Module 3 *** Turn the volume

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The Collapse of Soviet on and up: this slide
is narrated. In order

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narration, download
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Communist Regimes in them in
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Eastern Europe (Headphones might
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The Decline of Soviet Power

Gorbachev’s Reforms
Economic and Social Challenges in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe 1989: Revolutions (Reforms) from Above
Eastern Europe 1989: Revolutions from Below
Gorbachev: A Key Player
Conclusions and Personal Account
The Decline of Soviet Power
• “Star Wars” and Military Spending
▫ Since the 1950s, the Soviet Union and the United States were engaged in
a “cold” conflict of indirect confrontation and competition across the
Globe.
▫ They fought proxy wars in Asia, Latin America and Africa and they
competed in a space and an arms race that was unprecedented in
history.
▫ By the 1980s, it was clear that the US was winning this competition.
Even though the USSR had more men under arms, it was no longer
being able to keep up with the military expenditure and the expenditure
for the space race with the US.
▫ The Soviets were spending a high percent of their budget on the military
and were not taking proper care to meet the needs of their civilian
population, leading to shortages and popular discontent.
▫ Besides the military expenditures, another factor that was placing major
pressures on the Soviet Union were the shortcomings of Marxist-
Leninist ideas as applied in the state-controlled economy (remember
our discussion in Modules 1 and 2).
The Decline of Soviet Power
• Gorbachev’s Reforms: Glasnost and Perestroika
▫ Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the USSR in the mid 1980s. He
was a young leader and somewhat more in tune with the concerns of the
Soviet and EE population than his predecessors. He understood that the
Soviet Union was considerably weakened by its military expenditures
and by its inefficient economic system. He sought reform through
Perestroika (“restructuring” of the Soviet political and economic reality)
and through Glasnost (“opening”) which would allow, for the first time
in decades, Soviet citizens to openly express their concerns to their
leaders and to discuss potential solutions to the crisis the Soviets were
facing. Gorbachev was hoping to achieve a more humane, milder form of
Socialism through his policies. Thus, he embraced the idea that Socialist
ideals could still be attained in the Soviet Union, but by a less repressive
path.
The Decline of Soviet Power
• Gorbachev’s Reforms: Impact on Foreign Policy
▫ Gorbachev also understood that the Soviet Union could no longer afford to maintain its
sphere of influence in Eastern Europe. The military and logistic costs of doing so were too
much for the Soviet budget. This is why, Gorbachev told Communist leaders in EE that
they were on their own: the Soviet Union would not help them repress anti-Communist
demonstrations as it had done in the past.
▫ Reactions were different across Eastern Europe. A reform-minded Hungarian government
allowed for free travel and political liberalization (free elections) as soon as they received
reassurances from Gorbachev that their removal of communist rule would not be met with
resistance by Soviet troops.
▫ Other, more radical communist leaders, like Erich Honecker (East Germany) and Nicolae
Ceausescu (Romania) chastised Gorbachev and insisted on Soviet military assistance in
case anti-Communist revolts would happen in their countries. Gorbachev did not grant
them any support and by the end of 1989 both Honecker and Ceausescu had been removed
from power as a result of widespread popular demonstrations.
Economic and Social Challenges in EE
• Why did Eastern Europeans decide to challenge communist and Soviet rule in 1989?
▫ First of all, because most Eastern Europeans loathed Soviet control and Communism as an
ideology from the very first time it was imposed on them, in the late 1940s
▫ As you saw in the previous modules, repeated attempts had been made by the people of EE
to free themselves in the past. Now they sensed Soviet weakness and once confirmation
came that the Soviets would not intervene, demonstrators were unstoppable.
▫ Besides historical reasons, EEs had numerous other reasons to want to bring about change.
They were oppressed, abused, hungry and desperate:
 Censorship had plagued their lives for decades now, with no disagreement with official
politics or policies allowed. Tens of thousands were spied on by the secret police and
faced jail time for disagreeing with the regime in power.
 The economic situation was worsening: consumer goods were few and of poor quality,
bread lines had become the norm, electricity, water and heating fuel cuts meant poverty,
misery and terrible living conditions.
 Because of the economic and social challenges, tens of thousands wanted to leave, but,
for fear of defection, travel was very much restricted, making people feel that they were
prisoners in their own countries.
 At the same time, the “Nomenklatura” (the Communist party leaders) led privileged lives
of plenty, with access to travel, food and luxurious housing-- all the while still pretending
they were working to create the socialist ideal society with perfect equality for all.
Reforms from Above; Revolutions from
Below
• All the shortcomings and injustices listed on the previous slide led the people of EE countries
to mobilize against those who had abusively led them for several decades.
• In some countries the transition was easily achieved, as reform-minded elites understood that
Soviet-style communism was utopian and that the local population could no longer accept the
injustices and repression of the communist rule. This was the case in Hungary, Poland and
Czechoslovakia, where communist leaders agreed to pro-democracy reforms and eventually
