End of the Cold War

A. The Soviet Union after StalinB. DétenteC. PerestroikaD. Collapse of the Soviet Union

A. The Soviet Union after Stalin

• Stalin dies in 1953 - succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev and then Leonid Brezhnev

• Destalinization – policy of purging (getting rid of) Stalin’s memory from the Soviet Union

• Eastern European countries will try to overthrow Communist governments: Poland, Hungary, & Czechoslovakia (not successful)

B. Détente

• President Nixon’s policy of reducing Cold War tensions

• U.S. & Soviet Union will work together to try to prevent their conflict from destroying the world b/c of huge costs

• Nixon will visit the Soviet Union and sign the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) Treaty to limit nuclear weapon development

• Détente will end under Presidents Carter & Reagan and tensions will increase again until Gorbachev takes control of the Soviet Union

C. Perestroika

• Mikhail Gorbachev will take control of Soviet Union in 1985.

• Will try to follow policy of Glasnost (openness)

• Ex: books will be published that were previously banned.

• Perestroika – Policy of allowing private business ownership. Will inspire freedom in the Soviet Union & Eastern European countries (will finally be freed)

• Led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of Communism in Eastern Europe, and the end of the Cold War

• Democratization will begin under Gorbachev

D. Collapse of the Soviet Union

• As the Communist Party loosens control over the government & economy, republics will call for independence

• 15 republics will declare their independence & on Christmas Day 1991, the Soviet Union ceases to exist