The Collapse of the Soviet Union - USISLAM.ORG

1 1046 Chapter 35 MAIN IDEAWHY IT MATTERS NOWTERMS & NAMESREVOLUTIOND emocraticreforms brought importantchanges to the Soviet continues to struggle toestablish democracy. Politburo MikhailGorbachev glasnost perestroika Boris Yeltsin CIS shocktherapy 3 SETTI NG TH E STAGEA fter World War II, the Soviet Union and the UnitedStates engaged in a Cold War, which you read about in Chapter 33. Each tried toincrease its worldwide influence. The Soviet Union extended its power overmuch of Eastern Europe. By the 1960s, it appeared that communism was per-manently established in the region. During the 1960s and 1970s, the SovietUnion s Communist leadership kept tight control over the Soviet people.

2 But bigchanges, including democratic reforms, were on the Moves Toward DemocracySoviet premier Leonid Brezhnev and the Politburo the ruling committee of theCommunist Party crushed all political disagreement. Censors decided whatwriters could publish. The Communist Party also restricted freedom of speechand worship. After Brezhnev s death in 1982, the aging leadership of the SovietUnion tried to hold on to power. However, each of Brezhnev s two successorsdied after only about a year in office. Who would succeed them?A Younger LeaderTo answer that question, the Politburo debated between twomen. One was Mikhail Gorbachev(mih KYL GAWR buh chawf). Gorbachev ssupporters praised his youth, energy, and political skills.

3 With their backing,Gorbachev became the party s new general secretary. In choosing him, Politburomembers did not realize they were unleashing another Russian Soviet people welcomed Gorbachev s election. At 54, he was theyoungest Soviet leader since Stalin. Gorbachev was only a child during Stalin sruthless purge of independent-minded party members. Unlike other Soviet lead-ers, Gorbachev decided to pursue new Promotes OpennessPast Soviet leaders had created a totalitarian rewarded silence and discouraged individuals from acting on their own. As aresult, Soviet society rarely changed, and the Soviet economy stagnated. Gorbachevrealized that economic and social reforms could not occur without a free flow ofideas and information.

4 In 1985, he announced a policy known as glasnost(GLAHS nuhst), or brought remarkable changes. The government allowed churches toopen. It released dissidents from prison and allowed the publication of books by pre-viously banned authors. Reporters investigated problems and criticized Collapse of the Soviet UnionFollowing ChronologicalOrderUse a time line torecord significant eventsin the Soviet NOTES19852002 Reforming the Economy and PoliticsThe new openness allowed Soviet citizens to complain about economic protested that they had to stand in lines to buy food and other basics. Economic RestructuringGorbachev blamed these problems on the Soviet Union sinefficient system of central planning.

5 Under central planning, party officials toldfarm and factory managers how much to produce. They also told them what wagesto pay and what prices to charge. Because individuals could not increase their payby producing more, they had little motive to improve efficiency. In 1985, Gorbachev introduced the idea of perestroika(PEHR ih STROY kuh),or economic restructuring. In 1986, he made changes to revive the Soviet managers gained greater authority over their farms and factories, and peoplewere allowed to open small private businesses. Gorbachev s goal was not to throwout communism, but to make the economic system more efficient and Opens the Political SystemGorbachev also knew that for theeconomy to improve, the Communist Party would have to loosen its grip on Sovietsociety and politics.

6 In 1987, he unveiled a third new policy, called democratiza-tion. This would be a gradual opening of the political plan called for the election of a new legislative body. In the past, voters hadmerely approved candidates who were handpicked by the Communist Party. Now,voters could choose from a list of candidates for each office. The election producedmany surprises. In several places, voters chose lesser-known candidates andreformers over powerful party PolicySoviet foreign policy also changed. To compete militarily with theSoviet Union , President Ronald Reagan had begun the most expensive militarybuildup in peacetime history, costing more than $2 trillion. Under pressure military spending, Gorbachev realized that the Soviet economy could notafford the costly arms race.

7 Arms control became one of Gorbachev s top December 1987, he and Reagan signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces(INF) Treaty. This treaty banned nuclear missiles with ranges of 300 to 3,400 for Democracy1047 MakingInferencesWhy would itbe inefficient forthe central govern-ment to decidewhat should beproduced all overthe country?SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Visual InferencesOne arrow pointsdown the road toward is the other arrow, pointing inthe opposite direction, likely to lead? ConclusionsWhy might theSoviet Union look different to thefigure in the cartoon?GlasnostMikhail Gorbachev s policies ofglasnost and perestroika shook upthe traditional way of doing thingsin the Soviet economy and in thesociety at large.

8 The Soviet Union Faces TurmoilGorbachev s new thinking led him to support movements for change in both the eco-nomic and political systems within the Soviet Union . Powerful forces for democracywere building in the country, and Gorbachev decided not to oppose , perestroika, and democratization were all means to reform the , the move to reform the Soviet Union ultimately led to its nationalities in the Soviet Union began to call for their freedom. More than100 ethnic groups lived in the Soviet Union . Russians were the largest, most powerfulgroup. However, non-Russians formed a majorityin the 14 Soviet republics other than tensions brewed beneath the surface ofSoviet society. As reforms loosened central con-trols, unrest spread across the groups in Georgia, Ukraine, andMoldavia (now Moldova) demanded Muslim peoples of Soviet Central Asiacalled for religious Defies GorbachevThe first chal-lenge came from the Baltic nations of Lithuania,Estonia, and Latvia.

9 These republics had beenindependent states between the two world wars,until the Soviets annexed them in 1940. Fiftyyears later, in March 1990, Lithuania declaredits independence. To try to force it back into theSoviet Union , Gorbachev ordered an economicblockade of the Gorbachev was reluctant to usestronger measures, he feared that Lithuania sexample might encourage other republics tosecede. In January 1991, Soviet troops attackedunarmed civilians in Lithuania s capital. Thearmy killed 14 and wounded Denounces GorbachevThe assault inLithuania and the lack of economic progressdamaged Gorbachev s popularity. People lookedfor leadership to Boris Yeltsin.

10 He was a mem-ber of parliament and former mayor of criticized the crackdown in Lithuaniaand the slow pace of reforms. In June 1991, vot-ers chose Yeltsin to become the RussianFederation s first directly elected spite of their rivalry, Yeltsin and Gorbachevfaced a common enemy in the old guard ofCommunist officials. Hard-liners conserva-tives who opposed reform were furious thatGorbachev had given up the Soviet Union s roleas the dominant force in Eastern Europe. Theyalso feared losing their power and officials vowed to overthrow Gorbachevand undo his 35 Mikhail Gorbachev1931 Mikhail Gorbachev sbackground shaped therole he would play inhistory. Both of hisgrandfathers were arrestedduring Stalin s were eventuallyfreed.