Post on 06-Jan-2016
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Eastern Europe
This is how Eastern Europe looked in 1989… look how much the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) controlled!
What countries are part of Eastern Europe?
Countries of Eastern Europe• Poland• Czech Republic• Slovakia• Hungary• Romania• Slovenia• Croatia• Bosnia• Kosovo (Just became a country two
years ago. Seriously!)• Serbia• Montenegro• Bulgaria• Albania• FYR of Macedonia
Cultural Crossroads
• Many world powers have controlled it because it’s located between Asia and Europe.
• Over the years, this area has been controlled by Rome, the Ottoman Empire and Austria.
• Man, who hasn’t taken over Eastern Europe??
Cute little Eastern European kid
Why are they called “Slavs?” What is a slav?
• The ethnic term for many of the people of Eastern Europe is “the Slavs.” They are called slavs because for hundreds of years they were enslaved by various empires. They eventually just became known as Slavs, which means slaves.
• When you hear the term Slavs, or Slavic countries, you know the history of these
people is one of slavery. OUCH.
Balkanization
• Responding to centuries of foreign rule, most ethnic groups in Eastern Europe fiercely guarded their identities.
• They all want their own country, too. That would be like Blacks, Latinos, Whites, and Asians all demanding their own country inside of the USA.
• Eastern Europe used to be just a couple countries in the Balkan Mountains...
• “Balkanization” is the process of a region breaking up into small, mutually hostile units.
Yugoslavia back in the 1980’s…
?
An example of Balkanization:All those colored areas used to be 1 big
country called “Yugoslavia.”
“The Soviet Union” aka “The USSR” aka “Russia” aka “The
Communists”• During World War II, Germany invaded Russia (the
USSR) and killed millions of Russians.
• After the war, the USSR (Russia) built a political barrier between itself and West Europe by setting up Communist governments in Eastern Europe.
• Eastern Europe became a region of “satellite nations,” nations dominated by another country.
• For decades, the Communist country of Russia crushed political reform and free trade in Eastern Europe.
Recent Changes in East Europe
• The Soviet Union controlled Eastern Europe from the
1940’s to the 1980’s. When Mikhail Gorbachev became President of the Soviet Union (aka Russia) in the 1980’s, he
made many reforms (changes).
• One reform (change) was to give Eastern Europe more
freedom.
• In 1989, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Romania declared independence from Russia. In 1990, Bulgaria and
Yugoslavia did the same.
Mikhail “Gorby” Gorbachev
Check out the birth mark
Current Russian Prime Minister Putin
Former Russian President
Gorbachev
Yugoslavian Civil War
• After “Gorby” changed Russia from Communist to Democratic, there was a lot of problems. Life was unstable. The old governments taught people to only be loyal to the Communist government. Afterward Russia changed, people returned to their ethnic loyalties.
• This was especially true in Yugoslavia, a nation consisting of six republics. These republics declared independence from Yugoslavia and started a long, nasty civil war in the 1990’s.
• Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Developing the Economy• Communism is where the
government controls the economy and owns all factories.
• This system was stupid and inefficient because industries had
no reason to please customers or cut costs. Often there were
shortages of goods. “Who cares if the government loses money, so what. I get paid the same either
way”
• Eastern European nations only traded with each other and
therefore didn’t keep up with the developing technology. They
probably use old, janky broken laptops.
Market Economy• After 1989, most of Eastern Europe
moved towards a market economy, where businesses – and not the government – sets their product’s prices.
• Factories became privately owned but (1) were slowed by old equipment and (2) shortage of educated workers.
• The changes caused problems – (3) inflation, (4) closing of factories and (5) unemployment.
• Since then several countries, such as Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, have developed healthy economies.
• In general, it will take years for Eastern Europe to overcome the damage caused by decades of Communist control. Oh, well.
Cool Sites of Eastern Europe
(and other extra info you don’t need to know for the test next week)
Poland
This is the Marienburg Castle in Poland.
Notice how different castles look in different parts of Europe?
Castles of Eastern Europe
Just another regular day in Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising• On April 19, 1943, the Warsaw ghetto uprising began
after German troops and police entered the ghetto to deport its surviving inhabitants. 750 fighters fought the heavily armed and well-trained Germans.
• The ghetto fighters were able to hold out for nearly a month, but on May 16, 1943, the revolt ended. The Germans had slowly crushed the resistance. Of the more than 56,000 Jews captured, about 7,000 were shot, and the remainder were deported to concentration camps.
1943 – Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
1943 – Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Prague, Czech RepublicThis is one of the most beautiful cities of Europe not destroyed by WWII
Bosnia
We helped Bosnian Muslims fight against Yugoslavia
Bosnia
This library in Sarajevo, Bosnia was bombed by
Yugoslavia in 1996
Bulgaria
Romania
Home of:Transylvania and vampires
Budapest, Hungary
This neat-looking
building is the House of
Parliament in the country of
Hungary.
Albania
Mother Theresa was a famous Albanian
Albania is POOR country. Its nickname is “The Hermits of
Eastern Europe”
Eastern Orthodox Christians• Some people in Eastern Europe are Eastern
Orthodox Christians… go down a couple slides to see their version of the cross!
A common Eastern Orthodox Cross
This bar is the sign identifying Jesus
This crooked bar is where Jesus put his feet. It’s crooked because one criminal chose to follow Christ and the other didn’t.
Eastern Orthodox Clergy
These Eastern Orthodox Clergy
members are Christian – are
they dressed like the people at your church?
“The Blue Danube Waltz” is named after the Danube River!