An elusive new world order, 1991-2020 - Integration and fragmentation in wider Europe - Collapse of the Iron Curtain

12 important questions on An elusive new world order, 1991-2020 - Integration and fragmentation in wider Europe - Collapse of the Iron Curtain

What signaled a new chapter in the decades-old process of greater European integration?

The end of the Cold War and the restoration of political autonomy in the former Eastern Bloc countries signaled a new chapter in the decades-old process of greater European integration.

What spelled the end of Soviet domination in Eastern Europe?

In 1989 a series of bloodless revolutions, each taking place within the context of deepening economic woes and with the acquiescence of Mikhail Gorbachev, spelled the end of Soviet domination. Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Romania, and Bulgaria all secured their autonomy after four decades of subservience to the Soviet empire.

Why did Gorbachev not intervene in Tiananmen Square?

Gorbachev's unwillingness to intervene militarily was informed by his conviction that better relations with the West and market reforms at home were essential to the preservation of the USSR.
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How were residents of Eastern Europe informed about living in the West?

Thanks to television image and some travel opportunities, residents of Eastern Europe had already been exposed to the higher standards of living available in the West, and once the heavy hand of Soviet control was lifted, the demand for meaningful political reform could not be silenced.

What happened after the disintegration of the Polish satellite state?

The disintegration of the Polish satellite state was followed by parallel changes elsewhere. Without the support of Soviet troops to prop up their despised regimes, most of the Eastern Bloc's aging communist leaders resigned in the face of mammoth demonstrations.

What happened in Hungary?

  • In Hungary, reformers within the communist government allowed the formation of independent political parties during the spring of 1989.
  • These reformers had earlier allowed some free-market reforms, and the positive results helped to spur political change.

What happened in Czechoslovakia?

In Czechoslovakia, communist rule imploded after a series of well-organized street demonstrations and mounting political opposition.

How did Soviet policy help Europe?

In a land where frustration over the postwar division of the country exacerbated by the lack of freedom and the type of economic prosperity found in the West, the demand for change came most dramatically in the form of massive human flight.

Where did most people go when they fled East Germany?

  • Beginning in May 1989, thousands of East Germans fled across the newly opened border with Hungary.
  • Some demanded asylum and camped out at the West German embassy in Budapest; others drove their automobiles to the border with Austria and eventually made their way to West Germany, where they were accorded instant citizenship. 

What was the most depressing symbol of the Cold War?

The most depressing symbol of the Cold War had now been made irrelevant as hundreds of thousands crossed into West Berlin to celebrate, visit, shop, and consume.

What happened with the East German Politburo?

  • The entire East German Politburo resigned in early December, and subsequent free elections returned a government that was committed to reunification with the Federal Republic, a goal that was finally realized in October 1990.
  • The Chancellor of reunited Germany, Helmut Kohl, reassured his Western allies that the new Germany would become a full participant in the ongoing process of European integration.

What happened with the fall of Berlin?

  • The swiftness of the fall, and the peaceful manner in which the communist leadership surrendered power to the opposition, would not have been possible without Soviet restraint.
  • Success was also contingent upon both the depth of popular discontent and the willingness of millions of common people to take to the streets on behalf of democracy.

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