13-2 Eastern Europe

Poland

• 1980 – Lech Walesa organizes a workers union, Solidarity

– Supported by the church and the workers

• 1988 – after years of demonstrations and growing support for Solidarity, the government holds free elections; communism ends

• 1990 – Walesa becomes the president

• Problems: it was hard switching from communism to a free market economy

Czechoslovakia

• After Gorbachev takes over, the reformers took the opportunity to push for changes

• 1988-1989 – mass demonstrations

• December 1989 – communist gov’t collapses, Vaclav Havel becomes president, country becomes democratic

• Problem: 2 different ethnic groups – Czechs and Slavs

• Solution: they peacefully split the country into 2: Czech Republic and Slovakia

Romania

• Communist leader = Nicolae Ceausecu

– Harsh ruler, used secret police to remove problems

– People were miserable: lack of food, rationing, entire villages destroyed

• Dec 1989 – secret police murdered thousands of peaceful demonstrators

– The army protests this horror

• Ceausecu and his wife were arrested and executed

• New government was set up

Germany

• Erich Honecker – leader of East Germany

– Harsh leader; used secret police to keep order

• 1989 – demonstrations broke out and the government opens the border between east and west

– People on both sides begin tearing down the wall

• 1990 – first free elections in E Germany led to unification with the west

• 10/3/90 – Reunification of Germany

Yugoslavia

• 1980’s – government consisted of representatives from each of the 8 republics/provinces (Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo)

• They all wanted independence, but the leader of the republic of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, didn’t want to let them

– Why? Most of Yugo was serbian, and all of the other republics had serbian minorities, so he wanted to keep all the serbs together in one state

• 1991 – Slovenia & Croatia declare independence, and Milosevic attack Croatia, and the serbs within Croatia helped them

• 1992 – Serbs attack Bosnia-H

– Serbs start killing or getting rid of all Muslims in Bosnia

• 1995 – Bosnian and Croatian forces fight back, with help from the US

• Serbs are forced to sign an peace treaty

– Bosnia is split, NATO troops are sent to monitor

Kosovo

• A province in Yugoslavia, given autonomy (they are allowed to have their own government)

– The people were Albanians who kept their own language and culture

• 1989 – Milosevic takes away autonomy

• Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) is formed to fight Serbian rule in Kosovo

• Serbians retaliate by massacring the Albanians

• 1999 – Albanians finally regain autonomy

• 2000 – Milosevic is kicked out of power and put on trial for crimes against humanity

• 2002 – Yugoslavia becomes Serbia and Montenegro

13-1 Decline of the Soviet Union

1970’s

• new leader= Leonid Brezhnev

• Wanted to keep Eastern Europe communist

– Brezhnev Doctrine – USSR is allowed to go in to any communist country to protect communism (like the Truman Doctrine, but for communism)

• This was a period of good relations between the US and the USSR (known as a détente)

• The Soviet gov’t was corrupt, farming was bad, and the regular people suffered

Tensions grow

• 1979 - Soviets invade Afghanistan

• The US saw this as the USSR trying to expand their territory and took action

– US boycotts (refuses to go to) the 1980 Olympics in Moscow

– No grain (wheat, oats, etc) will be shipped to the USSR

• In 1980, Reagan called the USSR an “evil empire” and began a new arms race, started building a new satellite defense system, and gave weapons and money to Afghanistan

A New Russia

• During the 1980’s problems get worse, and a reform movement begins

• 1985 – Mikhail Gorbachev is made leader, and begins to make changes

– Believed in radical reform that begins with perestroika (restructuring – changing the way the gov’t works to make things better)

• Created a new economic system where some business were owned by individual people, not the government

• Created a parliament elected by the people

• Allowed non-communist parties to exist

• Created new system of government with a president, and he became the first (and only) president of the Soviet Union

• Signed a treaty with the US, eliminating some long range nuclear weapons

• Stopped giving military support to Communist Eastern Europe

– This allowed these countries to overthrow their communist governments and become democratic

End of the Soviet Union

• One of the major problems was that within the USSR there were over a hundred languages spoken and almost as many nationalities, and many of these groups wanted their independence

• The old-school communists wanted things to stay as they were, and weren’t happy with Gorbachev

• In 1991, a group tries to take him out of power by arresting him, but he is freed by Boris Yeltsin

• Ukraine and Belarus get independence in December 1991, and the USSR ceases to exist

• Gorbachev resigns and Boris Yeltsin becomes the new president of Russia.

New Russia

• New problems:

– the new freer economy was having trouble

– Even though there was more stuff, it was hard to get

– A southern province, Chechnya, wanted independence, and Yeltsin wanted to keep it

– Former communist countries joined NATO

• 2000 – Vladimir Putin becomes president

– Started reforms to help the economy and budget

– Worked to make Russia part of the international economy

– Continued the fight to keep Chechnya

12-2, 12-3 Europe & North America

Rebuilding

• After the war, the soviet economy was down – all $ was used for production, not given to the workers

• New factories were created, and a focus on heavy industry began.

