9.7 The Fall of Communism
3 min read•february 12, 2023
Sharii Liang
Jillian Holbrook
Sharii Liang
Jillian Holbrook
The Fall of Stalin
In March 1953, died. Once the great dictator of the Soviet Union who hastened its industrialization, his legacy of death (), oppression (secret police), and industrialization were quick to be forgotten by his successor. Stalin had left the Soviet Union in a less than terrific state, but he was still revered by communists at home and abroad.
Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin’s successor, immediately began the process of along with and Georgi Malikov despite dealing with the . Khrushchev condemned Stalin’s rule in a “secret speech” and attempted to remove any aspect of Stalin’s ideas from the Soviet Union, including renaming to , removing the around Stalin, and ending .
Khrushchev’s also had the unintended consequences of stagnating economic growth. His new reforms did not have the intended effects, which led to other countries under the Soviet Union feeling the aftereffects. Along with general discontent, this would give rise to the revolts of the time in other countries. He would eventually be deposed by his political opponents in 1964.
The Rise of Brezhnev
Brezhnev quickly replaced Khrushchev as the leader of the USSR. His reign was regarded as largely stabilizing the Soviet Union and its ruling party due to his conservative, pragmatic nature. He did his best to minimize dissent amongst the party, unlike Khrushchev, and pushed for a detente between Russia and the U.S. He also tightened the hold the USSR held over Eastern Europe during this time.
However, Brezhnev despised political reform, which led to a period known as the . The technological gap between the U.S. and Russia was increasing, but the economy of the Soviet Union was falling.
Gorbachev the Reformer
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power and brought a wave of reform with him as the eighth and last president of the USSR. First, Gorbachev withdrew from the and met with at a summit to limit nuclear weapons and end the Cold War. Formerly committed to preserving the Soviet Union’s socialist ideas, Gorbachev slowly moved to become a .
His most important reforms are (openness) and (restructuring). In these, Gorbachev allowed for greater freedom of speech and press and decentralized economic decision-making, respectively. When nations began abandoning the influence of the USSR, Gorbachev tolerated it.
After an unsuccessful coup by party members unhappy with Gorbachev’s reforms, the Soviet Union dissolved against Gorbachev’s wishes, and he resigned. The end of the Soviet Union would bring about a decline in Russia's global influence and an economic crisis.
The End of the USSR
The dissolving of the Soviet Union in 1991 would lead to an impending economic crisis as Russia lost hold of the . Czechoslovakia split in half, Yugoslavia dissolved, and the grew by admitting former countries. The fell after 30 years, a symbol of the collapse of the USSR, marking the end of communism. . . in Europe, at least.
Key Terms to Review (21)
Berlin Wall
: The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. It was built by East Germany (with backing from Soviet Union) to prevent its citizens from fleeing to West Germany.Brezhnev Stagnation
: The Brezhnev Stagnation refers to a period of economic and political stagnation in the Soviet Union during the leadership of Leonid Brezhnev (1964-1982). It was characterized by low economic growth, corruption, and an increased emphasis on maintaining status quo rather than implementing reforms.Cuban Missile Crisis
: The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) was a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union initiated by American ballistic missile deployment in Italy and Turkey with consequent Soviet ballistic missile deployment in Cuba.Cult of Personality
: A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods to create an idealized and heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise.De-Stalinization
: De-Stalinization was a process initiated by Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union after Stalin's death in 1953. It involved discrediting Stalin's image and reforming policies associated with his regime.Eastern Bloc
: The Eastern Bloc refers to the group of socialist states under the influence or direct control of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.European Union
: The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. It has developed an internal single market through a standardized system of laws that apply to all member states.Georgi Malenkov
: Georgi Malenkov was a Soviet politician who briefly succeeded Joseph Stalin as the leader of the Soviet Union. However, his party rivals, led by Nikita Khrushchev, soon removed him from power.Glasnost
: Glasnost was a policy of openness, transparency, and political liberalization implemented by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s.Gulags
