Struggles for Struggles for DemocracyDemocracy

Ch 35Ch 35

1945-Present1945-Present

• Democracy • Gov.’t by the people• Direct democracy (when all

citizens meet to pass laws) isn’t practical for nations

• Indirect democracy or republic (when citizens elect representatives to pass laws for them)

• Always a “work in progress”• Ex. Equality is promised in the

US Constitution, but slavery was legal until 1865 + women couldn’t vote until 1920

Making Democracy WorkMaking Democracy WorkCommon Practices

Conditions That Foster Those Practices

Free Elections -Having more than one political party-Universal suffrage

Citizen Participation -High levels of education + literacy-Economic security-Freedoms of speech, press, + assembly

Majority Rule, Minority Rights

-All citizens equal before the law-Shared national identity-Protection of individual rights -Representatives elected by citizens

Constitutional Gov.’t -Clear body of traditions + laws-Widespread education of political science-National acceptance of majority decisions-Shared belief that no one is above the law

• Latin America • UN study reports that the spread of democracy could be derailed if free elections in poor countries aren’t followed by economic

• Warned especially about Latin America

• Many countries won their indep. from Spain + Portugal in the 1800s, but were left w/ many problems. Including:

1. Powerful militaries

2. Economies that were too dependent on a single crop

3. Large gaps b/w the rich + poor

• Brazil • Gains indep. from Portugal in 1822– Monarchy Republic Dictator

Republic Military Dictatorship Republic

–Problems faced include:

1. Gov.’t controlled by wealthy elite

2. Foreign debt + inflation

3. in standard of living (level of material comfort)

4. Recession (a slowdown in the economy)

• Mexico

Vicente Fox

1st president elected belonging to a different political party in 2000

• Enjoyed stability for most of the 20th century

• Had elections, but ruled by the same party for over 70 yrs.

• Has its weaknesses, but overall a relatively stable democracy

• Argentina • Republic Dictator Military Dictatorship Republic Military Dictatorship Republic

• Problems faced include:

1. Thousands died or disappeared under the military dictatorship

2. 2003, Argentina defaulted on $132 bil debt – largest default in history

3. Weak economy

End Section 1

35.2

• Africa • Beginning in late 1950s, dozens of African colonies gained their indep.

• Main reason for difficulties was the negative impact of colonial rule:

1. Artificial boundaries of nations created by Europeans

2. Lack of experience running a gov.’t

3. Exploitation of African resources + people (cash crops + cheap labor)

4. Lack of industrialization

Africa• Algeria (1965-1978) • Burkina Faso (1966-1991) • Burundi (1966-1993) • Central African Republic (1966-1976;

1981-1986; 2003-2005) • Chad (1975-1979) • Republic of the Congo (1968-1979) • Egypt (1952-1956) • Equatorial Guinea (1979-1982) • Ethiopia (1974-1987) • The Gambia (1994-1996) • Ghana (1966-1970; 1972-1979; 1981-1993) • Guinea (1984-1993) • Liberia (1980-1986) • Libya (1969-present) • Madagascar (1972-1975) • Mauritania (1978-1992; 2005-2007; 2008-

present) • Niger (1974-1991; 1996-1999) • Nigeria (1966-1979; 1983-1999) • Rwanda (1973-1994) • Sierra Leone (1967-1968; 1992-1996;

1997-1998) • Somalia (1969-1991; then local militia

rule) • Sudan (1958-1964; 1969-1972; 1989-1993) • Uganda (1971-1979; 1985-1986)

• When Europeans gave up their colonies they left fragile democracies in place, many of which would be overthrown (especially by military dictators)

• Some would declare martial law (temporary military rule) +/or jail dissidents (gov.’t opponents)

• South Africa • When the colonists arrived, they immediately began segregating races

• Once colonialism ended, a white minority ruled over the black majority. They called their policy of separating the races apartheid (“separate-ness”).

• Under this system, blacks made up 75% of the population, but were forced to live on 13% of the land – called homelands (areas set aside for blacks + other minorities) which were divided by tribes to further divide blacks

• Fighting Apartheid

• In 1912, blacks formed the African National Congress (ANC) to fight for their rights.

• It would use violent means to end apartheid• It organized strikes + boycotts and

would be banned by the gov.’t + its leaders imprisoned, including Nelson Mandela.

• Bishop Desmond Tutu called for foreign nations to avoid doing business w/ South Africa which led to many nations imposing trade restrictions on South Africa. It was also banned from the Olympics

• In 1990, the ANC was made legal + Mandela was released. This led to the overturning of apartheid laws.

