Bush sought the reunification of Germany – would be achieved on Western terms – strong bargaining position

Kohl also strongly supports reunification – Late November 1989 Kohl puts forward a ten point plan regarding this policy.

Britain and France have doubts – both countries worry about the dominance of Germany in a new unified Europe – Mitterand in December 1989 talks to G in Moscow about the issue – Moscow also worried.

Thatcher moves away from this worried stance mainly because she didn’t really want European integration and she felt a strong Germany would be a challenge to this principle – so Thatcher and Mitterand don’t really work together.

Gorbachev was also worried by the prospect of German reunification – confused policy at times saying it was the right thing, in other occassions expressiing his doubts.

Collapse of effective governence in East Germany by the end of 1989, currency problems, opposition groups formed, January 1990 stasi dissolved. Unification only a matter of time – elections in the country set for March 1990.

But issues East German leader Hans Modrow discussed the idea of a neutralised Germany – worries West Germany – they wanted to be member of NATO, G support four power talks – settlement dictated on West Germany – Kohl worries.

But end of January 1990 G suggests unification was possible, due to E German collapse, Soviet economic problems and to appease the West. West German proposal regarding NATO membership but no troops in the Eastern provinces.

Speed of events – February 1990 Kohl talks of monetary union of East and West. Secretary of State Feb 1990 – 2+ four talks – 2 Germanys deal with internal issues, four occupying powers deal with the international situation. Allows all powers a say. West Germans propose financial aid to the Soviet Union for unification.

March 1990 Christian Democrats 48% of vote in elections – vote for reunification – april 1990 further moves towards unification

Two plus four talks – across 1990 three western powers want Germany to be part of NATO with East Germany a part of it – Soviets unsure – May 1990 – Moscow wants Germany to be neutralised.

Kohl offers considerable economic aid to the Soviets to make up for the loss of East Germany – troop reductions too – Gorbachev convinced that E Germany can enter NATO.

July 1990 monetary union – stablises East Germany – NATO discussions – talk more of cooperation with Moscow instead of confrontation, troop reductions East Germany.

Series of agreements August-October 1990 – German financial aid to Soviets – get the Red Army out of East Germany. Treaties of friendship and border treaties Poland-Germany.

September – no nuclear weapons to Germany, Germany into NATO, end of occupation.

3 October unification

Complex process but Unification achieved October 1990 – better for the West than East – however G had got concessions too. New megapower in Europe again.

So Germany had been unified, Eastern Europe had cast off Communism. What would happen to the Soviet Union after all of that? Transformation of domestic and foreign policy under Gorbachev. West sees him as rational, enlightened, liberaliser, end of the Cold War. Many in Soviet Union see him as abandoning Communism, supporting free enterprise – uncertainty which this brings.

Also argument that Cohesion affected by political policies, possibilities of national independence movements in the Soviet Union.

Loss of Eastern Europe – worries about Soviet Union’s security

Gorbachev seemed to be behind all of this – hard to see anyone else bringing the Soviet Union to the state that it had got to.

Combination of two things brings about the fall of the Soviet Union – problems of economic reform and the end of Nationalism.

Gorbachev’s economic reforms had not been as successful as he had liked – economic reforms had been slow and had resulted in a decline in manufacturing output.

Poor showing of the Soviet economy was added to by nationalism – which combined with the economic problems made a good case for independence

G doesn’t know how to deal with the problem of nationalism – Law of nationalities January 1990 – gave republics the right to secede – but confusing policy – as he sent Red Army into Lithuania in March 1990 after it had declared independence. Moves for independence in the Baltic rtepublics since 1988. Arrest of young Lithuanians who resisted conscription into the Red Army, Lithuanian National Guard disarmed (Worries in the US that G would use a strong-arm approach)

G eventually decides not to use force again here

Boris Yeltsin elected leader of Russian Federation – rival of Gorbachev. Resigned from the Communist Party, 12 June asserted the Russian Federation’s right to Sovereignty. Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus also press for autonomy from Moscow. The republic issue was now a major problem for Gorbachev.

End of 1990 G beleaguered – brings hardliners back into Politburo – shevardnadze resigns.

Lithuania early 1991 ending of suspension of Lithuanian independence – Red Army once more to the Lithuanian capital – G pulls back from more violence – Union treaty March 1991 – more autonomy to the republics

Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Georgia declare independence – Yeltsin elected Russian President June 1991

Crisis hits – Yeltsin holds out against them, Gorbachev freed after three days and the coup collapses. Abolition of the KGB and the suspension of the Communist party.

Yeltsin gains out of these events – the centre was demoralised – Commonwealth of Independent States formed – eleven republics, loose confederation

Some states independent, Ukraine August 24 1991 – end of Soviet Union

Mass of new states created as aresult – Baltics, Caucusus and Central Asia.

So let’s look quickly at explaining the end of the Cold War. Three general explanations have been put forward:

1)Right-wingers in the US and realist thinkers always argue the Cold War was a victory for the West. They see the end of the Cold war due to Reagan’s aggressive policies – arms spending and supporting freedom fighters across the world = faced disintegration if it did not attempt radical change. Gorbachev adopted new thinking as he was forced to by Reagan goes the argument.

A linked argument to this one is one which suggests that US policies of détente were important in opening up the Eastern bloc to liberal ideas – these ideas, so the argument goes, gave people in the East a desire for liberalism and greater openness. A classic example of this were the Helsinki Accords (the height of détente) which allowed Eastern dissident groups greater freedom to operate. One of these, Solidarity presented the Communist with their greatest challenge yet in 1980/81 in Poland.

A second major reason which has been argued is the long-term weaknesses of the Soviet Union – firstly regimes in the region (especially in Eastern Europe) suffered from a lack of popular legitimacy. Regimes in Eastern Europe had been imposed (almost exclusively) by the military might of the Red Army in 1945. Although there had been some advances as a result of communist rule (education for example), there was still the problem that regimes in the region had not been supported when they were implemented (obviously in Russia this is not true). In addition the corruption and careerism at the heart of socialist regimes was common knowledge in the general population in the East, sceptical of government, people don’t believe what the state says. With Glasnost and perestroika the argument goes forces were unleashed from the bottom which moved to overthrow the communist system. Need for change – glasnost opened this up.

The economy is also another important reason – central planning, concentration on heavy production, exploitation of agriculture, system could not meet the demand for modern consumer goods (stalinist system). Over the top bureaucracy, inefficiency and waste across the system. Housing and health care not provided well enough, stagnation in the 1970s.

Linked reason - Détente opened up Eastern European economies to the West, massive debt crises in the 1980s – helps create anti-regime feeling.

Finally Gorbachev’s policies are crucially important – one could say that despite all the other things above without Gorbachev the cold war would not have ended.

Gorbachev attempted to reform economically and politically. Attempt to reform the economy, believed a bit more market economy would bring more success and efficiency to the Soviet Union (China successful) however the economic reforms failed and brought further economic problems – loss of industrial production.

In the political field his reforms released pressures that were bubbling under the surface, freedom brought opposition from nationalist groups in the Soviet Union and democratic forces in East Europe. Loss of control of reform brings about downfall.