Fall of communism

Soviet “Bloc” or “satellite” nations

Breshnev Doctrine
-The USSR would intervene in any satellite nation that seemed to be moving away from communism.
-Invasion of Czeckoslovakia in 1968.

Detente
Definition: Easing of tension between the USSR and US in the 1970s
Ended in 1979
Soviet support of anti-western movements
Neither nation willing to give up nuclear weapons.
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

SOVIET ECONOMY UNDER BRESHNEV
-Inefficient and troubled
-Decline in standard of living
-Agricultural failures
-Inadequate transportation
-Outdated factories
-Heavy military spending
-1982: Breshnev dies (need for economic reform was clear)

The Gorbachev Revolution
1985:Mikhail Gorbachev becomes new leader
Renounced Brezhnev Doctrine
Improve economy by reducing military spending
Pulled troops out of Afghanistan
Must make an agreement with the United States about nuclear weapons

Gorbachev Reform
Glasnost: “openness”
Ended censorship, encouraged discussion of problems
People could speak freely and read whatever they wanted.
Perestroika
Restructuring of the government and economy
Reduced size of bureaucracy
“essence of communism”
State still owns factories, but managers make decisions
Land is still owned by state, but farmers can have more for personal profit

Relations with U.S. improved
Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan met several times to sign several arms-reduction agreements
Perestroika mad more consumer goods available, but there were still shortages of basic necessities
Freedom of speech provided by glassnost increased tensions between various Soviet ethnic groups and nationalities. Rival groups could now express opinions.
Ethnic fighting broke out between the Muslim Soviet republic of Azerbaijan and the Christian Soviet republic of Armenia.

Gorbachev Loses Power
Reform = economic chaos. Problems are actually worse
Without gov. help, factories closed, increasing unemployment
Discontent spread
Independence for many Bloc nations (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia)
Dec., 1991: Gorbachev resigns.
Communism dead after 74 years.
Communism fell, but so did Gorbachev.

Communist Party Voted Out

1991: Russia Under Yeltsin
1991: Boris Yeltsin president of Federation of Russia (largest and most powerful of the newly independent states)
1993:Dissolves legislature
Privatization of state-run industries and farms
Orthodox church regained strength
High unemployment and prices
Led to organized crime, prostitution, and corruption

Problems in Russia
1994: Revolt in Chechnya. Want to secede (rich in oil)
Many ethnic groups, but mostly Muslim
1996: Peace treaty (International criticism and heavy casualties)
1999: Terrorist activity in Moscow by Chechen rebels
1999:Russian troops invade again=Stalemate
2000 and on: Vladimir Putin hard line against Chechnya.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07zq8fiG1J0&feature=fvsr

Vladimir Putin
Member of Soviet secret police, reputation for ruthlessness. Not a strong supporter of Democracy.
Acting president in 1999 when Yeltsin resigned, elected in 2000
Unable to stop terrorist activity by Chechen rebels
Corruption is still a problem

15 Republics = The Commonwealth
Established 1991

Yugoslavia
Made up of 6 republics and many different ethnic groups (Serbs, Croats, Slovenians, Macedonians, Albanians)
Different religions:
Serbs: Eastern Orthodox
Croats and Slovenians: Roman Catholic
Bosnia and Herzogovina: Muslim
When Communism fell: Serbia under President Slobodan Milosevic tried to dominate all of Yugoslavia.
1991: Slovenia and Croatia declared independence
Serbia and Croatia went to war ending in a truce mediated by the UN.

Former Yugoslavia

1992: Bosnia declares independence
BOSNIA
-Greatest challenge: diverse population
-Muslims formed the largest single religious group. (did not form a majority)
-1/3rd of population identified themselves as Serbian
-1/5 claim to be Croatian.
-Many Bosnian Serbs wanted to remain part of Serbian-dominated Yugoslavia.
-Receiving aid from the Yugoslavian government in Belgrade, Bosnian Serbs began a program of ethnic cleansing: a campaign of terror and murder intended to drive the Muslims out of areas Bosnian Serbs claimed.

Ethnic Cleansing
Bosnia
U.N. stops the flow of weapons into the region. (Actually made it harder for Muslim-controlled Bosnian gov. to fight off better armed Serbs.)
UN set up protected safe havens (did not stop Serbs who continued to bomb the capital of Sarajevo as well as safe havens)
At least 30,000 Bosnian Muslims were executed, tortured, or made into refugees
1995: NATO airstrikes against the Bosnian Serb military
Dayton Accord
Gave Bosnian Serbs control over certain areas while still recognizing the overall sovereignty of Bosnia’s Muslim led government.

1998: Kosovo
Ethnic Albanians demanded independence for Kosovo
The Serbian government cracked down and sent troops in. (Ethnic cleansing part 2)
1999: NATO bombed for 11 weeks:
Serbian forces withdrew.
Kosovo placed under UN control
-Feb, 2008: Kosovo declared itself indepenent
(Security council members: USA, France, and UK recognize them. Russia and China do not.)