: The Gulag was a system of forced labor camps established during Joseph Stalin's rule in the Soviet Union. It is estimated that millions of people were imprisoned in these camps.Holodomor
: The Holodomor was a man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians. It is often attributed to Stalin's policies.Joseph Stalin
: Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. He implemented a series of political and economic policies that centralized power in the state's hands, transforming the Soviet Union into an industrial superpower but also leading to severe hardships for its people.Lavrentiy Beria
: Lavrentiy Beria was a Georgian Bolshevik and chief of the Soviet security under Joseph Stalin. He played major roles in purges during Stalin’s reign.Nikita Khrushchev
: Nikita Khrushchev was a Soviet statesman who led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War as First Secretary of Communist Party from 1953-1964 and as Premier from 1958-1964.Perestroika
: Perestroika was another policy implemented by Gorbachev in the 1980s aimed at restructuring the Soviet Union's economy by introducing elements such as market practices and private ownership.Ronald Reagan
: Ronald Reagan was an American politician who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He implemented policies that reduced social spending, cut taxes, and increased defense spending which came to be known as "Reaganomics."Secret Police
: The secret police are law enforcement agencies operating in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual leader or a political regime.Social Democrat
: A social democrat is a political ideology that supports economic and social interventions to promote social justice within the framework of a capitalist economy, and a policy regime involving welfare state provisions, collective bargaining arrangements, regulation of the economy in the general interest, redistribution of income and wealth, and public ownership.Soviet-Afghan War
: The Soviet-Afghan War was a conflict that took place from 1979 to 1989. It began when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to support its communist government against anti-communist guerilla fighters, known as the Mujahideen.Stalingrad
: Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in Southern Russia.Volgograd
: Volgograd is a city in southwest Russia, formerly known as Stalingrad. It was the site of one of the most significant battles of World War II, where Soviet forces successfully defended against German invasion.9.7 The Fall of Communism
3 min read•february 12, 2023
Sharii Liang
Jillian Holbrook
Sharii Liang
Jillian Holbrook
The Fall of Stalin
In March 1953, died. Once the great dictator of the Soviet Union who hastened its industrialization, his legacy of death (), oppression (secret police), and industrialization were quick to be forgotten by his successor. Stalin had left the Soviet Union in a less than terrific state, but he was still revered by communists at home and abroad.
Nikita Khrushchev, Stalin’s successor, immediately began the process of along with and Georgi Malikov despite dealing with the . Khrushchev condemned Stalin’s rule in a “secret speech” and attempted to remove any aspect of Stalin’s ideas from the Soviet Union, including renaming to , removing the around Stalin, and ending .
Khrushchev’s also had the unintended consequences of stagnating economic growth. His new reforms did not have the intended effects, which led to other countries under the Soviet Union feeling the aftereffects. Along with general discontent, this would give rise to the revolts of the time in other countries. He would eventually be deposed by his political opponents in 1964.
The Rise of Brezhnev
Brezhnev quickly replaced Khrushchev as the leader of the USSR. His reign was regarded as largely stabilizing the Soviet Union and its ruling party due to his conservative, pragmatic nature. He did his best to minimize dissent amongst the party, unlike Khrushchev, and pushed for a detente between Russia and the U.S. He also tightened the hold the USSR held over Eastern Europe during this time.
However, Brezhnev despised political reform, which led to a period known as the . The technological gap between the U.S. and Russia was increasing, but the economy of the Soviet Union was falling.
Gorbachev the Reformer
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power and brought a wave of reform with him as the eighth and last president of the USSR. First, Gorbachev withdrew from the and met with at a summit to limit nuclear weapons and end the Cold War. Formerly committed to preserving the Soviet Union’s socialist ideas, Gorbachev slowly moved to become a .
His most important reforms are (openness) and (restructuring). In these, Gorbachev allowed for greater freedom of speech and press and decentralized economic decision-making, respectively. When nations began abandoning the influence of the USSR, Gorbachev tolerated it.
