR AND EASTERN EUROPE

Mikhail Gorbachev – detent a new era of reform Sought to reform and restructure the USSR Economic reform – perestroika

Economy somewhere between central planning (communism) and free markets (capitalism)

New openness in society, politics, and speech- glasnost

Free elections were help for the first time since 1917 (1989)

Many non-Russians began to call for independence from the USSR

Gorbachev called for the USSR to reform its policy toward the nations of Eastern Europe (Warsaw Pact nations)

He also withdrew Soviet troops from Afghanistan

Boris Yeltsin was elected the president of Russia

Russia struggled to create democratic and capitalistic state

Corruption increased Poverty increased Standard of living decreased Russia still struggles to build a more

modern, progressive, and economically stable state

The Berlin Wall came down - 1989

Reunification of Germany- 1993

Chancellor Angela Merkel

Gorbachev visiting Berlin

Gorbachev with Angela Merkel and Lech Walesa (Poland Solidarity Movement

Gorbachev in a Louis Vuitton Advertisement

Hungary became independent – ended communism

Communist propaganda in Budapest, Hungary

Hungarian street signs after the fall of communism

Romania

Bucharest, Romania

The president of Romania and his wife shortly before their execution

The European Union

Maastricht Treaty – 1990 – rules for a single European currency

THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

1989- 1990’s

With the fall of communism, Yugoslavia broke up into separate republics with many declaring their independence

National, ethnic, and religious tensions led to a violent and bloody war

Rape, murder, ethnic cleansing, concentration camps marked the conflict

The US carried our bombing raids on the capital of Serbia during the Clinton administration

Serbian leaders would later be arrested and charged with war crimes