The Fall of the Soviet Union

Key Terms:
-detente
-dissident
-perestroika
________
1970-1979 = detente - a period of relative peace between the US and the USSR, where their relationship improved.

-why did the period of peace end?
1979 - USSR declares war on Afghanistan
-in retaliation, the USA (Pres. Carter)boycotted the 1980 Olympics and stopped exporting grain to the Soviet Union

1980 - Reagan became president, and started a negative campaign against the USSR
-called the USSR an "Evil Empire"
- built up the military
-restarted the arms race (Star Wars)

What happened to the Soviet Union?
1970's - BREZHNEV - supported communism
-Brezhnev Dovtrine - USSR supports any communist country that is threatened
-focused on heavy industry
-allowed some western ideas to come in, but still strict
-country faced food shortages, bad working conditions, poor economy

1980's - GORBACHEV - wanted radical reform
-perestroika (restructuring) - wanted to fix the economy
-also reformed the government:
-allowed non-communist political parties to exist
-created new parliament elected through voting
-created the positi0n of president, was elected (the ONLY President of USSR)

-the conservative leaders of the gov't and army didn't like his changes because it threatened their power and position
-1991 - they arrest Gorby and try to take over the government, but he's freed and put back in power

-Under his more relaxed policies, the other republics in the Soviet Union started to push for independence
-in Dec 1991, they are allowed to vote for independence....this marks the end of the soviet union
BEFORE: USSR
AFTER: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Moldavia, Latvia, Estonia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Lithuania

1990's - YELTSIN - president of the Russian Republic
-introduced a free market economy (anyone can buy/sell/own)
-it causes chaos, and the economy gets worse
-results: corruption in gov't and a rise in organized crime
-uses force to keep Chechnya part of Russia (why? doesn't want to lose more power)
-opposes NATO
2000's - PUTIN - makes real changes
-emphasizes Russia's role in the international forun, joins NATO, WTO
-also tries to keep Chechnya in Russia
- reforms to improve the economy succeed, and the Russian economy goes up
-allowed a limited market economy