I. Soviet Union to 1985

A. perplexity to the west – mild liberalization and no throwback to Stalin years; YET only mild human rights/equality and stubborn determination to hold onto power

B. 1968 – Czechoslovakia invasion lesson

C. “re-Stalinization”

i. stubborn conservatism

ii. coercion rather than terror

iii. mild increased standard of living, but line shortages

D. Great Russians – nationalists who stress: WWII role, protection from E. Europe “counter-revolutionaries”; Their fear was more freedom would yield autonomy and independence

E. Censorship – art/culture/discussion against government got you blacklisted

F. “social revolution while Brezhnev slept”

i. growing urban population is more sophisticated

ii. better educated population can think outside the communistic box

II. Solidarity

A. Poland is a Russian headache since 1956 – they’d opposed collectivization and Catholic squelching

B. Economy going poorly (bad for any government)

C. 1970 – new communist leader seeks “economic miracle” through western $; it doesn’t happen due to incompetence and oil shock (inflation)

D. other miracle – Pope John Paul II from Poland invigorates the Polish people

E. 1980 – Lenin Shipyards strike for: (1) right to for unions (2) free speech (3) release of political prisoners (4) economic reform

F. Gdansk Agreement – government gave in to strikers

G. Solidarity – the union of the nation; always a threat of strike; stopped short of political revolution

H. What would Russia/Polish communists do? à declare martial law

I. Underground Solidarity persists – no terror, the people acted free, economy was bad, they hated martial law

III. Back in Russia, “Gorbie” takes over

A. Early 1980s communist party is doing fine; perpetuating elites

B. 1982 Brezhnev dies and is replaced by Yuri Andropov

C. 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev takes over; he has personality and a vision

D. he sought to revamp communism and thus to save it

i. perestroika – “restructure” the economy along 1/2 way capitalistic measures; only somewhat successful

ii. glasnost – “openness” of media and honesty

iii. democratization – opens elections that pick Congress of People’s Deputies which heard and rejected some of Gorbachev’s proposals (revolutionary)

iv. foreign affairs – removed Afghanistan troops; sought to reduce arms with US/Reagan; said he’d respect E. Europe’s political choices