• Focus: building military strength and becoming a world power

• This came at the expense of the workers – small apartments, bad pay

• 1946 – all scientific and literary work has to follow communist policy

• Stalin is about to begin another purge when he dies in 1953

Khrushchev

• De-Stalinization: his attempt to undo some of Stalin’s worst policies

– Allowed more freedom in literature

– Produced more consumer goods

– Tried to make more crops for food

• Unfortunately, this part failed and led to a downturn in the economy

– His policies hurt the economy, and production decreased.

– After his plan to place missiles in Cuba led to the Cuban missile crisis, the other members of the party voted him out in 1964

Communist Europe

• East Germany

• Romania

• Poland

• Hungary

• Czechoslovakia

• Albania and Yugoslavia were communist, but independent of the USSR

• These countries imitated Stalin’s policies: the 5 year plan, industrialization, elimination of other political parties, creation of the secret police

• After Stalin’s death, several countries tried to move away from the USSR, but the Soviets used military force to keep control over them

Western Europe & North America

France

• New president: Charles de Gaulle

• Used president/parliament model

• Entered arms race, created nuclear weapons

• Economy improved, imports grew

• Cost of living was high and led to protests

West Germany

• 1949 – 1963: Konrad Adenauer, leader

– Works with the US and western Europe

– “economic miracle” – unemployment goes down to .4% - they have to bring in workers from turkey to fill the jobs

• Late 1960’s – Social Democratic party takes control

Great Britian

• After the war, it loses its position as the world power

• Labour party takes over and creates a welfare state ( when the government gives you necessary services like health care)

– Gave $ to the unemployed, sick, and old

– Nationalized health care

– The $$ needed to do all this, and rebuild the country, forced England to abandon their colonies abroad

European Economic Community

• A free-trade area: no tariffs (import taxes)

• France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, West Germany, and Italy

• The world’s largest exporter and purchaser of raw materials

• A bloc: a group of countries with a common purpose

United States

• After WWII, there was an economic boom

– Wages went up, people had more $ to spend

• The government created a “red scare”, a fear of communism

– Many people were targeted as suspected communists; communist supporters were blackballed

– Led by Senator Joe McCarthy

After Kennedy was killed, Johnson took over and worked to improve welfare and social security

Civil rights movement: began in 1954 – worked to end segregation and gain equal rights and treatment

leader: Martin Luther King, Jr

Civil Rights Act of 1964 – ended segregation

• 1965 – race riots in Watts

• 1969 – MLK was assassinated

• When the US entered Vietnam, anti-war protests began

– 1970 – students killed at Kent state

Canada

• After the war, worked on developing chemical, electronic, aircraft, and nuclear industry

• Didn’t just want to be “America’s hat” – tried to make their own identity by joining alliances and the United Nations

12-3: Western Europe & the US

After WWII, Europe received billions in aid which they used to rebuild their countries and improve the economy, until it was better than it had been
France – Leader: Charles de Gaulle
-Fourth Republic – weak, no strong party to run it.
-Fifth Republic – replaced the weak 4th, with a new constitution, president / prime minister model.

-de Gaulle tried to make France into a world power, building nuclear weapons and increasing industrialization
West Germany – Leader: Konrad Adenauer
-the country had an “economic miracle” – great economy, almost no unemployment
-guest workers were brought in from Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, and Yugoslavia to work because there weren’t enough German workers
Great Britain – loses its place as a world power
-England had major debt
-the government tried to set up a welfare state = government is responsible for social services and providing a minimum standard of living
-gov’t controlled health care, unemployment, social security

-the money they needed to do this wasn’t there, so they had to give up their colonies to get the money they needed.
Unity in Europe: European Economic Community – created by the Rome Treaty; a free trade area (these countries didn’t charge each other import costs)
-Encouraged to trade with each other, improved the economy
The United States –
-after WWII, the country was very prosperous (had lots of money)
the threat of communism was everywhere – people worried that communists were everywhere, even in the US
-Red Scare – created by Joe McCarthy; targeted alleged communists and communist supporters

*1960’s – leader: Kennedy – assassinated
*Johnson – fought for improved federal aid for education and social security and civil rights
*Martin Luther King led the call for changes in civil rights for African Americans
*Civil Rights Act – ended segregation
*Voting Act – gave African Americans the right to vote

Social Upheval – race riots took place in Watts, and over 100 cities after the assassination of MLK

- anti war protests took place during Vietnam, especially on college campuses (Kent State – 4 killed)

Canada - made money from exports and industry, joined NATO
-Liberal Party set up social security and health care plans

NEW SOCIETY
-workers made more money, and there was an increase in wages, so people had more money to spend on goods
-consumer society - a society focused on buying stuff
- tv's, cars. vacuum cleaners, washing machines - all gained popularity and were available to almost everyone

Changing roles for women-during the war, women had gotten jobs, and then lost them when the men came back.
by the 60's, women entered the workforce again, but were paid much less
women's liberation movement- (feminism) a movement to seek equal treatment for women

-the growing role of students
-during the 1960's, students (especially those in college) found a voice, and showed their unhappiness with certain events through protests and revolts
-this happened in both the USA and Europe

The Cold War Overview

What is a Cold War?

