IB History Ideological Challenges and Dissent Notes

Key Questions

1. How did Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms influence ideological dissent in Eastern Europe?
2. What led to the collapse of Communist regimes across Eastern Europe?

How did Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms influence popular dissent?

1. Background to Popular Resistance in Eastern Europe in the 1980s

1. By the 1980s, many Eastern European states faced severe economic problems, including shortages of food, consumer goods, and housing.
2. Communist governments were widely viewed as corrupt, unrepresentative, and dependent on Soviet military support rather than popular consent.
3. Living standards in Eastern Europe compared poorly with those in Western Europe, which increased public resentment.
4. The long-term suppression of political freedom, censorship, and the lack of democratic rights fuelled growing opposition movements.
5. The example of reform in the USSR under Gorbachev encouraged resistance by showing that change was possible.

2. The Impact of Gorbachev’s Policies on Eastern Europe

1. Gorbachev introduced glasnost and perestroika, which encouraged openness, reform, and criticism of communist systems.
2. He rejected the Brezhnev Doctrine, making clear that the USSR would no longer use military force to maintain communist control in Eastern Europe.
3. This new approach, sometimes called the “Sinatra Doctrine”, allowed Eastern European states to follow their own political paths.
4. Communist leaders in Eastern Europe could no longer rely on Soviet tanks to suppress opposition.
5. This fundamentally altered the balance of power between governments and protest movements.