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A Decade of Change: Europe's Economic Resurgence and Soviet Bloc's Fall

Explore the economic resurgence of post-World War II Europe, the contrasting fortunes of East and West, the challenges faced during Leonid Brezhnev's reign, the failed policies of the USSR under Gorbachev, and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Bloc leading to countries breaking free. Witness the struggles, reforms, and events that shaped this turbulent period.

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A Decade of Change: Europe's Economic Resurgence and Soviet Bloc's Fall

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  1. 1964-1991Today, theSoviet bloccookie willcrumble!

  2. Europe after World War II in the West • Economic Resurgence from 1950-1970s • Industrial and consumer goods produced • Marshall Plan gave $9.4 Billion to rebuild • “Economic Miracle” in West Germany in 1960s • Communism evident but not strong Prosperity!

  3. Europe after World War II in the East • Satellite Nations forced to contribute to USSR’s economy • Non-Communist parties eliminated…one party governments • Purge of intellectuals • “Brain Drain” to west Suffering

  4. Leonid Brezhnev’s Reign… 1964-1982

  5. EarlyBrezhnev • Attempted ESP reforms and loosening • More open to western culture and consumer goods

  6. USSR ailing by 1980 • Mixed Economic Info • Heavy industry still pushed/succeeding • Iron, steel, coal and cement beat the USA • But overall industrial  • Government central planning failed! • Discouraged efficiency • Reduced productivity • Guaranteed employment =  • Bad harvests in 1970s • had to buy grain from the West!!!

  7. b. USSR’s Politics ailing too • Patronage was major method of promotion in the state bureaucracy • Corruption and inefficiency

  8. Prague Spring 1968 •  elected to run Czechoslovakia  • Introduced many reforms for more political and social openness… • End censorship • Competing political groups • Less secret police power • Freedom to travel abroad • August 1968, Red Army invaded, kicked out Dubcek and his reforms • Czech protestors 

  9. Brezhnev Doctrine • Asserted the USSR had the right to intervene militarily in any Warsaw Pact nation if socialism was threatened  • Reform movements (like Prague Spring) would face swift repression • Silenced critics • Dissidents persecuted • Anti-Semitism returned

  10. Detente • “Relaxation of tensions” • From 1970-1979 • After Vietnam War • Nixon  • USA & USSR still spent $$ on the arms race • Many treaties too • SALT 1 1972 • Helsinki 1975

  11. f. Détente heats up by 1979 USSR invadesAfghanistan 1979-1989

  12. Other TenseEpisodes • Olympic boycotts in 1980 • USA and Moscow • USSR and LA • Ronald Reagan  • “evil empire” • Strategic Defense Initiative  • $$$ into military 

  13. Mikhail Gorbachev’s Reign… 1985-1991

  14. Gorbachev inherits weak USSR • Government • Corrupt & Stagnant • State-directed economy hurts innovation & people • Economy  • No basic commodities  • Behind in electronics • Decline in standard of living…hmmmmmmm • Workers (lemur)? • apathetic, lazy • Drunkenness dilemma • Critics = silenced by LB • Afghanistan = disaster

  15. Gorbachev’s goals for the USSR • Make radical reforms to jump start a rotting country • How long has Russia been waiting for this? • Gorbachev’s changes were needed, but they will result in the end of the USSR and Soviet Bloc

  16. Perestroika = “Restructuring” • At first, only meant reordering the economic policy • Less bureaucratic control = more efficiency and modernization • Beginning of market economy • Goal = stimulate the failing economy

  17. Glasnost = “Openness” • Gorbachev realized economic reform also needed social and political reform with it • 1st amendment rights  • Censorship reduced • Pravda allowed to publish reports on gov corruption, sloppy factory work, and protests • People encouraged to discuss USSR’s problems • Rock and jazz could be performed openly 

  18. Perestroika Problems • Rapid Changes = Economic turmoil • Bad product shortages • Prices rise • Factories that need gov help fold • Workers out of jobs • Communist bureaucrats angry over changes…

  19. Glasnost Problems • Russians can’t handle  • Unrest in multi-ethnic USSR • 92 different nationalities! • Totalitarian order muzzled old tensions (now free to erupt!) • Ethnic groups protested • Nationalistic movements from 1988-1990 • Countries want to break free! • Georgia (1988), Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Lithuania • Communist gov members worry about their job security…

  20. iv. Afghanistan & Brezhnev Doctrine? • Gorbachev… • pulls Soviet troops out of Afghanistan in 1989 • Renounces Brezhnev Doctrine • Loosens control of Soviet Bloc!!!

  21. Gorbachev signs more treaties with USA

  22. iii. Political Changes • Government totally restructured • 1989, new Parliament formed with members chosen from competitive elections (1st since 1918) • 1990, legalized formation of other political parties • Article 6 of Soviet Constitution eliminated… • Guess what happened?  • 1990, Consolidated his titles to form a new one • 1st President of USSR  Who is not happy w this?

  23. 1989-1991the Sovietbloc cookiecrumbles!

  24. Who will break free? • Poland 1990 • Hungary 1990 • Czechoslovakia 1989 • Romania 1989 • East Germany 1989 • Yugoslavia 1990

  25. Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution • 1988-1989 • Revolts & suppression • Why velvet? • Bloodless Rev that overthrew Commie gov • Dec 1989 = Commie gov collapses • Anti-Commie Vaclav Havel is new President

  26. Poland’s Resistance • Martial Law in Poland since 1981…but not working • Constant protesting (for free elections) • Protests led by “Solidarity” • Anti-Commie Trade Union • Free Elections allowed in December 1990 • Lech Walesa (head of Solidarity) elected President of Poland • Gorbachev does nothing 

  27. Hungary 1990 • Picture is from 1956’s failed revolt • Similar to Poland’s story • Just earlier (March 1990) • Economic Decline led to social unrest • Commiegov tried reforms too late • Free Elections lead to new democratic gov

  28. Romania • Much uglier end to Communism • Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu overthrown Dec. 1989 • Rejected reforms • Murdered own people • Ordered military to kill protestors • Tried to escape  • Captured & executed! • Ugly show trial

  29. German Reunification • Summer 1989, East Berliners protest • “The wall must go!!” • Nov 9…Commie gov opened the East-West Berlin border • Weak USSR could not back them up • Dec 1989 = new political parties • 1990 = new elections and unification planned

  30. “All Walls Eventually Fall”

  31. 1991… the USSR falls

  32. States try to secede • Estonia 1988 • Lithuania 1990 • Georgia 1991 USSR Crumbles

  33. August Coup in 1991 • June • Boris Yeltsin elected Prez of Russian Republic • Beats Commie candidate • August 19 = COUP! • Led by 8 Communist hard-liners • Opposed reforms and power decentralization • Gorbachev under house arrest

  34. August Coup Loses… • Revolts in Leningrad and Moscow • Led by Boris Yeltsin and Russian people • Commie Coup defeated in days • Gorbachev back in power as President of USSR • Damage to his power is too much

  35. August – December, every state declares independence • Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia • December 24, 1991, Russia announces USSR is over • Gorbachev hands power to Yeltsin ByeBye Cookie

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