• South Africa’s 1st universal elections were held in 1994 w/ Nelson Mandela being elected president

End Section 2

35.3

• The Beginning of the End of the USSR

• During the 1960-70s, the Politburo (the ruling committee of the Communist Party) crushed all political disagreement + practiced strict censorship

• 1982, Mikhail Gorbachev was chosen as the party’s new general secretary (most powerful man in the USSR)

• Gorbachev believed in communism, Gorbachev believed in communism, but thought it only needed to be but thought it only needed to be reformedreformed

• Gorbachev knew that economic + social reforms couldn’t occur w/o a flow of ideas, so he instituted a policy of glasnost (openness) which led to the opening of churches, the release of dissidents from prison, + allowed previously banned authors to have their books printed

• More of Gorbachev’s Reforms

• B/c of glasnost, more people begin to complain about the gov.’t (long bread lines, lack of consumer goods, etc)

• Gorbachev blamed many of the country’s problems on poor central planning

• Begins a policy known as perestroika (economic restructuring) which allowed more decisions on things such as prices + wages to be made at a local level

• Begins a policy known as democratization to open up Soviet politics + allow candidates other than those chosen by the Communist party to run for office

• Realizes USSR can’t compete w/ US in the arms race + begins to cut back arms production

• Soviet States Begin to Break Away

• B/c of glasnost, states w/in the USSR begin calling for their indep. W/ over 100 ethnic groups, there was a history of ethnic tensions. Russians were by far the largest group, but only in the state of Russia

• Lithuania was the 1st to declare its indep. in March 1990, Gorbachev called for economic sanctions, but fearing a domino effect, sends in troops. Soviet troops attack civilians. 14 die + hundreds wounded

• of Yeltsin • Boris Yeltsin became Russia’s (NOT the Soviet) 1st directly elected president. He criticized Gorbachev’s crackdown in Lithuania + the slow pace of reforms

• Soviet conservatives were unhappy w/ changes + detained Gorbachev at his house + sent troops w/ tanks into Moscow in the August Coup. Yeltsin denounced the action from the top of one of the tanks. When ordered by the conservatives to attack, the troops refused, + Gorbachev was released.

• End of the USSR

• After the August Coup, Estonia + Latvia quickly declare their indep.

• All of the remaining republics quickly followed

• Most of them formed the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).

• Gorbachev resigned + Yeltsin is now the most powerful man in Russia + the CIS.

• Yeltsin Faces Challenges

• He enacted “shock therapy” – a policy designed to abruptly shift from a communist to a free-market economy

• At first, prices soared, factories shut down, many people were out of work

• In SW Russia, the predominately Muslim area of Chechnya declared its indep. Yeltsin refused to allow it to secede. An off-again, on-again war was fought. In 2002, a group of Chechen terrorists seized a theater in Moscow. Over 150 people died in the rescue attempt. Fighting still breaks out today.

• Vladimir Putin • Became president after Yeltsin resigned in 1999.

• He grew in popularity after forcefully dealing w/ the rebellion in Chechnya, but has been criticized abroad for some undemocratic policies.

• He claims that he supports a free-market economy, but that it must be adapted to Russia’s unique circumstances.

• After two terms as president he served as Prime Minister and then president again.

End Section 3

End Section 3

35.4

• The End of Communism in Europe

• Due to the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev during the 1980s, all of the USSR’s satellite countries would break away + try to form democratic gov.’ts

• Many of these countries continue to face economic hardships + some have ongoing ethnic conflicts

• Poland • 1980, Polish shipyard workers had formed the Solidarity union. They demanded the Polish gov.’t officially recognize their union. Gained the support of millions of Poles.

• When the gov.’t did so, the union leader, Lech Walesa became a national hero.

• 1981, the gov.’t banned Solidarity again + declared martial law. The economy plummeted.

• 1988 workers walked off their jobs + one year later the gov.’t recognized Solidarity + agreed to hold free elections. Lech Walesa was voted as the 1st Polish president. He would later be voted out of office b/c the Poles thought economic progress was moving too slowly

• Hungary • Radicals w/in the Communist party launched democratic reforms

• They later deposed of the Communist leaders + dissolved the party itself in 1989.

• Had free elections afterwards

• Germany Reunifies • 1989, Austria allowed vacationing East Germans to cross the border w/ Austria. From Austria they could travel to West Germany.

