END OF THE COLD WAR/BUSH (THE 1ST)

ADMINISTRATIONSemester 2

Week 15

Reagan Playing Hardball Reagan admin persuaded the Saudi Arabian

oil companies to increase oil production This led to a 3x drop in the prices of oil; oil was the

main source of Soviet export revenues Following the USSR’s previous large military

buildup, Reagan ordered an enormous peacetime defense buildup of the U.S. military

USSR didn’t respond to this by building up their military because the military expenses, in combination w/ collectivized agriculture in the nation & inefficient planned manufacturing, would cause a heavy burden for the Soviet economy

Gorbachev Making Changes

By the late 1980s, the USSR economy was suffering from years of inefficient central planning & huge expenditures on the arms race

To save the economy, Gorbachev instituted perestroika, or “restructuring,” and allowed some private enterprise and profit-making

The other principle of Gorbachev’s plan was glasnost, or “openness.” It allowed people to discuss politics openly

Reagan at the Berlin Wall

“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

USSR on the Breaking Point

As Gorbachev-inspired waves of reform propagated throughout the Eastern bloc, grassroots organizations, such as Poland’s Solidarity movement, rapidly gained ground

1989, the Communist governments in Poland & Hungary became the 1st to negotiate the organizing of competitive elections

In Czechoslovakia & East Germany, mass protests unseated entrenched Communist leaders

The Communist regimes in Bulgaria & Romania also crumbled, in the latter case as the result of a violent uprising

Fall of the Berlin Wall 11/9/1989, the spreading

revolution soon reached East Germany, guards at the Berlin Wall opened the gates

W/in days, bulldozers levied the hated symbol of Communist repression

W/in a year, East & West Germany had reunited

The tidal wave of change culminated with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 11/1989, which symbolized the collapse of E’rn European Communist governments and graphically ended the Iron Curtain divide of Europe

The USSR Collapses Gorbachev faced mounting criticism

from opponents at home 8/1991, a group of Communist

officials & army officers staged a coup - an overthrow of the gov’t

They arrested Gorbachev & sent troops into Moscow

Russian president Boris Yeltsin defied the coup leaders from his offices in the Russian Parliament

12/1991, Gorbachev announced the end of the USSR

Most of the former Soviet republics then joined in a federation called the Commonwealth of Independent States

Tiananmen Square China’s Communist leaders were determined

to stay in power China’s gov’t had relaxed controls on the

economy, but it continued to repress political speech & dissent

5/1989, Chinese students and workers held demonstrations for democracy

In early June, gov’t tanks & soldiers crushed their protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing

Many people were killed & hundreds of pro-democracy activists were arrested; many were later sentenced to death

PREPARE FOR QUIZ

TAKE OUT A SEPARATE, FULL SHEET OF PAPER

NUMBER 1-5

QUIZ1. This was the “restructuring,” and

allowed some private enterprise and profit-making?

2. This was “openness.” It allowed people to discuss politics openly?

3. Name 4 Eastern European countries that were looking to get away from communism.

4. This is an overthrow of the gov’t5. Where is Tiananmen Square?

Election of 1988: The Candidates When George H. W. Bush

accepted the Repub nomination in 1988 promised “Read my lips: no new

taxes” Dems promised to help

working-class Americans, minorities & the poor

Jesse Jackson became the 1st Afr. Amer. to make a serious run for the nomination

The Democrats final choice was MA gov’r Michal Dukakis

Election of 1988: Results The Bush campaign portrayed him

as too liberal, unpatriotic, & “soft on crime”

Dems questioned Bush’s leadership abilities, but Bush had Reagan’s endorsement, and with the economy still doing well, few Americans wanted to switch parties.

Bush won 54% of the popular vote & defeated Dukakis 426-111 in the Electoral College

Problems in Panama 1978, the U.S. agreed to give Panama control

over the Panama Canal by the year 2000 U.S. officials wanted to make sure Panama’s

gov’t was both stable and pro-U.S. 1989, Panama’s dictator, Gen. Manuel Noriega,

had stopped cooperating with the U.S. He aided drug traffickers cracked down on opponents harassed U.S. military personnel defending the canal

12/1989, Bush ordered U.S. troops to invade Panama who seized Noriega & was sent to the U.S. to stand trial on drug charges

The troops then helped the Panamanians hold elections and organize a new gov’t

Suddam Hussein 8/1990, Iraq’s dictator,

Saddam Hussein, sent his army to invade oil-rich Kuwait

U.S. officials feared that Iraq’s ultimate goal was to capture Saudi Arabia & its vast oil reserves

the UN 1st imposed economy sanctions on Iraq & demanded the Iraqis withdraw

Operation Desert Storm 1/16/1991, the coalition forces launched Operation

Desert Storm Dozens of cruise missiles & thousands of laser-

guided bombs fell on Iraq, destroying its air defenses, bridges, artillery, and other military targets

Waves of tanks and troop carriers smashed through Iraqi lines & encircled the Iraqi forces defending Kuwait

The attack killed thousands of Iraqi soldiers, Hundreds of thousands more surrendered; fewer than 300 coalition troops were killed

Just 100 hours after the ground war began President Bush declared victory. “Kuwait is liberated”

Economic Slow Down The recession that began in 1990 was

partly caused by the end of the Cold War. As the Soviet threat faded, the U.S. began reducing its armed forces and canceling orders for military equipment

Thousands of soldiers were released, and defense industry workers were laid off

The nation’s high level of debt made the recession worse

Americans had borrowed heavily during the 1980s and now faced paying off large debts

Election of 1992 Bush promised to address voters’ economic

concerns, and he blamed congressional Democrats for the gridlock that seemingly paralyzed

The Democrats nominated AR gov’r Bill Clinton Clinton promised to cut middle class taxes and

spending and to reform the nation’s health care and welfare programs

His campaign repeatedly blamed Bush for the recession

an independent candidate, TX businessman H. Ross Perot, made a strong challenge

Bill Clinton won the election with 43% of the popular vote & 370 electoral votes

Bush received 37%, Perot 19% of the popular vote

PREPARE FOR QUIZ

TAKE OUT A SEPARATE, FULL SHEET OF PAPER

NUMBER 1-5

QUIZ

1. Who were the 2 major candidates for the Election of 1988?

2. Who was the dictator in Panama?3. U.S. officials feared that Iraq’s

ultimate goal was to capture what?4. How many coalition troops were

killed during Operation Desert Storm?

5. Who won the Election of 1992?