The Collapse The Collapse CommunismCommunism

And the world watched And the world watched with wonder …with wonder …

The Gorbachev Revolution The Gorbachev Revolution

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Gorbachev recognized that the recognized that the Soviet Union could not Soviet Union could not remain politically and remain politically and economically isolated economically isolated and that the Soviet and that the Soviet system had to be system had to be changed if it was to changed if it was to survive. survive.

Gorbachev's Five-Point PlanGorbachev's Five-Point Plan The key pieces to Gorbachev's plan for the survival The key pieces to Gorbachev's plan for the survival

of the Soviet Union were a series of reforms:of the Soviet Union were a series of reforms:1.1. Glasnost Glasnost (openness) – greater freedom of (openness) – greater freedom of

expression expression 2.2. PerestroikaPerestroika (restructuring) – decentralization of (restructuring) – decentralization of

the Soviet economy with gradual market the Soviet economy with gradual market reforms reforms

3.3. Renunciation of Renunciation of the Brezhnev Doctrine the Brezhnev Doctrine (armed (armed intervention where socialism was threatened) intervention where socialism was threatened) and the pursuit of arms control agreements and the pursuit of arms control agreements

4.4. Reform of the KGBReform of the KGB (secret service) (secret service)5.5. Reform of the Communist Party Reform of the Communist Party

The Objective: SurvivalThe Objective: Survival Gorbachev knew that the Soviet Union would have to Gorbachev knew that the Soviet Union would have to

change if it was to survive.change if it was to survive. Central planningCentral planning in a modern industrial economy in a modern industrial economy

brought many inefficiencies. brought many inefficiencies. The The factory management systemfactory management system provided little provided little

incentive to make technological improvements incentive to make technological improvements and every incentive to hide factory capacities to and every incentive to hide factory capacities to ensure low quotas ensure low quotas

The The socialist farm systemsocialist farm system was inefficient – there was inefficient – there were poor worker incentives and storage and were poor worker incentives and storage and transportation problems. transportation problems.

The Soviet State could no longer afford the The Soviet State could no longer afford the high high defense spendingdefense spending that accompanied the Cold War. that accompanied the Cold War.

Insistent Calls for ChangeInsistent Calls for Change

He believed that his He believed that his reforms were necessary reforms were necessary and used his leadership and used his leadership and power to attempt to and power to attempt to implement them. implement them.

The policy of The policy of glasnostglasnost (openness) made it (openness) made it possible for people to more possible for people to more freely criticize the freely criticize the government's policies. government's policies. When people realized it When people realized it was safe to speak out, the was safe to speak out, the calls for change became calls for change became more insistent. more insistent.

Reforms Were Too SlowReforms Were Too Slow

The gradual market reforms The gradual market reforms and decentralization of the and decentralization of the economy (economy (perestroikaperestroika) were ) were too slow and failed to keep too slow and failed to keep pace with the crisis and his pace with the crisis and his people's demands. people's demands.

The Soviet Union was The Soviet Union was suffering a deterioration of suffering a deterioration of economic and social economic and social conditions and a fall in the conditions and a fall in the GNP. GNP.

Party Reforms a FailureParty Reforms a Failure His attempts to reform the His attempts to reform the

Communist PartyCommunist Party were a were a failure. Change was too slow failure. Change was too slow to keep pace with events to keep pace with events and he was continually and he was continually hampered by his need to hampered by his need to give in to the hard-liners in give in to the hard-liners in order to retain power. order to retain power.

As communism collapsed in As communism collapsed in Eastern Europe, reform of Eastern Europe, reform of communism within the communism within the Soviet Union became Soviet Union became unlikely. unlikely.

The Collapse of the Soviet UnionThe Collapse of the Soviet Union

The renunciation of the The renunciation of the Brezhnev DoctrineBrezhnev Doctrine (armed (armed intervention in support of intervention in support of socialism) released the socialism) released the Eastern European states Eastern European states from Soviet domination. from Soviet domination.

