The Collapse of the Soviet Union

1
The Collapse of the Soviet Union

• Goal Understand how the Gorbachev Revolution
  led to the collapse of the Soviet Union

2
Class Review 643-644 and 764-765

• Significance of uprisings in satellite countries
  (Hungary - 1956 and Czechoslovakia - 1968) and
  military response by Soviet Union?
• Significance of Brezhnev/Brezhnev Doctrine ?

3
Handout 542 (old textbook)Textbook pg. 764

• Partner Create a list of problems for the
  Soviet Union in existence prior to Gorbachev
• Minimum 3 problems

4
Problems in the Soviet Union

• Hungarian Revolution (1956) and Revolt in
  Czechoslovakia (1968)
• Both revolutions put down by Soviet forces
• Failure of Command Economy
• Collectivized agriculture could not produce
  enough food for their people
• Low output due to inability of government
  planners to correctly decide what to produce, how
  much and for whom
• Sometimes factories didnt receive supplies and
  shut down
• Products were inferior to western products
• Workers cared only about quotas, not quality
• Workers had job security for life
• Citizens stood in line to buy food and other
  basics
• Central planners told farm and factory managers
  how much to produce and what prices to charge
• Huge military buildup, space race and Afghan War
  (1979-1989) drained Soviet Economy
• Censorship People could not speak out against
  government

5
Group Project Writing a News Article

• Tasks
• In your groups read pg. 765-766
• Assume the role of newspaper reporters
• Write a story summarizing the major changes that
  Gorbachev introduced in the Soviet Union
• Your story should include and explain at least
• One political change
• One Economic change
• One foreign policy change
• You story must also include an eye-catching
  headline

6
Rubric

• Story correctly identifies and explains
• One political change (10 pts)
• One economic change (10 pts)
• One foreign policy change (10 pts)
• Identifying 5 pts and Explanation 5 pts
• Eye-catching headline (5 pts)
• Story is written in paragraph form/Reporter
  perspective (5 pts)
• Total 40 pts