• E. Germany closed its borders entirely

• Protests broke out all around E. Germany

• The gov.’t gambles that communism could be saved by allowing E. Germans to travel freely. The Berlin Wall is torn down. Leads to the end of the Communist party in Germany

• Led to the reunification (merging) of the 2 Germanys in Oct. 1990

• Czechoslovakia • People gathered in Prague (the capital) demanded democracy

• Gov.’t cracked down on dissidents brutally, including a student led protest

• Outraged, ½ mil gathered in Prague to protest

• Gov.’t resigned in Nov. 1989

• 1993, due to ethnic differences + differing opinions on economic policies, Czechoslovakia would split into the Czech Republic + Slovakia peacefully in the Velvet Revolution

• Romania • Led by ruthless dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

• In 1989, a protest began in Timisoara. The army was sent in + hundreds were wounded + killed.

• Led to uprisings throughout the country.

• Ceausescu + his wife attempted to flee but were captured + executed on Christmas, 1989.

• Romania has since struggled heavily w/ corruption + crime.

• In 2007, it joined the European Union

• Yugoslavia

Josip Tito

• Formed after WWI – divided into 6 republics

• Plagued by ethnic conflict – had 8 major ethnic groups

• Led by Josip Tito from 1945-1980. • Slobodan Milosevic took over after

Tito’s death• 1991, 2 republics (Slovenia + Croatia)

declared their indep. Milosevic sent in the army to invade them, but the invasion failed after months of fighting

• Bosnia then declared its indep.• Made up of 44% Muslim, 31%

Serbs, + 17% Croats• Bosnian Serbs didn’t want to

break away + launched a war in March 1992, supported by Serbia

• During the war Serbian forces used violence + forced migrating of Muslims in Serb-controlled lands in a policy of ethnic-cleansing to rid Bosnia of its Muslims

• In 1995, the UN brokered a peace treaty which called for a 3-person presidency (1 from each group)

• In Kosovo, the southern part of Serbia made up almost entirely of ethnic Albanians, an increasingly violent indep. movement broke out

• This led to a UN bombing campaign against Serbia due to reports of atrocities being committed

• It declared its indep. in 2008• Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic

was captured + tried for crimes against humanity, but died before a verdict was reached

End Section 4

35.5

• Communist China • China had suffered greatly under the policies of Mao Zedong (Chart p. 1059)

• After his death, people turned away from radical communism

• Movement for reform. • Gov.’t supported

some economic reform, but crushed attempts at political reform

• China’s Foreign Relations

• Split w/ the USSR in the 1960s over issue of world leadership of communism

• Hostile w/ US over US support of Taiwan’s gov.’t

• After Mao’s death, China’s gov.’t worries over China’s isolation + makes friendly overtures towards the US.

• During the 1970s, relations w/ the US improve (B/c of Détente, US acknowledges China’s gov.’t as the legitimate gov.’t of China instead of Taiwan’s, etc)

• China Under Deng Xiaoping

• 1976, Deng Xiaoping came into power. He was willing to use some capitalist ideas to improve China’s economy

• Had 4 goals for progress known as the 4 Modernizations which called for improvements in:

1. Agriculture (allowed crops to be sold for a profit)

2. Industry (permitted more private businesses)

3. Defense

4. Science + Technology (welcomed foreign technology + investment)

• Deng’s economic policies improved the standard of living but widened the gap b/w the rich + the poor

• Tiananmen Square • Chinese public believed that the party officials were profiting from their positions. Also, they were increasingly exposed to Western ideas, particularly democracy.

• April 15, 1989, over 100,000 students began an uprising in Tiananmen Square calling for more democracy.

• Some went on a hunger strike + the movement gained widespread support

• Deng declare martial law + many protesters left, but some remained + erected a statue known as the “Goddess of Democracy”

• On June 4, 1989, thousands of armed soldiers stormed Tiananmen Square w/ tanks firing upon protesters + destroying the statue

• Killed hundreds + wounded thousands

• China’s One Child Policy

"For a prosperous, powerful nation and a happy family, please use birth planning." Government sign in area of Nanchang where pregnant women hide.

Rural Sichuan roadside sign: "It is forbidden to discriminate against, mistreat or abandon baby girls."

• Introduced in the 1970s to make sure China could feed all its people

• People in cities are allowed only 1 child (unless the couple is an ethnic minority or both are only children)

• In rural areas, they’re permitted 2 children

• Enforced with financial penalties, + in the past, forced abortions + sterilizations

• Frequently not obeyed (a woman might go away + come back with a “relative’s” child or claim they adopted the child)

• In an area where males are traditionally valued over females, this has led to numerous abortions of female fetuses + to an unbalanced gender ratio

• China announced in October 2015 that they would now allow all couples to have 2 children.

• Issues Regarding China Today

1. Human Rights Violations – particularly against political prisoners

2. Taiwan – still indep. although it is considered a province of China

3. Tibet – many have been calling for its indep. for years

4. Hong Kong – Former British colony turned over to China in 1997. China promised to respect its political + economic liberties for 50 yrs

End Section 5