Summary
Summary End of the Cold War & New World Order (Topic 6) notes
In-depth, comprehensive notes on the End of the Cold War and New World Order (topic 6). Made according to the IEB SAGS document.
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
Content preview
End of the Cold War&
New World Order
End of the Cold War
- Gorbachev’s Aims:
⌑ (1985) Gorbachev = Secretary General of Soviet Communist Party
⌙ Life-long communist & believed in its ideology — not a
hardliner like previous leaders
⌙ Inherited country facing internal & external problems
⌙ Hoped to revive USSR’s economy → improve industrial
output, technology, & expanding markets
⌙ Attacked Brezhbev for “years of stagnation” → started reforms
⌑ Gorbachev’s aims when assuming power:
Restructure & restore Soviet economy → reducing CP control over
economy
Reduce military spending
Encourage Western companies to invent in USSR
Facilitate transparency abt gov policy
Listen & take note of public opinion
Allow some form of elections BUT maintaining real power lie in hands of
CP
- Gorbachev’s Reforms:
(1985) Gorbachev = Secretary General of Soviet Communist Party
= Life-long communist & believed in its
ideology — not a hardliner like previous
leaders
= Inherited country facing internal & external
problems
= Hoped to revive USSR’s economy →
improve industrial output, technology, &
expanding markets
= Attacked Brezhbev for “years of
stagnation” → started reforms
Cold War = costly bc: Arms race
: Control of satellite states in E Eur
: War in Afganistan
SCPC = corrupt & ine cient → resulting in decreased industrial production &
ine cient farming practices contributing to:
✧ USSR standard of living = evening lower the most other E Eur countries
✧ Severe food shortages
✧ USSR forced to import grain for western countries
⚛︎ ffi
⭐︎ ffi
, ✧ Shortages of goods
✧ Poor health standards & inadequate health care
✧ In ation
Reforms → Contributed to end of Cold War & disintegration of USSR
Perestroika (recontruction) - economic reforms Glasnot (openess) - politcal reform
Based on economy ⌘ Free, open debate & criticism abt Russia’s political
E ciency for gov — looked @ Stalin & Lenin’s ways for problems
radical changes ⌘ Wanted to hear ppl’s ideas (not only combust party
Workers & managers could make own decisions w/out ⌘ Allowed media to critics gov
contacting Moscow ⌘ Resulted: in attack on Gorbachev, country & gov AND
Small business & farms allowed demand for more freedom
Permission to buy/sell goods & services for pro t
Investments from capitalist west encouraged
Campaign encouraging ppl to work harder — incentives
→ controlled making/ selling alcohol
Democratisation Détente
• Other political parties allowed & formed Creating better international relations
• Free elections International interest
• More attacks on Communism & Gorbachev Could not a ord arms race
Improved relations w/ countries no ‘friendly’ w/
Reduction of nuclear war tensions — Reagan -
negotiate reduction of nuclear & other weapons
Patch up relations w/ china
Withdrew from Afghanistan
→ Had impact on events globally
Reforms:
⭐︎ffifl
♠︎
⚛︎ ff fi
, - Events in Poland:
• Poland = USSR satellite state (dependent on the USSR)
• Satellite states:
⌘ All one party communist regimes w/ nationalised economies
⌘ 1955 — joined Soviet-led military alliance (Warsaw Pact)
⌘ All had a secret police → close watch of dissidents & any resistance =
brutally crushed
⌘ USSR didn’t intervene to support communist regimes
• Poland = most restless and di cult fro USSR to control bc Poles:
proud of their country’s long history & culture — hated Russians &
being under Soviet domination
Nearly all = devout Catholics → Catholics = powerful anti-communist
in uence
Polish intelligentsia constantly questioned & criticised Poland’s
communist regime
+60% = farmers — opposed to collectivisation & kept their fars →
strongly anti-communist political force
Workers in Industries = disgruntled & rioted bc:
⌑ Working conditions
⌑ Low standard of living
⌑ Only communist trade unions allowed
⌑ Frequent shortages of food and consumer goods
⌑ In ation
- Events in Poland: Solidarity:
→ Mid-1970’s — uno cial trade union formed: Solidarity
→ Solidarity
= joined by leading members of intelligentsia
= Had full support of Catholic Church
→ 1980 — strike in Leni Shipyard (Dkansk)
⌙ Led by Lech Walsea (electrician already intoruble for critisising gov.)
⌙ Set of wave of strikes across Poland — attracted huge international
attention
⌙ Polish communist gov = forced to recognise worker’s right to strike & form
independent trade unions
⌙ W/in few months →10mil workers joined Solidarity
→ 1981— General Jaruzelski = heal of polish gov & declared martial gov. :
☇ Feared if he didn’t do this USSR would invade
Poland (like it invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968)
☇ Lech Walsea & 1000s Solidarity members arrested
→ Lech Walsea
Released: 1982
1983: awarded Nobel Pease Prize → showed how much International
support he had
→ Early 1989 — Jaruzelski realised he would have to negotiate w/ Solidarity
→ Economic conditions = getting worse → Jaruzelski saw that ISSR not coming to
save him & Polish communism
→ Polish round table talks started: Feb 1989
⚛︎ fl ffi ffi
, → Partially free elections began: June 1989
→ Solidarity’s success
☇ Even though some seats saved for communists — solidarity still won them &
formed 1st non-communist Gove since 1945
☇ Dec 1990: Lech Walsea = elected President of Poland
→ Solidarity’s success & fact USSR didn’t try stop them → encouraged opposition
movements in all other satellite states of E Eur
→ Satellite states = supported by West (money, equipment & advisors to help them)
→ 45yrs of Communism & Soviet power came to end in E Eur
→ These events led to free elections during 1990 in Eastern bloc
⌙ Non-communist parties won majority votes
⌙ New Govs left Warsaw Pact → told USSr to remove soldiers and close
its military bases in their countries
⌙ Dismantled communist structures
⌙ Introduced free market economies
⌙ Drew up democratic constitutions
⌙ Opened membership negotionaions w/ European Community (1992
renamed to EU)
→ 45yrs of Communism & Soviet power came to end in E Eur
‣ How did the Soviet Union React
• After Gdansk Agreement — Soviet Union stepped up pressure on
Polish gov (which was rapidly losing control over Poland)
• Soviets put General Wojciech Jaruzelski in charge & expected
crackdown on Solidarity movement
• Jaruzelski took following actions:
: Dec 13 1981 — declared martial law
: Arrested +/- 5000 Solidarity members (incl. Walesea)
: Expanded censorship & police lled the street
: 100s strikes put down throughout country → resulted several
deaths in Gdansk & at Wujek Coal Mine
• Oct 1982: Solidarity banned & many leaders arrested → end of 1982
strikes stopped & Solidarity seemed it would no longer function
• Underground structures began to form — incl. Solidarity Radio & 500
underground publications in operation → Solidarity persevered
• Solidarity gained a lot of international support:
World Leaders:
✧ Ronald Reagan (USA)
✧ Margaret Thatcher (Britain)
✧ Pope John Paul II & Carrillo (Spain)
Organisations:
= NATO
= Various Christian Groups
= Western communists, liberals, conservatives &
socialists
⚛︎
fi
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller quinnyq. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R80,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
48756 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy summaries for 15 years now