The Collapse of Communism
in Europe

Some points to note

The Soviet Union from 1953 to 1985Problems faced by Mikhail GorbachevGlasnost and PerestroikaReasons for Gorbachevs failureThe end of the Soviet empire

The Soviet Union from 1953 to 1985

Leadership after Joseph Stalin:Nikita KhrushchevLeonid BrehznevYuri AndropovKonstantin ChernenkoMikhail Gorbachev

Joseph Stalins Legacy

Soviet Union was modernisedAgriculture and industry in line with the western powersGreat cost: 20 million deadFew consumer goods

Nikita Khrushchev

Relaxed the tight control of the government over the peopleTried to introduce reforms to improve food production but failedTried to give people more say in how agriculture and industry should be run

Nikita Khrushchev

Efforts came to naught as his reforms were not supported by Communist Party membersSacked and replaced by Leonid Brehznev in 1964

Leonid Brehznev

Hard-line communist who reversed Khrushchevs reformsHis efforts also came to naughtAn interesting blame tactic

Brehznevs Blame Tactic

lack of skilled labour, alcoholism, absenteeism, and lack of effort on the part of civil servants who man the vast organization which tries to plan the economy

- What is Brehznev trying to say?

Yuri Andropov

Head of the KGBEffectively ran the country while Brehznev was illBecame leader in 1982Died in 1984 after falling ill

Konstantin Chernenko

Succeeded Yuri Andropov in 1984Died in 1985 after falling ill

The Situation for Gorbachev

Became the leader of a state that had seen little effective government in almost a decadeRussia was seriously

The Situation for Gorbachev

The Problems facing Gorby:The Soviet system of governmentThe lack of consumer goods The burden of Eastern EuropeBlack MarketFailure of Khrushchevs agricultural reformsMismanaged finances

The Situation for Gorbachev

The Soviet system of governmentBelief in equality and fairnessLoss of faith by the peopleCorruption in the governmentDouble standards

The Situation for Gorbachev

The lack of consumer goods Comparison with the WestLack of western-style consumer goodsDemand for western-style consumer goodsCost of consumer goods

The Situation for Gorbachev

The burden of Eastern EuropeHead of the Warsaw PactDuty towards the Eastern European Communist nationsDrained USSRs financesLost confidence of the Russian people

The Situation for Gorbachev

Black MarketHigh price of consumer goodsIn 1985, the black markets value was estimated to be at 7 billion roublesThis meant that the Soviet government was losing 7 billion roubles in revenue

The Situation for Gorbachev

Failure of Khrushchevs agricultural reformsKhrushchev introduced new systems to grow more grainHowever, transport infrastructure was not up to mark and many crops rotted before they could arrive in citiesRussia had to import grain to feed its people

The Situation for Gorbachev

Mismanaged financesNot wealthy enough to play superpowerSpent too much money competing with the USAArms race, space raceSupport to Cuba, Eastern EuropeAfghanistan WarGoods were not up to mark for export

Gorbachevs Slogans

PerestroikaChanging the economy of the Soviet UnionGlasnostHaving more openness in the Soviet economy

Gorbachevs Slogans

PerestroikaEnd command economy and replace it with demand economyEnd state monopolies and introduce competition1987 measures introduced to allow market forces to become part of the states economic policies

Gorbachevs Slogans

PerestroikaEnd state monopolies and subsidized pricesReduction on arms spendingDisarmament treaty in 1987 with the USAIn 1988, EE communist governments were responsible for their own policiesCut Red Army help to the EE countries

Gorbachevs Slogans

GlasnostMore openness to allow people to have faith in the governmentEnd corruptionInform Soviets about decisions made by the governmentFree elections held in 1990 for the first time

Gorbachevs Slogans

GlasnostDissidents (people who criticize the government) were not persecuted The KGBs powers were restricted and eventually abolishedThe Lubyanka prison was closed Western ideas and music were allowed1st McDonalds opened in Russia Restrictions lifted on the Russian Orthodox Church