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Chapter 311985 to PresentDecline of CommunismBrezhnev Era: Re-Stalinization, collective dictatorship and coercion.U.S.S.R. seemed stable:Rising standard of livingGreat Russians: nationalistic Communist party leadersCensorship by govt.But there were changes happeningGrowing urban pop. were educated and skilledEducated pop. sought intellectual freedomSoviet public opinion grew

PolandAug 1980: 16,000 workers occupied Lenin Shipyard.Demanded free speech, free trade unions, freedom of political prisoners, and econ reform.Gdansk AgreementLech Walesa organized SolidarityFree and democratic trade union1981 9.5 million membersSolidarity never tried to take over govt.Solidarity weakens:Rumors of bad leadership & economic problems led to declineDec. 1981 Communist leaders arrested Solidarity leadersSolidarity survived: Poles continued to believe they were freeMikhail Gorbachev1985 Gorbachev became leader of Soviet UnionReforms:Anti-alcoholism and anti-corruptionPerestroika: restructuring of economy (failed)Glasnost: openness of govt., relaxed censorship and conformityDemocratization: minor political electionsDtente: stop arms race, refused validity of Brezhnev DoctrineThese reforms led to Soviet satellites wanting independenceGorbachev didnt repress these wants so demands grew

Collapse of CommunismRevolutions of 1989Poland: Solidarity legalized in 1989, first noncommunist leader in Aug.Shock therapy: release of control over economy. Designed to move quickly into private ownership.Hungary opened border with Austria, East Germans fled to WG through Hungary.Nov. 1989 Berlin Wall falls: Germany re-united.Dec. 1989 Velvet Revolution: non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia.Romania: only country to have bloody revolutionFall of wall symbolic of the fall of communism. Revisit the fact that the wall separates communism and capitalism in Berlin. 5

Communism Falls in U.S.S.RGorbachevs new constitution abolished Communist monopoly of power.Gorbachevs lack of popularity led the way for Boris Yeltsin.Yeltsin: reformed communist, embraced democratic ideals. Elected chairman of Russian Federation May 1990.Gorbachev tried to save S.U. but failed.Communism Falls cont.July 1990 hard-line communists disagreed w/ Gorbachev, kidnapped him & tried to take over the S.U.People were outraged. Russian army rescued Gorbachev. December 25, 1991 Russia declared independent No more Soviet Union!

End of the Cold War

E. Germanys third way: socialism w/ independence from W. Germany - Didnt work of E. German pop. fledChancellor Kohls 10 point plan and economic recovery.Alliance for Germany: coalition against keeping E. Germany separate. E Germany eventually absorbed into W Germany.Nov. 1990 Paris Accord: treaty that ended Cold WarScaling down of armed forcesAll existing boarders in Europe legal

A New World OrderEuropean nations accepted neoliberal, free-market capitalist economy.Scaled back welfare programsPoland and Hungary moved to privatize industry Globalization: freer global economy.Multinational corporationsInternational financial organizationsLow inflation and limited govt. deficitsComputer & electronic revolutionNationalism and ethnic conflicts began anewEuropean Union (1993): formally EEC, shunned nations that promoted ethnic hatred ( i.e. Serbia)Gulf WarUnited States emerged as the greatest world power after Cold War.Saddam Hussein, Iraqs leader, invaded Kuwait Aug 1990. U.N. imposed naval blockade 500,000 American troops deployed on boarder of Kuwait waiting for Hussein to withdraw.U.N. sanctioned invasion of Iraq. U.S. stopped short of ousting Hussein.Implications: New world order included U.S. working w/ UN to maintain a stable balance of power.

The New RussiaPres. Yeltsin tries shock therapyFreed prices of 90% of Russian goodsRapid privatization of industryCitizens received 10,000 rubles to invest in stock Believed brief period of hardship, then economic prosperity didnt happen.Production fell and inflation grewReasons: Many factories closed state no longer funded themProduction concentrated in a couple of factories state monopolies became private monopolies. To maximize returns, owners cut production to raise prices.Govt. forced to give subsidies Criminal activities by businesses reduce competition

New Russia cont.Oligarchs: handful of Russians who controlled businesses. Managers, former officials, financers. Majority of pop. fell into poverty. Devalued pensionsSelling personal belongingsLife expectancy fell

New Russia cont.Chechnya: declared independence in 1991Civil war and conflicts with Russia lasted until 1996Many human rights violations on both sidesEstimated 3,829 Russian troops dead, 100,000 Chechen deadYeltsin began to lose support: became erratic and uncompromising. Parliament revolted against Yeltsin and on Oct.4, 1993 military forces were sent to stamp out the mutiny.Yeltsin banned political opposition, closed several newspapers, instituted curfew, etc.Yeltsin consolidated power and failed to create a true representative govt.

