Communism

March 8/11

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Finish Russian History

• Take out notes from last class!

Homework Committee Lesson

World War II Ends….

• What was the relationship like between the U.S. and USSR during the war?
• After the war?

• Like all great feuds, this one started with the two sides being “friends” united under a common goal: getting rid of Hitler
• After it was certain Hitler was going to be defeated, the world was being set up to be run by two great superpowers: __________ and _________.

Hitler’s Invasion of Russia

• Check out the map!

The USSR

• After World War II, the USSR gradually took more and more control of Eastern Europe
• Began as “protecting” Eastern Europe
• Eventually Eastern Europe became satellite states, controlled by the Soviet Union
• For 40 years, tensions were high between the Soviet superpowers and the United States
• Known as the Cold War (no real fighting)
• Struggle between communism and capitalism

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Cold War and East vs. West Europe

• Cold war divided the world into half
• Western Europe (and the western world):
• Democracy and capitalism allowed freedom
• Very prosperous after WWII
• Eastern Europe
• Communist “puppet” leaders and communist economy limited freedom
• Struggled to advance economically, people wanted to leave
• By 1990’s, Eastern Europe was very far behind Western Europe

What was happening in Russia?

• Committees will present.

Lenin� ��� Stalin� �� Brezhnev� � Gorbachev

Soviet Leaders

What was happening in the rest of Eastern Europe?

Hungary: communist government initiated reforms in 1989 that led to the sanctioning of a multiparty system and competitive elections.

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Poland: the communists entered into talks with non-Communist party Solidarity. As a result, Poland held its first competitive elections since before World War II. In 1989, Solidarity formed the first noncommunist government within the Soviet bloc since 1948.

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Czechoslovakia: Prague Spring (period of political liberalization), Velvet Revolution- peaceful revolution

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Romania: bloody revolt led to execution of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu; only country to forcibly remove Communist government

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East/West Germany

• Inspired by their neighbors' reforms, east Germans took to the streets in the summer and fall of 1989 to call for reforms, including freedom to visit West Berlin and West Germany.

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Started with peaceful meetings

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The Fall of the Soviet Union & Communism

• Satellites overthrew their communist rulers in 1989
• Symbolized by the Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Berlin and fell in November 1989
• In 1991, the Soviet Union Fell
• Boris Yeltsin became President of the new Russian Republic

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“Only the sustained use of force, credible terror, and a sense of isolation could keep the Communist system from collapsing.”

The Communists failed to deliver the goods to the people.

They promised land but delivered them into collectives.

They promised bread by produced food shortages and rationing.

They promised peace but sent young men off to die in foreign wars in distant lands.

“The fall of the [Soviet] empire is an event on the same scale of historical importance as the fall of the Roman Empire.”

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- Former Czech president Vaclav Havel