Eastern Europe: Revolutions

Revolution

• Nikita Khrushchev: Denounced Stalin
• Soviet Union: Prosper and become more humane
• Reform movement: Hope for change takes a blow
• Hungary and Czechoslovakia
• Independence movements start to take shape in Eastern Europe

Mikhail S. Gorbachev

• Soviet Leader: 1985-1991
• Brezhnev Doctrine will be replaced
• Doctrine: Focus on control over Soviet Republics
• Warsaw Pact Nations: Control over their own affairs

End of Communist Control

• Poland: Multi-Party Elections-1989
• Lech Walesa: Solidarity movement
• President of Poland:1990-1995
• Bulgaria: Dictator Todor Zhivkov resigns in 1989.

Velvet Revolution

• Czechoslovakia: Public Demonstrations
• Non-Violent Protests against the Communist Regime
• "Velvet" Term: Little Violence: General Secretary Resigns
• Two new nations: Czech Republic and Slovakia

Collapse of Soviet Union

• 1990: Scarcity of goods and food
• Economic Decline
• Stats: Problems with the health-care system
• Decline: Soviet standard of living
• Life expectancy decreased

Perestroika

• "Restructuring"
• Decentralize the economy
• Linked to "Glasnost"-Opening of Soviet Society
• December 25h: 1991-Last day the Soviet Flag flew over the Kremlin