The Fall of the Soviet Union
Gorbachev Pursues Reform
Pursues the twin policies of Glansnost and perestroika
Perestroika stood for reforming the soivet system
Glasnost meant a new openess
started refrms mostly becasue soivet union economy lay in shambles
Nation faced regular shrtages of food
factories and workers couldnt compete with their western counterparts
Huge chunk of money went to military
war in afghanistan drained soviets resources
realized that soivet union could not match the military buildup initiated by Reagan administration
Two Leaders Meet
During reagan 2nd term they met 4 time between 1985-1989
during their final meeting they tasted each other at a state dinner, and toured the sights and joined press conference
The two nations signed a historic nucear arms pact and had begun negotiations on the START I treaty, which wuld reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world
Communism Ends in Eastern Europe
the fall of the Berlin Wall symbolized the end f cmmunism in Europe
Thw wall blocked travel from communist East Berlin to emocratic west berlin
Novemeber 1989, east german autohorites opened the wall's gates
within a year, the reuinited as one nation
Communsit also lost power in Polnad, Hingary Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and ROmania in 1989: in Albania in 1990; and In yogoslavia in 1991
THe Soivet Union Breaks Apart
in Aggust 1991, hard-loners in the SOivet Union attempted to stage a ciup in a last-gasp attempt to maintain communist rule
Millions of RUssinas, led by boris yelsin, railled in the streets of Moscow in support of GOrbachev and the coup fell apart
the Communist party lost power and the soivet union seprated into 15 independent republics.
gorbachev's policy of glasnost opened the floodgates to rebellions against the soivet domination of eastenr europe
his polciy f Perestroika fostered a challene to communist rule within the soivet union
Reagan dedicated america to a massive arms buildup and he hastened the collaspe of the soivet union
this compelled gorbachev to promote reform at home and relinquish control of eastern europe
Bush signed treaties with gorbacheb and Yelsin to scale down and even eliminate certain types of nuclear weapons
Biush and Yeltsin issues a joint statementin 1992 pledgeing freindship and cooperation