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President Reagan proposes Strategic Defense Initiative
president regan felt people were too dependent on the government so he developed a plan called the new federalism that will decrease the power of the federal government -
Mikhail Gorbachev ascends to power in Soviet Union
He became the new leader of the soviet union he wanted to make changes to improve soviet society he spoke of a openness that would allowed more criticism of the soviets -
Iran-Contra Affair (arms sold to Iran,profits used to support contras in Nicaragua
A communist government took control of nicargua the U.S. feared they would take control of other central amercian nations -
Gorbachev ends economic aid to Soviet satellites
Frustration with the bad economy combined with Gorbachev’s hands-off approach to Soviet satellites to inspire a series of independence movements in the republics on the USSR’s fringes. One by one, the Baltic states (Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia) declared their independence from Moscow. Then, in early December, the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine broke away from the USSR and created the Commonwealth of Independent States. -
Iran-Contra Affair revealed to public
The affair came to the public’s attention on November 3, 1986, when a Lebanese publication, Al-Shiraa, first reported that the United States had sold weapons to Iran. The news was shocking because the Reagan administration had previously denounced Iran as a supporter of international terrorism. -
Reagan & Gorbachev resolve remove all intermediate nuclear missiles from Europe
Gorbachev and Reagan signed a treaty to decrease the amount of nuclear weapons. Both agreed to destroy medium-range nuclear weapons. -
China puts down protests for democracy; Poland becomes independent
after the death of the former General Secretary of the Communist Party, Hu Yoabang. Thousands of college students began gathering in Tiananmen Square in order to mourn the loss of Hu, whom had been a symbol of anti-corruption and political reform to the students. The students then begin to appeal for reforms within the country, including press freedom. Throughout the rest of the month, demonstrations continued, much to the disdain of the government.Poland began an independent trade union -
Berlin Wall falls
communism began to fall in Europe then Eastern European countries under Communist rule began to protest communist rule. East Germany opened it's borders to the west and allowed thousands of it's citizens to pass through the Berlin Wall. -
Communist governments fall in Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Rumania; Soviet empire ends
The political upheaval began in Poland,continued in Hungary, and then led to a surge of mostly peaceful revolutions in East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. Romania was the only Eastern-bloc country to overthrow its communist regime violently and execute its head of state -
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