Collapse of the Soviet Union

1. Collapse of the Soviet Union Chapter 19 Section 4 By: Axel Reed and Ellyn Moll

6. Unrest in the Soviet Union • Nationalists in the Soviet Union wanted freedom after Eastern Europe gained freedom from the Soviet • Russians were the largest and most powerful ethnic group out of the one- hundred ethnic groups within the Soviet • Non-Russians formed the majority of the one-hundred ethnic groups • Tensions between ethnic groups increased as reforms gave more freedom from central control • Unrest starts to spread • Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldavia called for self-rule, while Muslims of the Soviet Central Asia petitioned for religious freedom

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8. 1940 Soviet Union annexed the Baltic Nations (Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia) after they had been independent states throughout the world wars • Gorbachev directed a blockade of the Republic of Lithuania after they declared their independence in 1990 • 1991 Soviet army attacks civilians at Lithuania’s capital killing 14 and wounding 150+ • Gorbachev ordered the attack in fear that other nations would want independence if Lithuania gained theirs • Gorbachev’s popularity decreased as the economy didn’t progress and because of the attack on Lithuania • Boris Yeltsin gained popularity • Was a member of parliament • Former mayor of Moscow • Yeltsin was Russian Republic’s first directly elected president

9. Hard Liners (conservatives who opposed reform) • Were angry at Gorbachev for pulling out as Eastern Europe’s dominant force • Were scared of losing their power and privilages • Wanted to overthrow Gorbachev and undo all of his reforms • Yeltsin and Gorbachev were enemies, but had common goal of suppressing hard liners • While at his vacation home on the Black Sea, hard liners detained Gorbachev and demanded that he resign as the president of the Soviet Union • The next day hard liners, who called themselves the State Committee, drove tanks through the city in hopes that fear would great further obedience to them • The people rose above their fear and were willing to stand in the way of the State Committee for their freedom • Protesters gathered at Yeltsin’s office

10. Yeltsin climbed on a tank and spoke to the protesters demanding the country be returned • The State Committee ordered their army to attack parliament, but instead withdrew and Gorbachev regained office • Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) • Loose federation of former soviet territories • Yeltsin met with leaders of other republics to form the CIS • Baltic Republics and Georgia did not join • CIS=“good-bye” to the Soviet Union • Christmas 1991, Gorbachev resigns as president of the Soviet Union

12. The Yeltsin Era • Gorbachev’s resignation made Boris Yeltsin president of the Russian Republic and the most powerful person within the CIS • “Shock Therapy”: an abrupt shift to free-market economics • Eliminated government involvement in the economy • Trade barriers • Price controls • State-owned industries • Inflation rate averaged 800% • Factories cut down production or shut down • Thousands of people were out of work • Economic problems fueled a political crisis • Yeltsin is accused of being a dictator • Legislators who opposed Yeltsin’s economic policies locked themselves into the parliament building. • Yeltsin sent troops into the building forcing them to surrender and some were killed.

13. War in Chechnya • Muslim area in SW Russia • Declared their independence, but Yeltsin declined • 40,000 troops sent to Chechnya and destroyed the capital, Grozny • With re-election approaching, Russia’s people were angered with Yeltsin, and Yeltsin knew the war would have to come to an end • Yeltsin signed a peace treaty and was re-elected by the people • Right after elections Yeltsin went back to war with Chechnya and as fighting intensified resigned office • Premier Vladamir Putin named president by Yeltsin, who forcefully stopped the rebellion in Chechnya • Gained popularity from Russian citizens and was reelected in 2000. • Economy continued through slump even with a president approved by the people

14. Former yugoslavia 1989-2000

15. Yugoslavia Falls Apart • Ethnic Conflicts; Serbs, Croats, Muslims, Slovenes, Macedonians, and Montenegrins • Yugoslavia formed after WWI • Federation of 6 Republics, each with a mixed population • Josip Tito led Yugoslavia for 35 years until his death when Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic took control. • Ethnic resentments rose • Slovakia and Croatia became republics and declared independence • Yugoslav army invaded both nations and after bloody fighting, both nations won and gained independence • Feb. 1992 Bosnia-Herzegovina declared their independence • April, Serbia and Montenegro formed new Yugoslavia • Bosnia’s population contained • Muslims 44% • Serbs 31% • Croats 17%

