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USSR pulls out of Afghanistan
In attempt to bring Communism to Afghanistan, the USSR invaded the country, but years later retreated. This is because they had no success and didn't want to continue damaging their country's economy. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was torn down to represent a change in the relationship between West and east Germany. East Berlin wanted to change its relationship with it’s Western counterpart.
Spokesperson for communist party allowed citizens to cross border at midnight that day
More than 2 million participated in tearing down the wall
http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-wall
Video: https://youtu.be/xR5JjkDG45o -
Malta Summit Meeting
Meeting between the US and USSR that ended the Cold War
Conference took place in Soviet cruise ship
Happened during revolutions of 1989
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/the-cold-war/the-malta-summit-1989/ -
Revolutions of 1989
collapse of communism in Eastern Europe; communist governments were replaced with non communist ones. Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary vote communism out of government in June of 1989
Soviet troop withdrawals
https://www.thenation.com/article/empire-falls-revolutions-1989/ -
Economic recession begins
Mood is hopeful and most important person is Mikhail Gorbachev.
Gas prices spiked, Tax rates increased, For the first time since the, Great Depression, America suffered “jobless recovery”, GDP was 2.4% from 1990-1995 (half of what is used to be at the time), and
Productivity dropped to 0.5% per year due to stress of the Cold War -
Romania leaves USSR
The first country at the time to pull out from the USSR because it believed that the form of government was an illegal way to treat the people. -
Albania leaves USSR
Influenced by Romania, Albania believed that it needed serious change in its government and withdrew from the USSR. -
Lithuania’s first elected Parliament withdraws from the USSR
Lithuania adapted to a new form of democracy which made them despise communism, so when they created their new government, the first act was withdrawn from the USSR -
Mikhail S. Gorbachev sworn in as president of the Soviet Congress
Gorbachev was the single most important person on this time period because he would be responsible for the destruction of the USSR. -
Estonia declares soviet rule illegal in their country
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Hubble space telescope is launched, morale booster
Although the “ space race” technically ended in 1975, it is believed that this was the true last laugh of the race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEKCo1G2stg -
Latvia withdraws from USSR.
Latvia had multiple days of independence, this was when they declared independence
https://www.britannica.com/place/Baltic-states/Independence-and-the-20th-century#toc37265 -
Estonia declares independence and withdraws from USSR
This follows the event that Estonia declares that communist rule is an illegal form of government -
WWW created and Economic Recession
Creation of the internet gave people hope along with economic recession:
Gas prices spiked
Tax rates increased
For the first time since the Great Depression, America suffered “jobless recovery”
GDP was 2.4% from 1990-1995 (half of what is used to be at the time)
Productivity dropped to 0.5% per year due to stress of the Cold War
https://economics21.org/html/story-1990s-economy-276.html -
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Ukraine, Belarus and Russia declare independence from the Soviet Union
Gorbachev loses his country - most important event of the war
http://www.ushistory.org/us/59e.asp -
Primary Source 2 pt 1
“That confrontation is now over. The nuclear threat -- while far from gone -- is receding. Eastern Europe is free. The Soviet Union itself is no more. This is a victory for democracy and freedom. It's a victory for the moral force of our values. Every American can take pride in this victory, from the millions of men and women who have served our country in uniform, to millions of Americans who supported their country and a strong defense under nine presidents. -
Primary Source 2 pt 2
New, independent nations have emerged out of the wreckage of the Soviet empire. Last weekend, these former republics formed a Commonwealth of Independent States. This act marks the end of the old Soviet Union, signified today by Mikhail Gorbachev's decision to resign as President. I'd like to express, on behalf of the American people, my gratitude to Mikhail Gorbachev for years of sustained commitment to world peace, and for his intellect, vision and courage. -
Primary Source 2 pt 3
I spoke with Mikhail Gorbachev this morning. We reviewed the many accomplishments of the past few years and spoke of hope for the future.” -
GWB sr is elected president
Hopes of a better free future and economy starts to get fixed. mood is bright -
Primary Source pt 2
However, we were living much worse than people in the industrialized countries were living and we were increasingly lagging behind them. The reason was obvious even then. This country was suffocating in the shackles of the bureaucratic command system. Doomed to cater to ideology, and suffer and carry the onerous burden of the arms race, it found itself at the breaking point. All the half-hearted reforms -- and there have been a lot of them -- fell through, one after another. -
Primary Source part 3
All the half-hearted reforms -- and there have been a lot of them -- fell through, one after another. This country was going nowhere and we couldn't possibly live the way we did. We had to change everything radically.” -
Primary source pt1
Gorbachev’s farewell speech excerpt -
“I find it important because there have been a lot of controversial, superficial, and unbiased judgments made on this score. Destiny so ruled that when I found myself at the helm of this state it already was clear that something was wrong in this country. We had a lot of everything -- land, oil and gas, other natural resources -- and there was intellect and talent in abundance.
