GLO: Lesson - The 1980s

US President Ronald Reagan meets with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in Washington, DC in 1987.The 1980s

The End of the Cold War

The 1980s began with the Iraq-Iran War, which lasted the whole decade. US President Ronald Reagan narrowly avoided scandal when several people in the government were found guilty of selling guns to US enemies in Iran. However, Reagan promised to stand strong against the USSR because the USSR was usually led by powerful and conniving dictators.

In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the USSR and promised to increase honesty. His reform policies were called Glasnost and Perestroika. Glasnost meant Soviet “openness” to freedom of expression and allowing intellectual criticism. Perestroika meant “restructuring” the Soviet economy.

Image note: Ronald Reagan, US president, meets with Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet General Secretary, at the White House in 1987.

Reagan was so impressed that he held several talks and signed treaties with Gorbachev. This diplomatic relationship led to Reagan’s famous speech in Berlin imploring, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” which was met with great applause in West Berlin.

Repercussions on the World Stage

Indeed, the policy of Glasnost was so explosive in the Soviet satellite countries that anti-Communist demonstrations exploded throughout Eastern Europe. Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania became independent. Then the USSR accidentally opened access through the Berlin Wall and the people of West Berlin tore it down in 1989. By 1991, the USSR had collapsed and the Cold War was over.

West and East Berliners stand on top of the wall that no longer separated them.
West and East Berliners, reunited for the first time in nearly 30 years, standing on top of the wall that no longer separated them. This public photo documentation of the wall (including the displayed image) was released and featured by the Senate of Berlin. The photo is protected by copyright but permanently placed in a public area, therefore, it is covered by §59 UrhG.

More Revolutions

The 1980s saw more revolutions, but none were near as successful as the ones across the Soviet Union. In 1984, Sikhs protested in India for self-rule but were brutally stopped by Indira Gandhi. In 1989, students rioted in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China. The Chinese government massacred the students and covered up the demonstrations (see image below).

Terrorism continued throughout Latin America and Northern Ireland. In fact, the terrorists in Northern Ireland almost assassinated Margaret Thatcher, the Prime Minister. She is also remembered for her strong support of US President Reagan, her reduction of trade unions, and the privatization of UK’s businesses. She resigned in 1990.

A man stands in front of a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square, protesting Chinese rule.An anonymous man nicknamed “tank man” temporarily stops Chinese tanks from leaving Tiananmen Square the day following the protests. He was considered one of the top 100 most influential people of the 20th century by Time magazine.

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