After an unsuccessful coup by party members unhappy with Gorbachev’s reforms, the Soviet Union dissolved against Gorbachev’s wishes, and he resigned. The end of the Soviet Union would bring about a decline in Russia's global influence and an economic crisis.
The End of the USSR
The dissolving of the Soviet Union in 1991 would lead to an impending economic crisis as Russia lost hold of the . Czechoslovakia split in half, Yugoslavia dissolved, and the grew by admitting former countries. The fell after 30 years, a symbol of the collapse of the USSR, marking the end of communism. . . in Europe, at least.
Key Terms to Review (21)
Berlin Wall
: The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. It was built by East Germany (with backing from Soviet Union) to prevent its citizens from fleeing to West Germany.Brezhnev Stagnation
: The Brezhnev Stagnation refers to a period of economic and political stagnation in the Soviet Union during the leadership of Leonid Brezhnev (1964-1982). It was characterized by low economic growth, corruption, and an increased emphasis on maintaining status quo rather than implementing reforms.Cuban Missile Crisis
: The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) was a 13-day confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union initiated by American ballistic missile deployment in Italy and Turkey with consequent Soviet ballistic missile deployment in Cuba.Cult of Personality
: A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods to create an idealized and heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise.De-Stalinization
: De-Stalinization was a process initiated by Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union after Stalin's death in 1953. It involved discrediting Stalin's image and reforming policies associated with his regime.Eastern Bloc
: The Eastern Bloc refers to the group of socialist states under the influence or direct control of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.European Union
: The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. It has developed an internal single market through a standardized system of laws that apply to all member states.Georgi Malenkov
: Georgi Malenkov was a Soviet politician who briefly succeeded Joseph Stalin as the leader of the Soviet Union. However, his party rivals, led by Nikita Khrushchev, soon removed him from power.Glasnost
: Glasnost was a policy of openness, transparency, and political liberalization implemented by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s.Gulags
: The Gulag was a system of forced labor camps established during Joseph Stalin's rule in the Soviet Union. It is estimated that millions of people were imprisoned in these camps.Holodomor
: The Holodomor was a man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians. It is often attributed to Stalin's policies.Joseph Stalin
: Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s until his death in 1953. He implemented a series of political and economic policies that centralized power in the state's hands, transforming the Soviet Union into an industrial superpower but also leading to severe hardships for its people.Lavrentiy Beria
: Lavrentiy Beria was a Georgian Bolshevik and chief of the Soviet security under Joseph Stalin. He played major roles in purges during Stalin’s reign.Nikita Khrushchev
: Nikita Khrushchev was a Soviet statesman who led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War as First Secretary of Communist Party from 1953-1964 and as Premier from 1958-1964.Perestroika
: Perestroika was another policy implemented by Gorbachev in the 1980s aimed at restructuring the Soviet Union's economy by introducing elements such as market practices and private ownership.Ronald Reagan
: Ronald Reagan was an American politician who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He implemented policies that reduced social spending, cut taxes, and increased defense spending which came to be known as "Reaganomics."Secret Police
: The secret police are law enforcement agencies operating in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual leader or a political regime.Social Democrat
: A social democrat is a political ideology that supports economic and social interventions to promote social justice within the framework of a capitalist economy, and a policy regime involving welfare state provisions, collective bargaining arrangements, regulation of the economy in the general interest, redistribution of income and wealth, and public ownership.Soviet-Afghan War
: The Soviet-Afghan War was a conflict that took place from 1979 to 1989. It began when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to support its communist government against anti-communist guerilla fighters, known as the Mujahideen.Stalingrad
: Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) in Southern Russia.Volgograd
: Volgograd is a city in southwest Russia, formerly known as Stalingrad. It was the site of one of the most significant battles of World War II, where Soviet forces successfully defended against German invasion.
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