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The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the End of the Cold War

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The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the End of the Cold War Factors Contributing to the Collapse Stalemated war in Afghanistan Long-term economic decline Growing ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the End of the Cold War


1
The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the End of
the Cold War
2
Factors Contributing to the Collapse
  • Stalemated war in Afghanistan
  • Long-term economic decline
  • Growing resistance to heavy-handed policies of
    police states
  • Mikhail Gorbachev

3
Why did Gorbachev try to change the Soviet Union?
  • No new economic thought since era of Stalin
  • Control through fear
  • Economy was weak
  • Too much money on arms arms race with the West
  • Was with Afghanistan
  • Concerns about declining productivity and quality
  • attitude of people towards work
  • Disillusionment among the people was growing
  • Alcoholism was getting worse

4
Gorbachevs Reforms
  • Glasnost (openness)
  • Called for an open debate on public policy
  • Increasing civil rights
  • Honesty in facing problems
  • Perestroika (restructuring or reform of economy)
  • Market forces are introduced
  • After 60 years, it was no longer illegal to buy
    and sell for profit

5
Privatization
  • Privatization the transfer of ownership from
    the public sector (government) to the private
    sector (individuals)
  • Allowed individuals to own assets and businesses
    individuals now allowed to make a profit in
    business
  • Helped the Soviet Union transition from a command
    economy to a market economy

6
Changing Defense Policy
  • Gorbachev cut spending on defense
  • Cost of 50 year arms race was drain on Soviet
    economy
  • USSR could never hope to outspend the USA on
    nuclear weapons
  • Russian forces withdrew from Afghanistan
  • New foreign policy towards the USA

7
Why did Soviet control of Eastern Europe collapse?
  • Gorbachev was popular but policies were not
    successful
  • Satellite nations were confused
  • Gorbachev told Eastern European leaders to listen
    to their people
  • Red Army would no longer be there to ensure
    conformity

8
The concept of Distance Decay
  • Distance decay geographic term referring to the
    effect of distance on culture spatial
    interactions
  • The farther away you are from another location,
    the less alike you are, also
  • Interaction between two places decreases as the
    distance increases
  • Distance decay greatly affected the control of
    the Soviet Union, contributing to its collapse
  • It controlled land far away from the USSR
    political capital (Moscow)

9
Countdown to Collapse 1989-91
  • May 1989 Hungarians begin to dismantle border
  • June 1989- Solidarity party wins in Poland
  • September 1989 East German flight
  • October 1989 demonstrations in East Germany
  • November 1989 Berlin Wall falls
  • November/December 1989 wave of protests
    throughout Eastern Europe
  • December 1989 Hungary announces free elections
  • March 1990 Latvia declares independence from
    USSR
  • August 1991 Attempted coup by hard-line Soviet
    leaders
  • Boris Yeltsin becomes first democratically
    elected leader in Russian history
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