Collapse of the Soviet Union and End of the Cold War

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Collapse of the Soviet Union and End of the Cold
War

• Lee Carter
• 2/13/2009

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Cold War Difference of economic ideas

• Soviet Union
• Communist Command economy government control of
  business and production
• United States
• Market economy capitalism people start
  businesses and produce what they want

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Cold War Difference of government ideas

• Soviet Union
• Autocracy The leader has all the power. The
  people had no power, no ability to vote for
  leaders. No free speech to disagree.
• United States
• Democracy people vote for leaders. The people
  have all the power, and can disagree with and
  protest the government

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Superpowers influence

• Each one was spreading its ideas to its allies
• Soviets led Warsaw pact communists, autocracies
• United States led NATO democracies, market
  economies (basically)

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Why did the Soviet Union collapse?

• Economic problems
• Spent too much money on weapons
• People did not have what they needed
• New leaders saw these problems, and tried to
  change

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Why did the Soviet Union collapse?

• 1980s leaders (Gorbachev) tried to allow some
  freedoms
• Glasnost people could disagree with government
• Perestroika allowed some freedom to start
  businesses

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Videos

• Cover the efforts that were made to avoid
  collapse (already talked about)
• The collapse
• And effects of the collapse of the Soviet Union
  (not there yet)

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Good ideaswhat was the problem?

• If people have no freedom or power, and you give
  them a little, they want a lot
• People of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe
  pushed for complete freedom
• 1989 Eastern European countries and East Germany
  overthrew communist governments
• Germany reunited as one country

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Collapse of the Soviet Union

• 15 countries had made up Soviet Union
• 1991 All 15 declare independence, elect
  democratic governments
• No longer communist.
• Mixed economies people can start businesses and
  earn money how they wish

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How did the Cold War end?

• Rivalry between U.S. and Soviet Uniondemocracy
  and capitalism vs. autocracy and communism
• Ended when Soviet Union collapsed communism just
  wasnt working, and the people got tired of it

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Multiflow map

• Collapse of Soviet Union led to
• End of Cold War
• Democracy in Eastern Europe
• German reunification