The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the Fall of Communism -
Our focus shifts today to an event that, had you asked me about it two
years earlier (when I was about your age), I never would have expected to see happen. The fall of
the Soviet Union both significantly changed the world's political
outlook, but it also dealt a fatal blow to communism's chances of
competing with capitalist and democratic systems. We'll try and make
sense of these events today...
Before
we go too far, I want you to put yourselves in the position of a Soviet
citizen, say a member of the Communist Party, in 1985. Pair up with
those around you and brainstorm a list of complaints and criticisms
you have about your lives. It might help to think in terms of social, economic and
political issues. Think about both the Soviet Union in particular and
communism in general.
Let's take a few minutes now to browse a set of Gorbachev notes that
I've used when teaching this topic in other classes. (It will download
as a Microsoft Word document, and you're free to use it to take some
notes if that would be helpful... That's a hint.)
Here are some events I believe you need to understand to make sense of all this...
Gorbachev and Reform
- glasnost
- Chernobyl
- perestroika
- demokratizatsiya
ethnic tensions in the republics
rise of Boris Yeltsin
August Coup - 1991
December 25, 1991 - end of the Soviet Union
Commonwealth of Independent States
I'm interested in your opinions on these questions...
- Which factors were more important in the ending of the Soviet Union? Internal or external?
- Should Gorbachev be remembered as a hero or a failure?
- Is Russia better off without communism?
- Is the world safer now than during the era of the Cold War?
- Should communism be, in the words of Reagan, left on the "ash heap of history?"
Here's what Time had to say when it named Gorbachev one of the 100 Most Important People of the Century.
Here's a local professor's essay recalling Gorbachev's 1990 visit to Minnesota.
Gorbachev remains active as head of the Gorbachev Foundation.
Russia since 1991
- We've talked about Putin a number of times these past two years.
Let's talk briefly about some of the issues that Russia has faced since
the fall of the Soviet Union.
- Boris Yeltsin (1991 - 1999)
- rise of the oligarchs
- economic transitions
- Chechnya (1991 - 2002) - insurgency continues
- Moscow theater hostage crisis (2002)
- Beslan school hostage crisis (2004)
- Vladimir Putin (President 2000 - 2008) (Prime Minister 2008 - )
- Dmitry Medvedev (President 2008 - )
I
F WE GET TIME - Changes in Central and Eastern Europe: This is the material you read for today's quiz. Since many of you are probably planning some travel these next couple weeks, we'll use that theme to approach the stories of these nations.
You are several others will be assigned a country. Your job is to prepare us a "travel guide" of sorts for that country. However, we won't be asking questions like, "Where should we stay?" and "What should we eat?" Instead, focus on the following:
These are the countries which we will be "touring" together today:
By the way, in an attempt to minimize confusion, here's the current status of the former Yugoslavia. These countries have been created: Bosnia and Herzogovina, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but its status is still in dispute. (The United States does recognize its independence.)
HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Tuesday, March 16th
F WE GET TIME - Changes in Central and Eastern Europe: This is the material you read for today's quiz. Since many of you are probably planning some travel these next couple weeks, we'll use that theme to approach the stories of these nations.
You are several others will be assigned a country. Your job is to prepare us a "travel guide" of sorts for that country. However, we won't be asking questions like, "Where should we stay?" and "What should we eat?" Instead, focus on the following:
- If at all, how did the fading of communism affect your country?
- How did the country reassert its independence after the decline of the Soviet Union?
- What have been some of the key challenges facing your country?
- Who are the people, groups and/or events we absolutely should know?
These are the countries which we will be "touring" together today:
- Poland
- Hungary
- Germany
- Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic and Slovakia)
- Romania
- Yugoslavia (see below)
By the way, in an attempt to minimize confusion, here's the current status of the former Yugoslavia. These countries have been created: Bosnia and Herzogovina, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but its status is still in dispute. (The United States does recognize its independence.)
HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Tuesday, March 16th
Please do the final "regular" reading assignment of your World History
career by reading Chapter 35, Section 5, "China: Reform and Reaction."
(pp. 1059-1063) The quiz will be matching.
Your final batch of Current Events is due on Tuesday, March 16th.
Your packet of Chapter 36 quizzes should be turned in by Wednesday, March 17th. Yes, you are free to use your book as you complete them.
Your "Two-Minute Review" item should be ready to present on Wednesday, March 17th.
Your final batch of Current Events is due on Tuesday, March 16th.
Your packet of Chapter 36 quizzes should be turned in by Wednesday, March 17th. Yes, you are free to use your book as you complete them.
Your "Two-Minute Review" item should be ready to present on Wednesday, March 17th.