16. Bosnia’s Muslims and Croats were for independence, while Bosnian Serbs were strongly against it • March 1992, Bosnian Serbs, supported by Serbia, launched war • Ethnic Cleansing: policy intended to rid Bosnia of its Muslim population • Used by Serbs for murder and other forms of brutality • By 1995 Serbs controlled 70% of Bosnia • December 1995 Brokered Peace Treaty signed by leaders involved in the war with U.S. and UN • September, Bosnia elected a three-person presidency, one for each ethnic group • Nation continues to experience unrest • Kosovo, made up of almost entirely Albanians, experiences major violence as independence movements escalate • Serbian forces move in with major bloodshed as well • Spring of 1999 NATO begins bombing campaign of Yugoslavia • Yugoslav leaders removed their troops from Kosovo after two months of constant bombing

17. Eastern Europe Faces Problems Santa?

18. Eastern Europe Faces Problems • During the 90’s nations of Easter Europe were relatively peaceful compared to Yugoslavia, but faced other problems • Lech Walesa, elected president of Poland in ‘91, attempted to use shock therapy, like Yeltsin, to revive Poland’s bankrupt economy • 1995 former Communist, Aleksandr Kwasniewski, elected president after the Polish people were impatient of waiting for Walesa’s plans • Kwasniewski wanted to combine free market policies with greater social benefits, despite his communist background

19. Czechoslovakian reformers launch their own shock therapy plan • Unemployment rose, hurting Slovakia more than the other 2/3 of the country • Differences in economic policy led to divisions between Czech republic and Slovakia • President Havel tried to promote unity, but splitting the nation gained too much support • President Havel resigned, Czechoslovakia split into two countries on January 1, 1993 • Havel was elected president of Czech republic and re-elected in 1998 as well. • Each nation had many gains after separation, but still faced obstacles to democracy • Ethnic conflicts and economic progress still needed crucial resolving

20. Key Terms & Themes Shock Therapy CIS Ethnic Cleansing Yeltsin

21. Boris Yeltsin • Member of parliament and former mayor of Moscow • Russian Republic’s first directly elected president • CIS • COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES • Loose federation of former Soviet territories • Lead to death of Soviet Union • “Shock Therapy” • Abrupt shift to free-market economies • First used by Yeltsin • Ethnic Cleansing • Policy using murder and other forms of brutality against an ethnic group • Serbs used it against Bosnian Muslims to rid Bosnia of its Muslim population • Changes in government and political process • Losing and gaining of power

22. Questions! • Who were the largest and most powerful ethnic group within the Soviet Union? • Who was Boris Yeltsin? • What were hard liners? • What was the CIS and which nations did not want to be apart of it? • What were the effects of Yeltsin’s “shock therapy” plan? • How many republics did Yugoslavia consist of? • Who did the Serbs murder to eliminate their presence in Bosnia? • Which nation was bombed constantly for two months and by whom? • What was the mood like in the ‘90’s in Eastern Europe compared to Yugoslavia? • Why did Czechoslovakia split and who became president of the Czech Republic?

23. Who were the largest and most powerful ethnic group within the Soviet Union? • Russians • Who was Boris Yeltsin? • Member of parliament and former mayor of Moscow • First directly elected president of Russian Republic • First to use “shock therapy” • What were hard liners? • Conservatives who opposed reform • What was the CIS and which nations did not want to be apart of it? • (Commonwealth of Independent States) Loose federation of former Soviet Territories • Baltic Republics and Georgia • What were the effects of Yeltsin’s “shock therapy” plan? • Inflation rate averaged 800% • Factories cut down production or shut down • Thousands of people were out of work • Economic problems fueled a political crisis • Yeltsin is accused of being a dictator

24. How many republics did Yugoslavia consist of? • Six • Who did the Serbs murder to eliminate their presence in Bosnia? • Bosnian Muslims • Which nation was bombed constantly for two months and by whom? • Yugoslavia by NATO • What was the mood like in the ‘90’s in Eastern Europe compared to Yugoslavia? • Nations were relatively stable and did not experience widespread violence • Why did Czechoslovakia split and who became president of the Czech Republic? • Slovakia was hit harder by unemployment and could not agree on economic policy • Václav Havel

25. Works Cited • Beck, Roger B. Modern World History: Patterns of Interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2005. Print. • United States of America. The White House. The President. System II. By Ronald Reagan. Web. 17 May 2012. <http://www.gwu.edu/%7Ensarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB238/usdocs/Doc%201a%20(letter%20Reagan-Gorby%2004.10.87).pdf>.