Managed Democracy Vladimir Putin: First elected president (chosen by Yeltsin) in 2000.Re-established semi-authoritarian rule, but kept free markets. Economy boomed, middle class grew.Nationalism grew under Putin The Arrest of Mikhail KhodorkovskyOwner of Yukos Oil Co. (big deal)Financer for parties against Putin & possible political opponent. Arrested for fraud, but motives were politicalIn reaction, market plunged (fell 10%)The New E. EuropeEastern European countries faired far better than Russia in transitioning to democracy and capitalism.Experience with market reforms prior to 1989.Govt. policy was flexible.Czechoslovakia peacefully resolved ethnic tensions by creating the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.1997 Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary were accepted into NATO.

Tragedy in YugoslaviaYugoslavia had been a tolerant and successful multiethnic nation up until 1989.Over 10 major ethnic groupsAfter Josip Titos death in 1980, civil war between ethnic groups began.Serbia, led by Milosevic, wanted to unite all Serbs into a greater Serbia (1989): took over Kosovo.Slovenia & Croatia declared independence (June 1991)Serbia tried to take land from Slovenia & Croatia, only got a piece of Croatia.Bosnia-Herzegovina gained independence in 1992: Serbs refused to live under Muslim govt.

Tragedy cont.Brutality of civil war prompted NATO intervention.July 1995: Bosnian Serbs took over Srebrenica and killed thousands.President Clinton and NATO negotiated agreement that gave Serbia and Croatia parts of Bosnia.Kosovo, still repressed by Serbia, got nothing from the agreement.Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) formed in early 1998 Serbia attacked KLA, killing & uprooting thousandsJan. 1999, Western powers threatened Milosevic with bombing if he didnt stop. He refused.NATO started bombing. Milosevic withdrew. 2001 new pro-Western govt. handed Milosevic over to the war crimes tribunal.Western European IdentitySingle European Act 1968: Revision of Treaty of Rome1991 Maastricht treaty: Set financial criteria for joining Common Market (EU in 1993)Single currency for countries in EU by 1999.Support for Maastricht treaty: step toward European political unity, helps Europes economic problems, reduce high unemploymentOpposition: Rules & bureaucracy, undermining national & local practices, fear of yielding sovereignty, ordinary people would pay price. 20Success of European UnityJan. 1, 2002 Euro was introduced to EuropeMay 1, 2004 EU added Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and many other E. European countries. June 2004 EU constitution agreed upon.Today the EU consists of 27 countries.

21st Century population declineIn the beginning of the 21st century population was on the decline.In 2000, women in Europe were having 1.6 children on average.Causes:High unemployment of 1980s & 90s: no money to start familyWomens movement: rejection of motherhood, striving for careersConsequences: Smaller, younger pop. would have to support larger, older pop.Socialist countries with massive welfare programs would suffer most (social security, pensions, medical care)ImmigrationImmigrant workers from before 1970s eventually brought families with them.Refugees from E. Europe (Yugoslavia), Middle East, and Africa.Illegal immigration grew from 50,000 people in 1993 to 500,000 in 2003.Economic opportunities attracted many people to European Union countries. Human trafficking became way for crime orgs to get money.

Terrorism in 21st CenturyCivil war and terrorism in the 20st century often went together.Examples: Ireland, Spain, Israel, Yemen, and much of the Middle East.On the surface recent attacks have been blamed on Islamic extremists, however this is just one aspect.Most recent terrorist attacks can be attributed to civil unrest, war, and political conflicts.Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan in 1979.Example: many Arab govts were viewed as un-Islamic and corrupt.Some of these govts were pro-West in view.These govts were not supportive of Islamic extremes & exiled many extremists.

9/11 and the War on TerrorSeptember 11, 2001 al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger planes. 2 hit World Trade Center1 hit Pentagon1 crashed into Pennsylvania field, believed to be headed for White House.United States, led by George W. Bush, launched massive campaign to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban.Western Europe, Russia, Pakistan, and Northern Alliance Afghanistan helped.

War on Terror cont.

Mid-November Taliban collapsed New Afghan leadership needed to be worked out.UN worked out plans for new govtU.S. continued to look for bin Laden2002 aid workers from around the world helped put Afghanistan back together.War in IraqOnce elected into office, President W. Bush began planning on how to take out Saddam Hussein.Admin believed if the was a new, pro-U.S. govt would transform Middle East.Americans also feared renewed terrorism and WMDs. Saddam had promised to dismantle mass destruction weapons after Gulf War.Late 2002: to avoid war, Iraq accepted UN weapon inspectors and vowed they had destroyed WMDs.Bush administration was reluctant to agree.U.S. & Britain said they hid the WMDs and moved troops to Middle East. France, Germany, Russia, China all wanted to continue searching, but not attack.

War in Iraq cont.March 2003 United States and Great Britain invaded Iraq.Mistakes led to chaos, not peace.Troops allowed looting and bandits. Disbanding Iraqi army led to alienation, unemployment, no securityInsurgents were able to collect guns & explosives. U.S. and Britain found no WMDs.2004 Pro-West Iraqi govt set up.War in Iraq had split the nations of the world in two.Trust and legitimacy of nations involved was in question.