Emily Strauss
Why did the Eastern bloc unravel in a single year (1989) with the result that, in conjunction with the
Soviet Union’s demise in 1991, the Cold War came to an end?
POLI2160/3160: Global Power and World Order
Tuesday 11am-1pm
John Tate
Due Date: 31 May 2020
Essay
Word Count: 2030
Page 1 of 9
, The unravelling of the Eastern bloc, in conjunction with the Soviet Union’s (USSR) demise, led to
the end of the Cold War. This essay will make use of three sections to explore this statement. The
first section of this essay will explore the key events that caused the unravelling of the Eastern bloc
in 1989. In 1989, multiple revolutions occurred in the Eastern bloc which weakened the structural
integrity of the USSR’s buffer zone. Specifically, Gorbachev’s role, the revolution in Poland and
the fall of the Berlin Wall will be discussed as key contributing factors to the disintegration of the
Eastern bloc. The second section of this essay will explore the 1991 collapse of the USSR. This sec-
tion will discuss the internal political conflict within the USSR, the coup against Gorbachev and the
different nationalities within the USSR that caused division. Lastly, in the third section of this es-
say, the end of the Cold War and the Malta Summit will be discussed. The unravelling of the East-
ern bloc and the collapse of the USSR will be shown to be contributing factors to the end of the
Cold War.
It is firstly necessary to distinguish between the Eastern bloc and the USSR. The USSR was a for-
mer socialist country. It was comprised of annexed states that were under the direct political and
economic control of the USSR’s central power, Moscow. The USSR controlled the Eastern bloc
which was a group of independent nations that formed a ‘buffer zone’ around the USSR, allegedly
for the purposes of protection. The Eastern bloc was indirectly controlled by the USSR because it
was in its sphere of influence. The Brezhnev Doctrine, which will be discussed in greater detail,
also initially allowed the USSR to have significant power over events occurring in countries in the
Eastern bloc.
The first section of this essay will discuss the events of 1989 as well as briefly contextualise the pre-
ceding years because they contributed to the revolutionary atmosphere of 1989. Three factors pri-
marily contributed to the unravelling of the Eastern bloc. The first of which will be discussed in this
paragraph. Kramer states that the primary contributing factor to the collapse of the Eastern bloc in
Page 2 of 9
Why did the Eastern bloc unravel in a single year (1989) with the result that, in conjunction with the
Soviet Union’s demise in 1991, the Cold War came to an end?
POLI2160/3160: Global Power and World Order
Tuesday 11am-1pm
John Tate
Due Date: 31 May 2020
Essay
Word Count: 2030
Page 1 of 9
, The unravelling of the Eastern bloc, in conjunction with the Soviet Union’s (USSR) demise, led to
the end of the Cold War. This essay will make use of three sections to explore this statement. The
first section of this essay will explore the key events that caused the unravelling of the Eastern bloc
in 1989. In 1989, multiple revolutions occurred in the Eastern bloc which weakened the structural
integrity of the USSR’s buffer zone. Specifically, Gorbachev’s role, the revolution in Poland and
the fall of the Berlin Wall will be discussed as key contributing factors to the disintegration of the
Eastern bloc. The second section of this essay will explore the 1991 collapse of the USSR. This sec-
tion will discuss the internal political conflict within the USSR, the coup against Gorbachev and the
different nationalities within the USSR that caused division. Lastly, in the third section of this es-
say, the end of the Cold War and the Malta Summit will be discussed. The unravelling of the East-
ern bloc and the collapse of the USSR will be shown to be contributing factors to the end of the
Cold War.
It is firstly necessary to distinguish between the Eastern bloc and the USSR. The USSR was a for-
mer socialist country. It was comprised of annexed states that were under the direct political and
economic control of the USSR’s central power, Moscow. The USSR controlled the Eastern bloc
which was a group of independent nations that formed a ‘buffer zone’ around the USSR, allegedly
for the purposes of protection. The Eastern bloc was indirectly controlled by the USSR because it
was in its sphere of influence. The Brezhnev Doctrine, which will be discussed in greater detail,
also initially allowed the USSR to have significant power over events occurring in countries in the
Eastern bloc.
The first section of this essay will discuss the events of 1989 as well as briefly contextualise the pre-
ceding years because they contributed to the revolutionary atmosphere of 1989. Three factors pri-
marily contributed to the unravelling of the Eastern bloc. The first of which will be discussed in this
paragraph. Kramer states that the primary contributing factor to the collapse of the Eastern bloc in
Page 2 of 9
