End of Cold War

  • US boycotts 1980 Olympics

    The US told the Soviet Union they would boycott the Olympics if they didn't pull out troops from Afghanistan. Other countries joined the protest with the US.
  • Strategic Defense Initiative

    SDI included technology that had not been developed at that time. There were many critics of the SDI.
  • Caribbean Basin Initiative

    Created tariff and tradde benefits to Caribbean countries. This is in place until 2020.
  • Mikhail Gorbachev became General Secretary of Communist Party

    He was General Secretary from 1985-1991. He was the last undisputed leader of the Soviet Union.
  • Iran Contra Affair

    It was a political scandal in the US. Weapons were sold to Iran in hopes some prisoners would be let go.
  • Immediate range nuclear forces treaty ratified

    The USSR had 3 years to destroy their short range and immediate range missles. There would be inspections to make sure the treaty was followed.
  • Berlin Wall Collapses

    It cut off West Berlin from East Germany. After the collapse people were able to cross without punishment between the borders of the wall.
  • 1st McDonald's opens in Moscow

    People lined up to pay days worth of wages for Big Macs. The people of the Soviet Union supported the McDonalds.
  • Germany is reunified

    It cost a lot of money to reunify Germany. There is still a divide of the culture between East and West Germany.
  • Warsaw Pact is dissolved

    It was a Soviet dominated alliance. The countries wanted to seperate from the Soviet Union.
  • Boris Yelstin elected President of Russia

    He was elected by popular vote. He was re-elected in 1996.
  • End of the Soviet Union

    It changed to 15 different countries. It showed capitalism is over socialism.