-
Formation of Solidarity
Solidarity - a non-communist trade union - was formed in Poland. This was the first trade union within the Warsaw Pact that was not under the control of the communist government. This was the first official opposition to the communist government within the USSR. This was the most important event of this decade because it was the beginning of the end of the USSR. The USSR had joined together under communism and this was the first widespread opposition to that ideology. -
Martial Law Instituted in Poland
Protests were spreading across the USSR, causing a threat to the communist state. Recognizing the danger, General Jaruzeski, head of the Polish military, instituted martial law across the country. They were tasked with arresting members of Solidarity to return the peace. However, this just furthered chaos in the Soviet Union and led to violence among the people. -
Anti-Nuclear March in NYC
People were against the threats of war and nuclear weapons, so as a result, they had many marches against it. One prominent example of the opposition was a march in New York for an end to the Cold War arms race and nuclear weapons. It was the largest gathering of protesters in American history because 1 million people participated in it. -
The Shooting-down of KAL-007
Korean Air Lines flight 007 (KAL-007) was shot down on its way back to Seoul, South Korea from Anchorage, AK on Sept. 1, 1983. Soviet fighters shot it down and 269 people died, including Larry McDonald, a US congressman from Georgia. This resulted in greater tensions in between America and the USSR, increasing the risk of war. -
Plans for Protection
It was revealed that Kennedy’s plan for defeating the Russians was that they can outspend them until their economy collapsed. Also, the “Star Wars” initiative, which involved missiles in space for protection. -
Times Are Changing
After a few changes of leadership in the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader. This leader was a well perceived man in the eyes of people that are anti-war because his plan was to reduce the tensions that this war brings, and to bring major reforms to Russia. The last casualty of the War was on March 24, 1985. The two leaders of the opposing sides, Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan, started to meet and held their first summit meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. -
USSR Problems
The end was near. Gorbachev was continuing with de-Stalination, and trying to restore Russia to its former glory, though hard with their failing economy. The second of four summits was held, this time in Iceland. They talked about nuclear arms control, and almost resolved this massive problem, yet they didn’t. Although a relative failure, they still continued to meet. The Chernobyl Disaster occurred during this year as well. -
Ronald Reagan's Speech to Mikhail Gorbachev
President Reagan gave a speech asking the leader of the USSR to tear down the Berlin wall, allowing the people of Germany the freedom to choose their way of life. Reagan was the most important person in the 80s because he was the leader of America, shaping its foreign policies and its plans in defeating the USSR. His actions were crucial in defeating communism and played a key role in the end of the cold war. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei1HnWwzmNk -
The USSR Withdraws from Afghanistan
The USSR had been rooted in Afghanistan for about ten years (from roughly 1979-1989). They wished to take Afghanistan as their own, turn it into a communist nation, and gain more territory. However, they were finally pressured by the U.S enough in the spring of 1988 to withdraw from Afghanistan. This signified the decrease of communist power, which was beneficial to the U.S. -
Conservatives in Russian Politics are Purged
On September 30, 1988, many Russian politicians were purged from the political system. This does not mean that they were killed, but they were blackballed from the Russian political system. By this time, the Russian Politburo was on the way to its downfall, so the fact that they began to purge people from their political system was no surprise. The man pictured, Andrei Gromyko, was one of the people blackballed from the scene of Russian politics.
