Berlin wall:

 Built on 13th August 1961

 It was a 150 km long road that divided the east and west of Germany
 It symbolized the division between the capitalist and communist world
 It was destroyed by the people on the 9th of November 1989

The republics:
1. Russia
2. Baltic Republics:
 Estonia
 Latvia
 Lithuania
3. Ukraine
4. Moldova

CAR (Central Asian Republics)

1. Kazakhstan
2. Uzbekistan
3. Kyrgyzstan
4. Tajikistan
5. Turkmenistan
6. Georgia
7. Armenia
8. Azerbaijan
Soviet System:
 The USSR (Union of soviet Social Republics) was formed after the Russian
revolution in 1917
 It was inspired by Socialism which:
1. Wanted an egalitarian society
2. Abolished private ownership
3. Designed on principles of social equality
4. Gave primacy to state and party
5. Economy was controlled and planned by state
East European States:
USSR heled free the east European states from fascist forces. These states them came under
the USSR and formed the second world socialist block. USSR provided these states with
military and financial aid.
Satellite states:
1. Poland
2. Czechoslovak
3. East Germany
4. Romania
5. Hungary
6. Bulgaria
7. Yugoslavia (1948)
8. Albania (1960)
Economy of USSR:
 More developed than the rest of the world (still less developed that US)
 Complex communications network
 Had a vast energy resources (oil, iron, steel, machinery production)
 Had a well developed transport sector that connected the vast region efficiently (even
remote areas)
 Has a domestic consumer industry that produced everything from pins to cars but the
quality didn’t match that of the west
 Ensured minimum standard of living for all citizens (health, education, etc. was
provided for all)
 No unemployment
 State ownership was the dominant form of ownership
 Land and productive assets were owned and controlled by state.

Faults in the Soviet system;

 Extremely bureaucratic and authoritarian form of govt.
 Lack of democracy and no freedom of speech
 Communist party had full control of all institutions (legislative executive judicial) of
the state and was unaccountable for its actions an dto the people
 Russia dominated the Soviet union and the people of other countries were often
supressed and neglected
 Spent a large amount on the development of arms
 Lagged behind in the technological and infrastructural aspect in comparison to the
west
 Lagged behind in fulfilling economic and political aspirations of citizens
 Economy was faltering by the 1970’s and then eventually became stagnant

Mikhail Gorbachev & his reforms:

 Was the general secretary of the Communist Party
 He brought in 2 important politicies:
1. Glasnost (openness)
2. Perestroika (restructuring)
 He aimed to
1. Reform the system
2. Keep the USSR abreast of information on the technological revolutions taking
place in the west
3. He aimed to normalise relationships with the west
4. Democratise & reform the SU

Effects of Gorbachev’s reforms:

 The effects of the reforms were very unexpected:
1. The eastern European countries that were part of the soviet bloc began to
protest against their own govt. and the soviet control. Gorbachev did not
intervene. Communist regimes collapsed one after the other.
2. Gorbachev’s reforms were opposed by leaders within the communist party.
They felt that their power and privileges were eroding and Gorbachev moved
too quickly. An uprising took place in 1991 and it was encouraged by the
communist party hardliners.
3. The coup of 1991 resulted in the people getting a taste of freedom and they no
longer wanted the old-style rule of the communist party
4. Boris Yeltsin emerged as a national hero by wining a popular election in
Russia.
5. Surprisingly for even those within the USSR, The eastern European states
began to express their desire for a