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 - )
HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Thursday, June 2nd
Your final batch of Current Events is due on Friday, June 3rd. Remember that the topics are different this time, as explained on Lesson #30. You can download this template for your Final Set of Current Events.
Your packet of Chapter 36 quizzes should be turned in by Tuesday, June 7th. Yes, you are free to use your book as you complete them.
