The Fall of Communism
Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe in 1989 and the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, ending the Cold War.
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Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe in 1989 and the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, ending the Cold War.
- Gorbachev introduced reforms
- The Berlin Wall fell in 1989
- New independent states emerged
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Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is The Fall of Communism?
Within History, which covers ancient civilisations, empires, revolutions, world wars and the making of the modern world, this topic explains The Fall of Communism. History topics connect events, people and ideas across time, so each one here gives a clear summary and a way to test your understanding.
Check that you can explain The Fall of Communism in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding The Fall of Communism helps you explain change over time and judge why events happened, which is the core skill in history essays.
The Fall of Communism in detail
By the 1980s, the Soviet Union faced economic stagnation, costly arms spending and the war in Afghanistan. Mikhail Gorbachev became leader in 1985 and introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), and refused to use force to keep control in Eastern Europe.
In 1989, revolutions swept across Eastern Europe, with the Solidarity movement in Poland, the opening of Hungary's border and the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November. Germany reunified in 1990. Hardliners tried a coup in 1991, and the USSR dissolved in December 1991 into independent states. The Cold War ended, but new challenges emerged.
How the interactive helps you understand The Fall of Communism
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Real-life uses and examples
- Explain the causes and consequences of The Fall of Communism in a well-structured paragraph.
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Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing events without explaining why they happened.
- Treating one source as the whole story when you study The Fall of Communism.
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Frequently asked questions about The Fall of Communism
What is The Fall of Communism?
Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe in 1989 and the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, ending the Cold War.
What are the most important points about The Fall of Communism?
The main points are: Gorbachev introduced reforms; The Berlin Wall fell in 1989; New independent states emerged.
Why is The Fall of Communism useful?
Understanding The Fall of Communism helps you explain change over time and judge why events happened, which is the core skill in history essays.
How can I practise The Fall of Communism?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to The Fall of Communism?
Related topics in History include Human Rights, Public Health Through Time, History of Technology.