- July 1988 → Gorbachev made speech at Warsaw Pact summit → stating intention to withdraw large number of soviet troops, tanks, aircraft from other comm states
- reinforced these intentions → in speech to Polish parliament
March 1989 → Gorbachev made clear to Warsaw Pact leaders → that Soviet army would leave EE + would no longer prop their countries up.
- they would have to listen to their people
Following months → sudden + dramatic collapse of comm across EE Even Berlin wall → symbol of Cold War and Communist control of EE → could not withstand pressure
- Nov 1989 → guards abandoned Berlin war → Jubilant crowds began to dismantle it
| Month | Info |
|---|---|
| May | Hungarians → began dismantling barbed wire fence between Hungary and non comm Austria |
| June-Aug | solidarity → won 99/100 seats in Poland’s senate at June elections. Protests against communist rule in Poland → continued to take place throughout summer |
| Sept | 1000s of East Germans on holiday in Hungary and Czechoslovakia → refused to go home. escaped through Austria into West Germany |
| Oct | Gorbachev → visited East Germany → made key speech urging all EE leaders to reform their countries made it clear → USSR would not use troops to keep them in power. Hungary declared itself a democratic republic rather than a communist rupublic. |
| Nov | largest demonstration in East Germany’s history → took place → over 1 mil people demanded for democracy + free elections in East Berlin East German govt announced → opening of border + lifting of Berlin Wall → 9 Nov. in Czechoslovakia → huge demonstrations forced communist leaders to resign → resulting in opening of its borders with west. June 1990 → he held free elections. |
| Dec | Massive demonstrations led to the collapse of the communist regimes in Bulgaria and Romania. ( and Albania in 1992) |