peacefully stepped aside. These were the happy cases of reforms from above.
• In Romania, communist leaders did not want to accept the shortcomings of their rule. Some
say that these leaders were so far removed from the realities of the day-to-day life, that they
did not even understand the misery in their countries. They refused any reform, any
compromise and the population felt it had no alternative, but to openly revolt in the streets.
Here, the downfall of the regime meant several hundred civilian deaths before the communist
dictatorship was removed. This was a case of a revolution from below
• In East Germany, a popular revolution against Erich Honecker was the result of his
uncompromising policies. But, he was removed through the intervention of his own
colleagues from the communist party. This was the case of a mix: revolution from below,
aided by some reform-minded leaders. The outcome was a happy one: the Berlin Wall fell in
1989 and East and West Germany were reunited, forming one country, one year later (See
Cold War Episode 23)
The Fate of the Soviet Union
• One reason why Gorbachev refused to grant assistance to his communist colleagues whose rule was
challenged in Eastern Europe, was the fact that he was trying to focus economic and military resources
on maintaining Soviet control over the so-called “Soviet Republics”. These were republics such as
Ukraine, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, that had been conquered militarily by Russia,
starting with the early 1900s, and had been forcefully incorporated in the Soviet Union.
• The people of these territories had longed for the day in which they would regain their independence
and would be recognized as independent people and independent countries again.
• Gorbachev knew that granting these countries their independence would have meant the complete
dismantling of the Soviet Union. Even though he had urged his EE colleagues to allow for reform and
to listen to the wishes of their own people, he was not ready to do the same with the people of the
“Soviet Republics”.
• Gorbachev wanted to preserve the Soviet Union intact and bring about some economic and social
changes, while still upholding the ideal of “Socialism with a human face”. To him, the thought of
dismantling the Soviet Union was blasphemy.
• This time, it was clear that Gorbachev himself was out of touch with what people in the Soviet Union
wanted. The fact that he sent tanks in Lithuania, to suppress a pro-independence demonstration,
frightened and upset Eastern Europeans, as well as Soviet citizens, who rallied around a charismatic
reformer: Boris Yeltsin. (See Cold War Episode 24)
• Yeltsin eventually helped remove Gorbachev from power and brought about the dismantling of the
Soviet Union in 1991. This led to the creation of newly independent countries in EE in the early 1990s
such as Ukraine, Moldova and the Baltic States (which we wills study later in the semester).
A Key Player
• Here, it is important to note the key role played by Michael Gorbachev in
the peaceful end to the Cold War.
• For many reasons, Gorbachev was the right man at the right place at the
right time. He was wise enough to recognize the weakness of the Soviet
Union and to admit that the path of control of Eastern Europe was
unsustainable in the long run.
• For many Eastern Europeans (see especially East Germans), he was a hero
because, unlike his predecessors, he did not sent troops or tanks to stop
anti-Communist demonstrations in Eastern Europe.
• For some Russians, however, he was a traitor, because he allowed the
Soviet Union to lose its place as a superpower in the world. His answer to
these accusations was that he could not afford to do otherwise. Economic
troubles in the USSR would have led to massive popular protests and, had
he not ordered the military to stand down, that would have meant an
unprecedented massacre, with thousands of victims.
A Key Player
• For his crucial role in the
peaceful transition to
democracy of Eastern
European countries, Mikhail
Gorbachev was granted the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1990.
Conclusions and Personal Account
• For many in the West, the end of the Cold War came as a huge surprise.
• In the East, we had seen the end coming, but we feared much more
tension and bloodshed. In the 1980s, we knew we could no longer
endure the oppression, hunger and humiliations of communist regimes.
Thousands had defected or died trying to defect, but in 1989 millions
decided to no longer hide or run away, but to risk their lives for freedom.
• I was a child during that time, but I vividly remember the years of
hunger, the cold, the endless lines for bread, the threats and censorship,
the fear. I remember being shot at from rooftops and a chopper when
demonstrating with my parents in the streets, asking for freedom.
Adults and even children died during those demonstrations.
• The price Romania had to pay for freedom was the highest in Eastern
Europe, but nothing can compare with the unspeakable joy we felt once
we knew the communist dictator had fled and his rule had come to an
end. It was a feeling I will never forget.
1986: On the first day of Kindergarten, we had to swear allegiance to the Communist Party and dictator Ceausescu
for the very first time in our lives. The dreaded communist uniforms were replaced for one day with more festive
clothes, but we had to stand at attention and nobody was smiling. This is one of the few colored pictures I have
from my childhood. Because of shortages, black and white pictures were the norm. I still remember being
somewhat scared that day, but very proud of my black dress and pink apron. (Please do not redistribute this
picture without my permission.)
• This concludes the PowerPoint outline for
Module 3
• Make sure you follow all steps listed by the “To
Do” list for Module 3 and read the module
overview.
• Please note that for the weekly assignment you
can choose between a quiz and a written
assignment. Good luck!