the end of the cold war
The end of the Cold War is marked by the period of geopolitical tension between the United States and its NATO allies, and the Soviet Union and its satellite states, beginning after World War II and extending into the early 1990s. Several key events and factors signaled the decline and eventual end of the Cold War.
1. Economic factors: The Soviet economy was weakening by the 1970s, partly due to the high costs of maintaining military power and the arms race with the United States, as well as inefficiencies in the Soviet planned economy.
2. Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms: In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the Soviet Union, introducing policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in an attempt to modernize and reform the Soviet political and economic systems.
3. Eastern European uprisings: Throughout the 1980s, there were mass protests and popular movements in Eastern European countries, particularly Poland, Hungary, and East Germany. This turmoil indicated a desire for democratic reforms and more independence from the Soviet Union.
4. The fall of the Berlin Wall: On November 9, 1989, the East German government opened its border with West Germany, allowing citizens to travel freely between the two countries. Over the following days and weeks, people from east and west tore down the Berlin Wall, signaling the collapse of communist rule in East Germany and an end to the division of Europe.
5. The collapse of the Soviet Union: In the early 1990s, the Soviet Union faced a series of crises, including an unsuccessful coup attempt against Gorbachev in August 1991. On December 25, 1991, Gorbachev officially resigned as President of the Soviet Union, and the following day, the Soviet Union was formally dissolved, marking the end of the Cold War.