fall of communism
TRANSCRIPT
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