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Developments in South Africa

Developments in South Africa. February 1990: Nelson Mandela is released after 27 years in prison. 1993: A new constitution is written, guaranteeing freedom of speech and religion, access to adequate housing, and prohibiting discrimination. 1994: In the first election in

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Developments in South Africa

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  1. Developments in South Africa • February 1990: Nelson Mandela is released • after 27 years in prison. • 1993: A new constitution is written, • guaranteeing freedom of speech and religion, • access to adequate housing, and prohibiting • discrimination. • 1994: In the first election in • which black South Africans • are allowed to vote, Nelson • Mandela is elected President • of South Africa… he stays • in office until 1999.

  2. Developments in Asia China • England signed a 99-year lease for the coastal • city of Hong Kong after the Opium War of 1898. • 1997: The lease is up… • England returns Hong Kong • to Chinese control. • In the last 15 – 20 years, the • communist leaders of China have turned their • country into a capitalist economic powerhouse • while maintaining a communist political system… • It’s weird and complicated, so just take my • word for it.

  3. Developments in Asia Facts on China Today • The population of China is 1.3 billion… • 4 times that of the United States. • Shanghai boasts 4,000 sky- • scrapers -- double the number in • New York City. • The United States now has a $202 • billion trade deficit with China (thanks to stores • like Wal-Mart). • 17% of the entire Chinese population lives • on $1 a day. • China welcomed the world for the • 2008 Summer Olympics.

  4. Developments in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe • Gorbachev’s perestroika didn’t work… • shortages got worse and prices soared. • Factories were forced to close because • they could not survive without govt. help. • Glasnost feeds unrest in several Soviet • satellite states.

  5. Developments in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe • Gorbachev announces that the Soviet Union • will no longer interfere in Eastern Europe. • 1990: Lech Walesa is elected • President of Poland in its • first real election in 50 years. • 1991: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania • gain independence from the USSR. • 1991: The Soviet Union is dissolved; • Gorbachev resigns, 11 former Soviet • Republics form the Commonwealth • of Independent States.

  6. Developments in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe Russia after the USSR • Boris Yeltsin is appointed as the • first President of the Russian • Federation. • Yeltsin tries to shock Russia • into a free-market capitalist • system… prices soar, unemployment sky-rockets; • many people actually want to go back to the USSR. • 2000: Former KGB officer • Vladimir Putin is elected president • in the first direct election in Russia… • starts to erase democratic freedoms.

  7. Developments in Eastern Europe and the Balkans • With the dissolution of the USSR, long- • suppressed ethnic tensions boil to the surface. • 1993: Czechoslovakia peacefully splits • into the Czech • Republic • and Slovakia.

  8. Developments in Eastern Europe and the Balkans • You should remember that Yugoslavia • was created as a South Slav state after • World War I. • It consisted of • various republics: • Serbia, Croatia, • Bosnia and • Herzegovina, • Macedonia, • Slovenia and • Montenegro.

  9. Developments in Eastern Europe and the Balkans • Ethnic / Religious Groups in Yugoslavia: • Serbs – Orthodox Christians • Croats – Roman Catholics • Bosnians - Muslims • The groups speak the same language, but have • different beliefs and customs. • The Serbs dominated the politics of Yugoslavia.

  10. Ethnic Composition of Yugoslavia in 1991

  11. Developments in Eastern Europe and the Balkans • Nationalism tears Yugoslavia apart after the fall of communism. • 1991: Slovenia, • Croatia, Macedonia • and Bosnia-Herzegovina • declare independence • from Yugoslavia, • leaving only Serbia and • Montenegro.

  12. Developments in Eastern Europe and the Balkans • Civil war erupts in Bosnia • between Muslims, Serbs • and Croats. • Bosnian Serbs get money • and weapons from • Yugoslav President • Slobodan Milosevic.

  13. Developments in Eastern Europe and the Balkans • In a vicious campaign of ethnic cleansing, • Serbs killed tens of thousands of Bosnian • Muslims, including at least 8,000 in one • mass execution at Srebrenica. • 1995: NATO launches • air-strikes against Bosnian • Serb forces to end ethnic • cleansing and civil war. Identified victims of Srebrenica Massacre

  14. Developments in Eastern Europe and the Balkans • Yugoslav President • Slobodan Milosevic • ended self-rule • of ethnic Albanians • (Muslims) in Kosovo. • 1996: The Kosovo • Liberation Army begins • a guerilla war campaign • against the Serbs.

  15. Developments in Eastern Europe and the Balkans • Milosevic orders ethnic cleansing of Albanians • in Kosovo. • 1999: NATO again launches air-strikes against • Serbia. • NATO peacekeepers • moved into Kosovo • after Milosevic withdrew • his troops… the peace- • keepers are still there today. • March, 2006: Slobodan Milosevic • dies while being held for trial • for war crimes.

