The End Of The Cold War 1985-91 Flashcards

1
Q

Who led the USSR between Brezhnev and Gorbachev?

Give dates.

What was significant about both?

A
  1. Andropov - 1982-84
  2. Chernenko - 1984-85

Both were very old and died in office - signaling how unstable the Soviet system had become

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2
Q

When did Mikhail Gorbachev become leader of the USSR?

A

1985 (after the death of Chernenko)

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3
Q

How was Gorbachev different from other soviet leaders (broadly)

A

He was pragmatic and a reformist

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4
Q

Under what conditions in the USSR did Gorbachev inherit (5)

A
  • economic stagnation/contraction caused by:
  1. inefficient production
  2. 70s oil crisis
  3. Subsidies to satellites
  4. Lack of incentive to work or be productive
  • food shortages
  • lack of investment in public services, healthcare and education
  • technologically behind the west
  • 37% total production of the US

All while Brezhnev had increased defense budgets

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5
Q

On what day did the Berlin Wall come down?

A

9th November 1989

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6
Q

what were Gorbachev’s 2 flagship policies

What did both mean?

A
  • glasnost (openness) - encouraging criticism of the soviet regime to root out corruption and become more efficient
  • perestroika (restructuring) - allowing market forces to enter the Soviet economy (capitalist reforms)
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7
Q

What 3rd policy did Gorbachev enact?

A
  • Reduction in arms spending
  • subsidies to satellites cancelled
  • 1968 Brezhnev doctrine renounced
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8
Q

Where did Gorbachev and Reagan meet? (3)

Where did HW Bush meet Gorbachev?

When?

A
    • Nov 1985 Geneva
    • 1986 Reykjavik
    • 1987 Washington
  1. HW Bush - 1988 Moscow
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9
Q

What was agreed between the US and USSR at Washington 1987?

A

INF treaty - agreement on arms reduction

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10
Q

While Gorbachev was popular abroad, what issues did he have domestically? (5)

A
  • Glasnost —> a lot of criticism of the system
  • nationalism grew in soviet republics - calls for independence grew
  • Gorbechev’s policies weakened authority of eastern bloc states - USSR promised not to intervene
  • the 1968 Brezhnev Doctrine was abandoned
  • USSR began defunding satellites
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11
Q

Why was Poland so key to the USSR? (And why was solidarity so problematic)

(3)

A
  • their army represented 1/3 of the Warsaw Pact
  • largest population of satellite states - 36 million
  • if it were to collapse - the eastern bloc would probably follow suit
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12
Q

What was solidarity?

What were their aims?

Why did solidarity arise in Poland?

A
  1. a trade union in Poland supported by intellectuals and the Catholic Church
    • lower food prices
    • referendum on one party state (allow more parties)
  2. because of the economic state of Poland in the mid 1980s:
  • rising prices
  • no western markets for exports
  • outdated technology
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13
Q

Where did solidarity begin strike action

A

In the Gdansk shipyards

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14
Q

When were solidarity outlawed?

A

Oct 1982

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15
Q

How did the western reaction to the banning of solidarity appear to show a divide?

A

France and FRG didn’t criticize the ban - Soviets viewed this as a split in western opinions

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16
Q

Why did opposition to the USSR begin to become apparent in the 1980s?

Why did it only manifest in Poland at first?

A
    • 1970s oil crisis caused economic turmoil
    • western culture infiltrated during the 70s and 80s - anti-soviet rhetoric
  1. Quite simply, people were fearful of soviet retaliation
17
Q

When did the now illegal solidarity call for strike action (which led to reforms)

What reforms were granted? When?

A
  1. 1988
  2. 1989
    - solidarity made legal
    - right to strike granted
    - free elections in Poland
18
Q

How did soviet control of Poland formally end?

A
  • The polish people elected a non-communist leader - 1989
  • for the first time since 1945
19
Q

What happened in August 1989 that threatened the authority of the GDR?

A

Hungary opened their borders and 150 000 East Germans fled to FRG

20
Q

Which eastern bloc states fell first? (3)

A

In no particular order:

  • Romania
  • Poland
  • Hungary
21
Q

What name was given to the collapse of Czechoslovakia?

A

Velvet revolution

22
Q

Why did the GDR collapse (broadly speaking) (2)

A
  • it needed public support but was poor and totalitarian
  • once protests started, it collapsed (Nov 9th protests in East Berlin)
23
Q

How many protested in East Berlin on Nov 9th 1989?

A

500 000

24
Q

What did Gorbachev state at the Malta summit?

When was this?

A
  • That the ‘Cold War is over’
  • Dec 1989
25
Q

After the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, why did discontent emerge in the USSR? (5)

A
  • economic issues persisted
  • basic commodities were scarce
  • USSR became a net importer of oil due to inefficiency
  • inflation worsened economic issues
  • on top of this - glasnost allowed criticism of the government - now rife
26
Q

What agreement ended the division of Europe? When?

A
  • Gorbachev agrees to German unification within NATO
  • July 1990
27
Q

When was START 1 agreed?

What was it?

A
  • August 1991
  • agreement on reduction of nuclear weapons between US and USSR
28
Q

Where in the USSR fell first? When?

A
  • Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia)
  • March and May 1990
29
Q

How was Gorbachev viewed in the USSR after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and Baltic republics?

How was this evident?

A
  • He was unilaterally criticized
  • Aug 1991 coup (which failed)
30
Q

When did the USSR collapse?

A

December 1991 after Gorbachev resigned as president

31
Q

What was the USSR replaced by? (2)

A
  • a multi-national organization called the Confederation of Independent States (CIS)
  • this now has 9 member states, mainly those close to the Russian Federation politically