4.3 The Iron Curtain falls

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Chapter 4

4.2 A divided world

Welcome!

At the end of this lesson...

• You can use various examples to describe how people resisted communist control.
  
• You can explain what the effects were of the reforms of the Soviet leader Gorbachev.

Today...

• What do you remember? (+- 5 min)
• Explanation (+- 20 min)
• Exercise (+- 20 min)

Berlin Wall

Mikhail Gorbachev

• Glasnost: openness
  

• Perestrojka: economic reforms
  

• Cutting back on military activities: fewer weapons, fewer soldiers.

• So also fewer Soviet soldiers outside the Soviet Union

• Remember this: as far as Gorbachev is concerned, the arms race is over. In any case, the Soviet Union is no longer involved.
  

Consequences

• Gorbachev wants to have a better relationship with Western countries

• Several important meetings happen between Reagan and the Gorbachev

• Unilateral disarmament of the Soviet Union

• Withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan

• Remember this: Gorbachev wants his ideas to be implemented in other communist countries in Eastern Europe. These countries do not want, cannot and do not dare to do this.
  

Video

Reagan's Speech in West Berlin, June 1987

0

Revolution Year 1989

The Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe

Causes

 

• Gorbachev's ideas (glasnost, perestroika)...

• ...clash with the old, ingrained, ideas of the Eastern European leaders...
  

• ...but are popular with the people of those countries!
  

Hungary opens its border with Austria

May 1989

Many other inhabitants of Eastern European countries

flee to the West via Hungary.

This Eastern European leader does understand the ideas of Glasnost and Perestroika: he wants to give his people more freedom.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

November 9 1989

What is happening?

• The people of East Berlin and Eastern Germany want more freedom and they want to open the border

• ... but the Eastern German government absolutely does not want this!

• Massive anti-government demonstrations in East Berlin

• Also during the 40th anniversary celebration of the DDR, in October 1989

Gorbachev is the guest of honor...

...he does not come to celebrate, but to warn the leaders of Eastern Germany: the Soviet Union is no longer going to help when it comes to ending demonstrations.

Every evening there are demonstrations in Berlin

The pressure on the Eastern German government increases,

while the world press looks at the situation in East Berlin

Video

A look at the fall

of The Berlin Wall

0

Exercise

Read ''Resistance against communism'' (paragraph 4.3)

Make a poster about the examples shown. Next time we'll present them to each other!

Chapter 4

4.3 The iron curtain falls

Welcome!

Grab your laptop!

At the end of this lesson...

• You can explain what developments in Russia from 2000 onwards led to new tensions between the East and West. 

Today...

• What do you remember? (+- 5 min)
• Exercise (+- 30 min)
• Present in groups (+- 15 min)

End of the Cold War

Exercise! (in pairs)

• Read ''Putin's Russia'' in paragraph 4.4. 

• Make a Powerpoint or poster in which you explain what developments in Russia from 2000 onwards led to new tensions between the East and West. 
• Explain in your PowerPoint/poster whether you think the Cold War ever ended.

Present in groups!