Notes
Collapse Of Communism
Poland had a history of liberation movements
Lech Walesa had formed the solidarity movement of trade unions in 1980
1981 the gov’t cracked down with martial law under General Jaruzelski
1989 elections were held in Poland the solidarity movement won 92% of the vote and 160/161 seats
The solidarity leader, Tadeusz Mazowiecki became Prime Minister although Jaruzelski remained President
Dec. 1990 Lech Walesa became President of Poland
Hungary had been ruled by Janos Kadar since the 1956 Hungarian uprising
After watching events in Poland they allowed free elections in March 1990
The Democratic Forum won with Jozsef Natal as the Prime Minister
Czechoslovakia protested during the “velvet revolution” Nov. 1989
After a nationwide strike the Communist party resigned in favour of Vaclev Havel
In 1992 the Czechs and Slovaks decided to separate into two independent countries
Romania had been ruled by Nicolae Ceausescu since 1965
He ordered protesters shot in Dec. 1989, after two days the army refused orders and executed Ceausescu and his wife
Bulgaria had its first free elections in June, 1990
Albania became democratic in 1992
Yugoslavia disintegrated into civil war in 1991
The Fall of USSR
Gorbachev made a couple of major changes in 1990
First was he introduced ‘rule of law’
He felt that socialism could be achieved within a democratic state
Second was the ‘500 day plan’ dealing with the deficit
Finally, the Union Treaty giving the republics more autonomy
The Breakup of USSR
An attempted coup d’etat takes place in Aug. 1991
He is saved by Boris Yeltsin who became the effective leader of the country
Gorbachev became a lame duck leader and Yeltsin made the final step to outlaw the Communist party in the Russian Republic
Dec. 1, 1991 an independence vote is held in the Ukraine which voted in favour of independence
This led to the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the end of the USSR
Poland had a history of liberation movements
Lech Walesa had formed the solidarity movement of trade unions in 1980
1981 the gov’t cracked down with martial law under General Jaruzelski
1989 elections were held in Poland the solidarity movement won 92% of the vote and 160/161 seats
The solidarity leader, Tadeusz Mazowiecki became Prime Minister although Jaruzelski remained President
Dec. 1990 Lech Walesa became President of Poland
Hungary had been ruled by Janos Kadar since the 1956 Hungarian uprising
After watching events in Poland they allowed free elections in March 1990
The Democratic Forum won with Jozsef Natal as the Prime Minister
Czechoslovakia protested during the “velvet revolution” Nov. 1989
After a nationwide strike the Communist party resigned in favour of Vaclev Havel
In 1992 the Czechs and Slovaks decided to separate into two independent countries
Romania had been ruled by Nicolae Ceausescu since 1965
He ordered protesters shot in Dec. 1989, after two days the army refused orders and executed Ceausescu and his wife
Bulgaria had its first free elections in June, 1990
Albania became democratic in 1992
Yugoslavia disintegrated into civil war in 1991
The Fall of USSR
Gorbachev made a couple of major changes in 1990
First was he introduced ‘rule of law’
He felt that socialism could be achieved within a democratic state
Second was the ‘500 day plan’ dealing with the deficit
Finally, the Union Treaty giving the republics more autonomy
The Breakup of USSR
An attempted coup d’etat takes place in Aug. 1991
He is saved by Boris Yeltsin who became the effective leader of the country
Gorbachev became a lame duck leader and Yeltsin made the final step to outlaw the Communist party in the Russian Republic
Dec. 1, 1991 an independence vote is held in the Ukraine which voted in favour of independence
This led to the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the end of the USSR
Summary
After the fall of the Berlin Wall the end of the road was fast approaching for communism in Europe. One by one countries started turning democratic including Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.
Quote
The clock of communism has stopped striking. But its concrete building has not yet come crashing down. For that reason, instead of freeing ourselves, we must try to save ourselves from being crushed by its rubble.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Subjunctive Question
Were these countries uprisings influenced by Perestroika?