Revolutions of 1989

The Revolutions of 1989, also called the Fall of Communism, were a series of movements that led to the end of most Marxist–Leninist governments in the Eastern Bloc and other parts of the world. These events were important because they changed the balance of power globally, ending the Cold War and starting a new post-Cold War era. The revolutions showed how people could work together to bring about big changes in their countries.

The first big protests began in Poland in 1980, leading to the creation of Solidarity, the first independent trade union in the Eastern Bloc. In 1989, Poland held elections that ended its communist government peacefully. This inspired other countries like Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Romania. In East Germany, huge protests led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, which was a symbol of the end of division between East and West Germany. These changes were mostly peaceful, but in Romania, people had to use force to remove their communist leaders.

The Soviet Union itself changed dramatically, becoming a multi-party republic and holding its first presidential election in 1990. By December 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved, leading to the independence of several countries, including the Baltic states, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. Other countries like Albania and Yugoslavia also left behind communist rule during this time. These revolutions had effects far beyond Europe, influencing places in Asia, Africa, and South America. In many nations, communist parties lost their grip on power, and new political systems began to take shape.

Background

Emergence of Solidarity in Poland

Main article: Solidarity (Polish trade union)

In 1980, workers in Poland formed a group called Solidarity, led by Lech Wałęsa. This group wanted better rights for workers and became very important. But in 1981, the leader of Poland, Wojciech Jaruzelski, stopped Solidarity and put its leaders in prison.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Main articles: Mikhail Gorbachev, Perestroika, Glasnost, and Democratization (Soviet Union)

In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union. He wanted to change the country and make it stronger. He introduced ideas like glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring). These ideas helped people talk more freely and think about changes. But not all leaders in Eastern Europe liked these changes. Some still wanted to keep things the same.

Soviet republics

By the late 1980s, people in some parts of the Soviet Union wanted more freedom from Moscow. In 1988, a region called Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic said it wanted to be more independent.

Impact of Solidarity grows

Main article: Solidarity (Polish trade union)

In the late 1980s, Solidarity became very strong. In 1988, workers went on strike, and the government had to talk to them. In 1989, they agreed to create a new government system. In July 1989, Gorbachev said the Soviet Union would not use force to control other countries anymore. Poland was the first country to become free from Soviet control.

Protests and revolutions in the Western Bloc

See also: Third Wave Democracy

In 1986, people in the Philippines peacefully removed a leader and chose a new president, Corazon "Cory" Aquino. In 1987, people in South Korea protested for free elections and other rights. Other countries also began to change their governments during this time. By the late 1990s, there were many more democracies in the world than before.

History

National political movements

Poland

Main article: History of Poland (1945–1989) § Final decade of the Polish People's Republic (1980–1989)

In 1988, many workers in Poland went on strike, asking for the right to form unions like Solidarity. Talks began in early 1989, and by April, an agreement was made. In June, elections were held, and Solidarity won by far. By August, the old government agreed to let a Solidarity member become prime minister. In November, a statue of a man who had stood for strict communist rule was torn down. By 1990, Poland had changed its name and started a new government. In December 1990, Lech Wałęsa became president, marking the end of communist rule in Poland.

Hungary

Main article: End of Communism in Hungary (1989)

See also: Removal of Hungary's border fence and Pan-European Picnic

Hungary followed Poland, changing its government in 1989. In January 1989, Hungary changed its laws to allow more freedom. In May, Hungary began taking down its fence with Austria, letting many people from nearby countries escape to the West. By October, Hungary had a new government, and by March 1990, it held its first free elections.

East Germany

Main articles: History of Germany (1945-1990), Peaceful Revolution, Fall of the Berlin Wall, and German reunification

In May 1989, Hungary began taking down its fence with Austria, which led to many East Germans trying to escape to the West. By September, protests grew in East Germany. On November 9, the government announced that people could cross the border freely, and crowds rushed to the Berlin Wall, tearing it down. By December, East Germany’s communist party had dissolved, and in March 1990, free elections were held. Germany was reunited on October 3, 1990.

Czechoslovakia

Main article: Velvet Revolution

In November 1989, students in Prague protested, leading to large demonstrations. By late November, half a million people were in the streets. The communist leaders resigned, and by December, new leaders were chosen. In June 1990, Czechoslovakia held its first free elections since 1946.

Bulgaria

In November 1989, protests began in Bulgaria, leading to the leader Todor Zhivkov being removed. By December, the communist party said it would give up its special role, and in 1990, Bulgaria held its first free elections since 1931.

Romania

Main article: Romanian Revolution

In December 1989, protests broke out in Romania. The leader, Nicolae Ceaușescu, tried to speak to supporters but was booed. By December 22, the military turned against him, and he and his wife were captured. They were tried and executed shortly after. An interim government took over and announced elections for 1990.

Yugoslavia

Main articles: Breakup of Yugoslavia and Yugoslav Wars

Yugoslavia was not part of the Soviet bloc but had its own form of communist rule. After the leader Tito died in 1980, tensions grew between different groups in the country. By 1990, several parts of Yugoslavia held elections, and some began planning to leave the country. This led to wars in the early 1990s.

Albania

Main article: Fall of communism in Albania

Albania’s long-time leader, Enver Hoxha, died in 1985. His successor began making changes, and in 1989, protests started. By 1991, Albania held its first free elections since 1923.