• A conflict with no real fighting of any kind

• A 50 year stand-off between the USA and the USSR

After WWII

• USSR wanted to keep control of the areas they liberated (Eastern Europe)

• US and England wanted these areas to be able to select their own governments

• US and USSR both wanted power and influence, and they couldn’t come to an agreement

Conflict

• Why didn’t the US and the USSR get along?

– There was a distrust between the 2 – each was trying to get power

– US didn’t like communism – felt it took away freedom

– Communists didn’t like the excesses of Capitalism

– As communism spread, US tried to stop it

The Beginning

• Eastern Europe – both sides tried to use these countries for their own benefit

• 1946 – civil war in Greece

– Communist and anti communist groups fought for control

– USSR and England helped

Truman Doctrine

• 1947

• Created by Truman

• Said that the US would give $$ to countries (like Greece) that were threatened by communism

• Created to battle the spread of communism

Marshall Plan

• 1947

• Created by Gen. Marshall

• Aka European Recovery Program

• Goal: rebuild the economy of European countries

• $13 billion to help

• In theory, if a country was secure economically, they won’t be tempted by communism

• Soviet countries refused to help

COMECON

• Soviet answer to Marshall Plan

• Designed to help Eastern European states

• Didn’t work

– USSR didn’t have enough money to really help

What happened to Germany?

• After the war, divided into 4 zones, controlled by the 4 Allied countries: England, US, France, and the Soviets

• Berlin, the capital, was in the Soviet zone

– It was divided into 4 as well

• US, England, and France combined theirs to create the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)

• The Soviets made theirs the German Democratic Republic (East Germany)

Berlin

• 3 of the 4 zones in Berlin were capitalist and democratic, but they were located deep in communist East Germany

• USSR started a blockade – no supplies or transportation could get into West Berlin

• Berlin Airlift (1948) – supplies were flown in and dropped

– The Soviets finally stopped the blockade in 1949

Berlin Wall

• West Berlin was a democratic area in the middle of a communist country. The Germans didn’t get to choose what side they were in, and many didn’t want to be stuck in a repressive communist state, so they tried to escape

• They would flee to West Berlin, where they were safe

– People in trade jobs, like electricians& plumbers were often the first to go because they could make way more $$ in WB

• To stop the flood of refugees to WB, Khrushchev had a wall built around West Berlin

• The people in WB could leave as they pleased, but no one from EB or Eastern Germany could get in

– It was patrolled by guards

– Minefields, guard dogs, machine gun towers, and barbed wired discouraged people from trying to cross it

New Alliances

• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

– 1949

– Provided mutual help in case one of them was attacked

• SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization)

– To stem Soviet growth in the East

• CENTO (Central Treaty Organization)

– To prevent the USSR from moving south

– Middle east + England and the US

• Warsaw Pact

– Alliance of Soviet countries: USSR, Albania, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, & Romania

– These alliances divided the world up into Communist and Non communist

• After the Koran War, Seato and Cento spread it outside of Europe

Arms Race

• USSR and the US were in a race to see who could get more weapons and a bigger army

• 1949 – USSR detonated its first atomic bomb

• Nuclear power became the new weapon of choice

– Both sides had weapons capable of reaching the other, and these weapons could destroy a country

– Neither wanted to risk being the first to attack, because retaliation would destroy their country too

Space Race

• In addition to trying to get the most weapons, the USSR and the US were also trying to be the first into space

• Sputnik 1 – 1st satellite to orbit the earth

• The Soviets sent up a dog, we sent up a monkey

Defining Events of the Cold War

• Truman Doctrine &Marshall Plan

• Berlin Blockade

• Creation of the Berlin Wall

• Arms & Space Races

• Korean War

• Cuban Missile Crisis

• Vietnam War

Korean War

• 1950-1953

• Communists were trying to take over Korea

• Divided into 2= north (pro communist) and south (anti-communist)

• The North was helped by the Soviets and China

• The South was helped by the US

• In 3 years of fighting, neither side ended up gaining any land

• Called the “Forgotten War”

Cuban Missile Crisis

• 1959 – Castro takes over Cuba

• He is supported by the communists

• JFK is worried about Communists being that close to the US, and decides to help start a revolution

• Bay of Pigs (1961) – invasion of Cuban exiles

– It failed miserably