  16. Developments in Western Europe Germany • 1990: West and East Germany • are reunified. • Reunification creates economic • problems. • West Germans had to pay • higher taxes to finance • the rebuilding of the east. • East Germans had difficult • transition to capitalism.

  17. Developments in Western Europe Germany • Chancellor Angela Merkel • Leader of the so-called “Grand Coalition” created after the 2005 federal election • (alliance of Christian Democratic Union, • Christian Social Union, and Social Democratic Party of Germany). • Merkel is the first female Chancellor of Germany, the first former citizen of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) to lead the reunited Germany and the first woman to lead Germany since it became a modern nation-state in 1871. • Wants to speed up deregulation of the • German economy and rebuild the German- • American friendship… she was actually in • favor of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. No, I can’t explain this…

  18. Developments in Western Europe France • Francois Mitterrand's expansion of the welfare • state in France hurt the economy. • 1995: Jacques Chirac is elected • President of France. • Chirac cuts some govt. • social programs, cuts taxes • and privatizes industries. • Chirac earned a reputation as • the new de Gaulle for his opposition • to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.

  19. Developments in Western Europe France “After 12 years of unkept promises, President Jacques Chirac leaves a confused France longing for someone completely different” – From a Mar. 2007 article in The Economist titled “Chirac’s Poisoned Legacy”. • Chirac's popularity rating has slumped from a second-term high of 60% during the Iraq war to just 29% today. • Unemployment has averaged 10%. • The multi-ethnic banlieues (suburbs) rebelled over social exclusion in three weeks of rioting in the fall of 2005. • The young rebelled over economic reform by taking to the streets against a less-secure job contract for the under-26s a year ago. Who can fix France?

  20. Developments in Western Europe France Nicolas Sarkozy Wins on May 6th, 2007 ! Sarkozy’s Plans for France: 1) Exempt overtime (above 35 hours) from taxes and social security charges. 2) Minimum sentences for repeat offenders, tougher sentences for juveniles. 3) Selective immigration that favors arrival of qualified workers. 4) Oppose Turkish EU membership.

  21. Developments in Western Europe United Kingdom • 1994: Tony Blair brings the • Labour Party from the liberal • left to the moderate middle • and invents “New Labour”…trying to meet • the needs of all British citizens while privatizing • more industries. • 1997: The Labour Party wins • the majority in Parliament • and Tony Blair becomes • Prime Minister.

  22. Developments in Western Europe United Kingdom • In domestic policy, Blair has significantly increased • public spending on health and education. • Blair's tenure has also seen the introduction of a • minimum wage, tuition fees for higher education, • constitutional reform such as devolution in Scotland • and Wales, and progress in the Northern Ireland • peace process. • 2005: Blair guides the • Labour Party to its third • consecutive parliamentary • victory.

  23. Developments in Western Europe United Kingdom May 6th – 12th, 2007: A Very Big Week ! Northern Ireland Peace Process • 1998: The Good Friday Agreement is supposed to create a devolved Northern • Ireland Assembly… as long as the IRA gives up all of its weapons by 2000. • 2002: Great Britain resumes direct rule of Northern Ireland because • of the IRA’s delay in turning in its weapons. • 2005: The IRA finally disarms and formally renounces violence. It also agrees • to support police and courts in the province. • 2007: 1) March – Voters elect a new power-sharing assembly. • 2) May 8th – The devolved Northern Ireland Assembly finally goes • in to affect with Ian Paisley sworn in as First Minister and • Martin McGuinness sworn in as Deputy First Minister.

  24. Developments in Western Europe United Kingdom • Tony Blair’s popularity in England has suffered • (down to 26% approval rating)… largely due to his • decision to side with President George W. Bush • in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. • Bowing to intense pressure within his own party, • Blair announced that he will not serve his full • third-term. • On May 10th, 2007, Blair announced that he will • tender his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II effective • June 27th, 2007. Gordon Brown will then inherit the • office of Prime Minister.

  25. Developments in Western Europe The European Union • 1992: The Maastricht Treaty establishes the • modern European Union (EU). • The EU is an intergovernmental union of 27 • democratic member states. • The Union has a common single market with • a single currency “euro” adopted by 13 of the 27 • member states (not Great Britain!), a Common • Agricultural Policy, a common trade policy, • a Common Foreign and Security Policy, and • passport control was abolished at its internal • borders creating a single space of mobility • for EU citizens to live, travel, and work.

  26. The European Union

  27. Questions Facing European Countries Today • How can they improve their economies • while providing the benefits of a welfare state? • 2) With the end of the Cold War and George W. • Bush’s controversial decision to invade • Iraq, how should they deal with the U.S.? • Should they allow Turkey, • a Muslim country that borders • Iran and Iraq, into the European • Union? • 4) How can they integrate • Muslim immigrants into • their society to prevent • future riots and terrorist attacks?

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