Mongolia

Main article: Mongolian Revolution of 1990

In Mongolia, protests began in December 1989, asking for democratic changes. By March 1990, the government agreed to hold free elections, and Mongolia’s first free elections were held in July 1990.

China

Main article: 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre

In China, protests for democratic changes began in 1989. The government did not change its leadership, and the protests were stopped by the military.

Malta summit

In December 1989, leaders from the United States and the Soviet Union met to discuss the end of the Cold War, a few weeks after the Berlin Wall fell.

Election chronology in Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia

Between June 1989 and April 1991, many countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia held their first competitive elections in many decades.

Dissolution of the Soviet Union

Main article: Dissolution of the Soviet Union

In 1991, the Soviet Union began to break apart. Several republics declared independence, and by December 1991, the Soviet Union officially ended, splitting into fifteen separate countries.

Baltic states

Main article: Singing Revolution

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1989 and 1990. By September 1991, the Soviet Union recognized their independence.

Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova

Belarus declared independence in August 1991. Ukraine held a vote to leave the Soviet Union in December 1991. Moldova also faced conflicts as it tried to become independent.

Transcaucasia

All countries in this area gained independence in 1991. Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan each faced their own challenges, including conflicts and changes in leadership.

Chechnya

In Chechnya, leaders declared independence from Russia in 1991. This led to wars between Russia and Chechnya in the 1990s.

Central Asia

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan all became independent in 1991. Each country had its own leaders and faced different challenges in building new governments.

Other events

Communist and socialist countries

Reforms in the Soviet Union and its allies led to changes in other communist countries. Some, like China and Cuba, kept their communist governments but made economic changes. Others, like India and Vietnam, began allowing more private business.

Africa

Many African countries changed their governments in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some ended one-party rule and held free elections. Others faced civil wars or coups.

Middle East

In the Middle East, some countries saw changes in leadership or politics. Iraq faced uprisings, and Kuwait was invaded by Iraq but later freed by a international force.

Asia

In Asia, countries like Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Cambodia saw changes in government or leadership. China crushed protests for democratic change in 1989.

Latin America

In Latin America, countries like Nicaragua and Guyana held free elections for the first time in years. Cuba faced economic hard times after losing support from the Soviet Union.

Oceania

Vanuatu held its first free elections in 1991.

Other countries

Many countries around the world that had supported communist groups lost that support. Parties in Australia, Austria, Belgium, and other nations either dissolved or lost funding.

Other impacts

Many Jewish people from the Soviet Union were allowed to move to Israel in the early 1990s, changing the country’s population.

Political reforms

Main article: Decommunization

Decommunization is the process of moving past the old ways of communist governments and their ideas in countries that used to have communist rule. In many places, this process was small or didn't happen at all. Communist parties often just changed their names but kept working. However, in some European countries, saying bad things about what communist leaders did could lead to being punished with up to three years of imprisonment. Only a few places tried to stop former secret service members from making important decisions.

Economic reforms

In many countries that used to have governments based on shared ownership, businesses were mostly controlled by the government. They often didn’t make things people really wanted, leading to shortages. In the early 1990s, many people thought it would take a very long time for these countries to change to a system where businesses could decide what to make based on what people wanted to buy.

When a big country stopped working closely with others, it caused big problems for many places. People’s lives became harder, and things got much more difficult for many families. Even before some money problems in one country, its total value was much lower than it used to be.

Different countries tried different ways to fix their economies. One plan that many thought worked well was used in Poland. Over time, businesses began to grow again.

In 2007, a paper looked at how fast different countries changed. Some changed very quickly, while others took much longer.

Many of these countries later joined a big group of nations called the European Union. Other countries made their own groups to work together.

China began changing its economy in 1978, which helped many people live better lives. Vietnam started similar changes in 1986, and India began in 1991. These changes let more people find jobs and grow the world’s resources.

Interpretations

The events of 1989 surprised many people. Before 1991, many believed that the collapse of the Soviet Union was impossible.

By the end of 1989, uprisings had spread across Central, South-East, and Eastern Europe, ending regimes put in place after World War II. Even Albania, which had strict rules, could not stop the changes. A key reason these uprisings succeeded was that the Soviet leader promised not to send in troops to stop protests. This made the governments in these areas weaker when people stood up against them.

Some believed that the Soviet Union thought losing influence in some areas might actually help them gain more in others. However, the leader of the Soviet Union did not plan to completely end communism or the military alliance he led. He thought these groups could be changed to work better. But one of his advisors later said keeping the old system in these areas didn’t make sense. The economic and military alliances did not work well with modern market systems.

In the end, these authoritarian governments faced problems because they did not meet people’s hopes for freedom and better lives. Economic troubles also played a big role in these changes.

Remembrance

Many countries hold special days and places to remember important events from 1989, when people worked for freedom and democracy.

Some countries celebrate holidays that mark their independence or big changes, like Germany’s German Unity Day and Slovenia’s Statehood Day. There are also museums and monuments, such as the Checkpoint Charlie Museum in Berlin and the House of Terror in Hungary, where people can learn about history.

There are also books and films that tell stories about these changes, like The Soviet Story and The Singing Revolution.