1. The End of the Cold War

2. The Soviet Union was slowly going
bankrupt….
 The space race and
arms race severely
hurt the Soviet
economy.
 Attempting to spread
communism ALSO
weakened the Soviet
economy.
 As the Soviet people
saw their economy
crumbling, discontent
began to grow in the
Soviet Union.

3. Mikhail Gorbachev
 Mikhail Gorbachev was elected Soviet
leader in 1982.
 He slowly moved the Soviet state from
totalitarianism.
 Supported perestroika (economic
restructuring) which allowed private
property.
 And glasnost (openness) which allowed
the people more rights and freedoms

4. Gorbachev Vs Reagan

5. Reagan
 Ronald Reagan was
elected president in
1980 and immediately
went on the offensive
against communism.
 Called the Soviet Union
an “EVIL EMPIRE”
 Proposed the Strategic
Defense Initiative - a
satellite and ground
based protection from
nukes.

6. A Cold War Thaws….
 In 1985, Gorbachev
and Reagan met in
person and began
discussing ways to limit
the Cold War.
 They agreed to limit
their weapon stockpiles
and end the arms race.
 Gorbachev agreed to
democratization, or
allowing the people to
choose their
grovernment.

7. Meanwhile….
 At the same time that the Soviet Union
began to change, Eastern European
countries began hungering for freedom.
 Countries behind the Iron Curtain were
poor but could see their nearby
neighboring countries were wealthy.
 This led to the growth of resistance
movements against the Soviet controllers.

8. Freedoms Spread to Eastern Europe

9. Two Examples
 The Polish Solidarity
movement used strikes to
gain recognition.
 They elected Lech Walesa
as the first democratically
elected leader of Poland.
 In Hungary, they literally
cut a hole in the fences
separating them from
freedom.
 Because of this example,
the Hungarian people
overthrew their communist
government in 1989.

10. “Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall”
 These events inspired the East Germans.
 In 1989, East Germans began tearing down the
Berlin Wall.
 When the Wall was torn down, Germany was
finally reunited as one democratic country.
 The ultimate symbol of Soviet oppression was
destroyed.

11. Finally
 Events throughout
Europe began
inspiring states in the
Soviet Union to want
freedom also.
 Lithuania was the
first to declare
independence in
1990.
 Although Gorbachev
tried to blockade
them, he failed.
 This led to the Soviet
Union falling apart in
1991.