Gorbachev promised that the Soviet Union would never again be used to put down opposition to communist governments in Eastern European countries. This led to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. ● The people demolished the barriers between East and West. In 1989, they knocked down the Berlin Wall. One year later, in 1990, East and West Germany were united as part of a wider European agreement.
Former Eastern Bloc Former USSR
Former Satellite States
Former Socialist FR of Yugoslavia USSR-aligned until 1960
The fall of the Berlin Wall
Eventually, communism collapsed in the Soviet Union. In 1991, some communists who were bitterly opposed to Gorbachev’s reforms attempted to take over the government. This led to the break-up of the Soviet Union and the creation of independent republics (see map).
The Cold War was at an end.
SLOVENIA (1991)
Assessing Your Learning
1. Why was the USSR (Soviet Union) not able to compete with the USA?
2. Why did Gorbachev, the Soviet leader, want to reduce military spending?
3. What led to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe?
4. How did the collapse of communism in the USSR (Soviet Union) influence international relations?
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CROATIA (1991)
AND HERZ. (1991)
BOS.
MONTENEGRO (1991)
ALBANIA (1992)
SERBIA (1991)
BULGARIA (1990)
MACEDONIA (1991)
Countries in Eastern Europe that were directly or indirectly under the control of the Soviet Union until the collapse of communism in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Other states further east, such as Georgia, got their independence from the Soviet Union also (not on map).