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Stagnation and Decline of Communism in Eastern Europe, 1964-1991

Stagnation and Decline of Communism in Eastern Europe, 1964-1991. Leonid Brezhnev, r. 1964-1982. Geriatocracy Stagnation Economic decline Collectivized Agriculture: Frequent reform attempts Lack of consumer goods: Toilet paper denim jeans Good shoes. Soviet private lives.

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Stagnation and Decline of Communism in Eastern Europe, 1964-1991

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  1. Stagnation and Decline of Communism in Eastern Europe, 1964-1991

  2. Leonid Brezhnev,r. 1964-1982 • Geriatocracy • Stagnation • Economic decline • Collectivized Agriculture: • Frequent reform attempts • Lack of consumer goods: • Toilet paper • denim jeans • Good shoes

  3. Soviet private lives • Work: over-employment, make-work projects • Home: apartment shuffling • Queuing everywhere • Low quality of goods • Grey/black market • Party privileges: stores, trips, prestige • The Soviet Mind

  4. The Prague Spring, 1968 • Aleksandr Dubcek • Action Program • “Socialism with a human face” • Ludvik Vaculik, “Two Thousand Words” • August: 200,000 Warsaw Pact Troops (and 2000 tanks) invaded • Brezhnev Doctrine • Vaclav Havel

  5. Poland and Solidarity • 1976: Workers strikes • KOR: Committee for Defense of Workers • Oct. 1978: Pope John Paul II • Gdansk • Lenin Shipyards

  6. Charter 77 • August 1975: Helsinki Accords • Plastic People of the Universe • Vaclav Havel • "loose, informal, and open association of people . . . united by the will to strive individually and collectively for respect for human and civil rights in our country and throughout the world."

  7. Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, 1979-1989 • Brezhnev stumbled into invading. • Democratic Republic of Afghanistan • Babrak Karmal • Mujahideen: “freedom-fighters” • Soviet losses: • 14,453 Killed (total) • 35,478 Wounded • Afghan minimum losses: 700,000

  8. Poland and Solidarity • Aug. 1980: Gdansk Agreement: Party granted right to strike and independent unions • Sept. 1980: Solidarity: Union of Trade Unions • By early 1981: 10 million Solidarity members • Lech Walesa • December 1981: Martial Law imposed • General W. Jaruzelski

  9. Lech Walesa

  10. Mikhail Gorbachev, r. 1985-1991 • A reformer in sheep’s clothing • Reform Communism (still idealism) • Attempted moderate reform • Perestroika (restructuring) • Glasnost (openness)

  11. Late Soviet Economy • Agriculture: in 1979, 28% of agriculture came from private plots (1% of land). • 1989 GDP: • USSR: $9211 per capita • USA: 21,082 per capita • Soviet economy about half as productive with 10% more people. • Military budget increased every year. • Does NOT prove communism does not work. • Does prove strength of world capitalism. • USSR felt compelled to trade with West.

  12. Chernobyl Nuclear Accident, April 1986 • Poor design • Staff did wrong test • 56 died immediately • 4000 died from radiation exposure • Party’s control of information exposed as very dangerous.

  13. Gorbachev takes bolder action • January 1987 CC plenum • Perestroika: • Economic: • cooperatives • Political reform • Multi-candidate elections • Glasnost: • Rehabilitated more victims • Allowed many documents published. • Foreign policy: • Nuclear disarmament • Let East Europe go

  14. 1988 • Feb: Polish government raised food prices • May: Workers struck • October: Solidarity and Polish government began Round Table talks • December: at UN Gorbachev promised to withdraw troops from Eastern Europe.

  15. 1989: Year of Revolutions • Feb: Hungarians renounced party’s leading role • April: Solidarity legalized; June wins election • June: Tiananmen square massacre • August: GDR refugees left via Hungary. • Oct: Gorbachev visited GDR; encouraged reform. • Nov: Berlin wall opened; Czechoslovak govt resigned: “Velvet Revolution” • December: Romanians overthrew Ceaucescu

  16. 1990 • March: Lithuania declared independence from USSR • July: Ukraine declared sovereignty • July: CPSU declared end to power monopoly. • Oct: German unification; Gorbachev won Nobel Peace Prize. • Dec: Lech Walesa elected president of Poland.

  17. 1991 • June: Croatia and Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia; leads to war. • July: Soviet Republics negotiate new union treaty • Ukraine’s Supreme Soviet declared independence • Warsaw Pact dissolved. • August: Hard-line communists attempt coup: • rise of Boris Yeltsin • Fall of Gorbachev • December 8: presidents of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus signed Belavezha Accords • declared the Soviet Union dissolved • established the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in its place • December: Ukraine votes from independence

  18. CAUSES of the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe and Soviet Union: • Negative comparisons with West • Communism was not working • Pressure of Western containment policy and Soviet military spending • Persistence of nationalism • Chernobyl nuclear disaster (April 1986) • Soviet intervention in Afghan war (1979-1989) • Chinese reform efforts • Mikhail Gorbachev (idealist, planned reform before power, unwilling to use violence)

  19. The New Europe

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