-
U.S. boycott of 1980 Summer Olympics
US boycott of 1980 Summer Olympics was one part of several actions put in place by the United States to protest the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan. Many other countries supported this boycott by 1984. The United States protested participating in the olympics in Moscow. -
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) (“Star Wars”)
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) (“Star Wars”) was a program that was started by President Ronald Reagan. This program was developed to create an anti-ballistic missile system so that the US could prevent missile attacks from other countries. It focused more on a defense strategy rather than an offensive one. -
Iran-Contra Affair
Iran-Contra Affair occurred during President Reagan’s second term. It was a political scandal that occurred in the US, officials secretly made it easy for Iran to obtain weapons which then led to an arms embargo. These officials thought that arms sales would lead to the release of US hostages. -
Mikhail Gorbachev becomes General Secretary of the Communist
Mikhail Gorbachev was the last General Secretary of Communist Party of the Soviet Union because it would collapse in 1991. He had two policies of glasnost which meant openness and perestroika which meant restructuring. He attempted three times to try and establish a political party. -
“Caribbean Basin Initiative”
“Caribbean Basin Initiative” was a temporary program that provided several tariff and trade benefits to many Central American and Caribbean countries. It came about because of a US desire to respond with aid and trade to leftist movements that were active. -
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) ratified
The treaty was ratified by both the United States and the Soviet Union. It eliminated nuclear and conventional ground-launched missiles between the ranges of 300-3,400 miles. The treaty was formally known as “The Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of their intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles. -
Berlin Wall collapses
Citizens of the German Democratic Republic were allowed to cross the border, people came with hammers, cranes, and bulldozers to knock the wall down. Millions of people celebrated, and it was said to be the best street party in history. When the wall finally fell, Berlin was united for the first time since 1945 and the reunification of both sides occurred in 1990. -
1st McDonalds opens in Moscow
The first McDonalds opening was a sign to the Rusian people that the Soviet Union was changing. To these people, it was less of a political statement than an opportunity to enjoy yourself. Two years after McDonalds was established, the Soviet Union started to collapse. -
Germany is reunified
East Germany joined West Germany which then caused the nation to be reunited as the country of Germany. Both sides were brought back together in 1990 which was the first time Berlin was a single city since 1945. -
Warsaw Pact is dissolved
The treaty was officially decommissioned during the Romanian revolution that was full of violence in 1989. The Warsaw Pact lasted for over 30 years. -
Boris Yelstin elected President of Russia
Boris Yeltsin became one of the biggest political opponents for Mikhail Gorbachev. Since the Soviet Union collapsed, he was president of the Russian Federation. He promised the Russian people that he would transform their economy into a free market economy and he would also price liberalization and privatization programs. -
end of the Soviet Union
The collapse of the Soviet Union was complete when they broke up into 15 independent states. At the time of the Soviet collapse, President Mikhail Gorbachev had also resigned his office. Since Russia was considered the best country in the USSR, everything was handed off to them and it became known as the Russian Federation.
