Collapse of the Soviet Union

Directions: Use page 141 in your student workbook to complete the graphic organizer
What cost the Soviet
Union a lot of money?
1. weapons build up
2. space race
3. support of its
communist countries
What often happened in
Communist countries due
to lack of economic
growth?
barely enough food and
goods to meet the
citizens needs
What did Mikhail
Gorbachev want to do for
the Soviet Union?
He wanted to
modernize the
economy and decrease
military spending to
ease tensions.

What events in 1989 began

to contribute to the collapse
of the Soviet Union?
(Hint: two nations gained
independence)

Gorbechev said the

Soviets would no
longer put down
domestic protests, and
countries like Poland
and Czechoslovakia
began to break away
from Soviet rule

What was the Berlin Wall?

a wall separating East
Berlin (communist) from
West Berlin (free)
When was it built?
1961
Explain the reunification of
Germany.
East Germany relaxed
travel restrictions; Berlin
wall fell; Gorbechev
refuses to help; E.
Germany lets go of
power; a new
government is elected

What happened to the Soviet

Union in 1991?
a group of Soviets try and fail
at a government take-over;
Soviet republics declare
independence (15 republics)
The Cold War is over!