The communist rulers of The communist rulers of these states could not these states could not survive without the support survive without the support of the Soviet Union. of the Soviet Union.

The Brezhnev Doctrine was articulated in 1968 when the Soviet army occupied Czechoslovakia to end the Prague Spring, an attempt by Alexander Dubcek to build “socialism with a human face.”

ReaganReagan’’s Brandenburg Gate Speechs Brandenburg Gate Speech President Ronald Reagan called upon President Ronald Reagan called upon

Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall: "In the Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall: "In the Communist world, we see failure, technological Communist world, we see failure, technological backwardness, declining standards... Even backwardness, declining standards... Even today, the Soviet Union cannot feed itself. The today, the Soviet Union cannot feed itself. The inescapable conclusion is that freedom is the inescapable conclusion is that freedom is the victor. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek victor. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union, if you seek liberalization: Come here to Union, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

President Reagan giving a speech at the Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Federal Republic of Germany. June 12, 1987

The Wall Came DownThe Wall Came Down

Two years later, the Two years later, the wall did come down. wall did come down. On November 9, 1989, On November 9, 1989, East Germany was East Germany was open to West open to West Germany. After that, Germany. After that, events moved swiftly. events moved swiftly. Communism rapidly Communism rapidly fell in Eastern Europe, fell in Eastern Europe, and finally in the and finally in the Soviet Union.Soviet Union.

The Rise of NationalismThe Rise of Nationalism

With the iron grip of the With the iron grip of the centralized Soviet state centralized Soviet state relaxed and the growing relaxed and the growing failure of the state to failure of the state to adequately feed and adequately feed and clothe its people, clothe its people, nationalism in the nationalism in the republics surged and republics surged and separatist movements separatist movements threatened the very threatened the very existence of the Soviet existence of the Soviet Union. Union. Super Cute Protesters:

Moldova: The hot, angry face of nationalism - Apr 13, 2009

The End of the Cold WarThe End of the Cold War

The now weak Soviet state The now weak Soviet state was unable to prevent the was unable to prevent the separation of the republics, separation of the republics, and even the republic of and even the republic of Russia turned away, Russia turned away, choosing Boris Yeltsin as choosing Boris Yeltsin as it's leader. Gorbachev it's leader. Gorbachev found that there was no found that there was no Soviet Union to be the Soviet Union to be the leader of, and retired into leader of, and retired into private life. The cold war private life. The cold war was over. was over. Time magazine's July 15, 1996, issue, featured a 10-page

spread about a squad of U.S. political pros who "clandestinely participated in guiding Yeltsin's campaign.“

Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace Prize

Gorbachev won the 1989 Gorbachev won the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. He Nobel Peace Prize. He brought a peaceful end to brought a peaceful end to the cold war, and dramatic the cold war, and dramatic change to his country's change to his country's economy, though not in economy, though not in the way he intended.the way he intended.

Communism at Its HeightCommunism at Its Height

Remaining Communist CountriesRemaining Communist Countries At its peak, communism was practiced in dozens of At its peak, communism was practiced in dozens of

countries:countries: Soviet UnionSoviet Union: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, : Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia,

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan

Other Asian CountriesOther Asian Countries: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mongolia, : Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mongolia, and Yemen and Yemen

Soviet Controlled Eastern bloc countriesSoviet Controlled Eastern bloc countries: Bulgaria, Czech : Bulgaria, Czech Republic, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romanoa, Republic, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romanoa, Slovakia. Slovakia.

The BalkansThe Balkans: Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, : Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.

AfricaAfrica: Angola, Benin, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, and : Angola, Benin, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, and Mozambique.Mozambique.

CurrentlyCurrently only a handful of countries identified as communist only a handful of countries identified as communist remain: Laos, North Korea, Vietnam, China, and Cuba.remain: Laos, North Korea, Vietnam, China, and Cuba.