The end of the Cold War:
Just like how it started, the Cold War has no definite end. Most scholars consider the end to be around 1989-1991, as communism collapsed in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union dissolved. As a result of these events, the Eastern Bloc disappeared, leaving the Western Bloc as the "victorious" bloc. However, there are many factors leading up to the collapse of the Eastern Bloc.
After having spent billions on its military, the Soviet economy was in poor shape by the 1980's. In the 1980's, about 15% - 25% of the entire Soviet Gross National Product were being spent annually on the military. In 1985, a relatively liberal - minded Mikhail Gorbachev become the new leader of the Soviet Union. After assuming office, he instigated a series of reforms known as "perestroika" (Russian: restructuring) in 1987. These reforms slowly shifted the Soviet economy to a more market - based one, and military spending was reduced in favour of industrial development. Moreover, censorship under Gorbachev relaxed and the powers of the secret police were reduced. This was known as the "Glasnost" (Russian: openness). Gorbachev's goal was to make the Soviet Union a democratically communist nation. As a consequence of these reforms, the Soviet Union gained closer ties to the Western world.
On the other hand, the Soviet Union itself was crumbling from to the increasing nationalist sentiments from the countries that it annexed 50 years ago (eg. Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, etc). Increased media freedom served to articulate their desire for independence. Furthermore, as the Soviet Union withdrew troops from Eastern Europe, communist governments there began to falter. In 1989 a string of revolutions toppled communism in eastern European nations. All of these revolutions were relatively peaceful, with the exception for the violent revolution in Romania. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolized the collapse of communism and the Iron Curtain.
The dissolution of the Soviet Union began when Lithuania broke away in 1990. Individual nations within the Soviet Union began planning for independence. An attempted coup in August 1991 to reverse the reforms was foiled by Boris Yeltsin (leader of the Russian Republic within the Soviet Union). However, the powers of the Soviet leader Gorbachev was damaged and the powers of the individual republic leaders grew. The union crumbled rapidly in late of 1991. Many republics which were formerly within the Soviet Union declared their independence. For example, Ukraine had a vote for independence on December 1st, 1991; it was a landslide majority for independence. Other republics soon followed. On December 25th, Gorbachev resigned as the leader of the Soviet Union; the Soviet Union officially dissolved on the same day. All remaining Soviet institutions ceased operation by December 31st, 1991.
Nations which gained independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union:
-Russia (successor state of the Soviet Union)
-Estonia
-Latvia
-Lithuania
-Belarus
-Ukraine
-Moldova
-Kazakhstan
-Uzbekistan
-Kyrgyzstan
-Turkmenistan
-Tajikistan
-Georgia
-Armenia
-Azerbaijan
The Soviet Union dissolved; the United States was left as the world's sole superpower. For this reason, most people call 1991 as the year that the Cold War ended. However, tensions left over from the Cold War between the East and West still exist today.
After having spent billions on its military, the Soviet economy was in poor shape by the 1980's. In the 1980's, about 15% - 25% of the entire Soviet Gross National Product were being spent annually on the military. In 1985, a relatively liberal - minded Mikhail Gorbachev become the new leader of the Soviet Union. After assuming office, he instigated a series of reforms known as "perestroika" (Russian: restructuring) in 1987. These reforms slowly shifted the Soviet economy to a more market - based one, and military spending was reduced in favour of industrial development. Moreover, censorship under Gorbachev relaxed and the powers of the secret police were reduced. This was known as the "Glasnost" (Russian: openness). Gorbachev's goal was to make the Soviet Union a democratically communist nation. As a consequence of these reforms, the Soviet Union gained closer ties to the Western world.
On the other hand, the Soviet Union itself was crumbling from to the increasing nationalist sentiments from the countries that it annexed 50 years ago (eg. Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, etc). Increased media freedom served to articulate their desire for independence. Furthermore, as the Soviet Union withdrew troops from Eastern Europe, communist governments there began to falter. In 1989 a string of revolutions toppled communism in eastern European nations. All of these revolutions were relatively peaceful, with the exception for the violent revolution in Romania. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 symbolized the collapse of communism and the Iron Curtain.
The dissolution of the Soviet Union began when Lithuania broke away in 1990. Individual nations within the Soviet Union began planning for independence. An attempted coup in August 1991 to reverse the reforms was foiled by Boris Yeltsin (leader of the Russian Republic within the Soviet Union). However, the powers of the Soviet leader Gorbachev was damaged and the powers of the individual republic leaders grew. The union crumbled rapidly in late of 1991. Many republics which were formerly within the Soviet Union declared their independence. For example, Ukraine had a vote for independence on December 1st, 1991; it was a landslide majority for independence. Other republics soon followed. On December 25th, Gorbachev resigned as the leader of the Soviet Union; the Soviet Union officially dissolved on the same day. All remaining Soviet institutions ceased operation by December 31st, 1991.
Nations which gained independence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union:
-Russia (successor state of the Soviet Union)
-Estonia
-Latvia
-Lithuania
-Belarus
-Ukraine
-Moldova
-Kazakhstan
-Uzbekistan
-Kyrgyzstan
-Turkmenistan
-Tajikistan
-Georgia
-Armenia
-Azerbaijan
The Soviet Union dissolved; the United States was left as the world's sole superpower. For this reason, most people call 1991 as the year that the Cold War ended. However, tensions left over from the Cold War between the East and West still exist today.