In the last two lessons of Unit 10, you learned about the Cold War between the two super powers – the Soviet Union and the United States – that developed after World War II. A nuclear arms race brought the two countries to the brink of war several times and both the United States and the Soviet Union supported countries fighting against or fighting to spread communism.

If you recall, Hitler's Germany was destroyed after World War II as the Allies moved in from the West and the Russians pushed the Germans back from the East. What happened afterwards resulted in the formation of NATO, the Warsaw Pact, and the building of the Berlin Wall, a symbol of Soviet tyranny (cruel and oppressive government or rule) in Germany and all of the Eastern European countries.

In June of 1987, Ronald Reagan, then President of the United States, made a visit to West Germany and made a speech at the Brandenburg Gate that overlooked the Berlin wall that separated its people. He said,

We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

President Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate in 1989 T Sue Ream, photographer (San Francisco, California)

Two years later, the wall did come down and in 1990, Germany reunited, overcoming poverty and backwards economics from the former East Germany as the two merged.

The End of Separation of Germany at the Berlin Wall, 1989

Who was Mikhail Gorbachev that President Reagan addressed in his speech? Look at the picture below and see him (far right) with then President Reagan and Vice President George Bush. Do you notice the two buildings in the background? These buildings were symbols of great American architecture at a time when the Cold War was beginning to thaw and peace was the order of the day. How will that change in 2001?

Bush, Reagan, and Gorbachev on Rooftop Corbis, 2006 . Image. Discovery Education. Web. 17 July 2014. <http://www.discoveryeducation.com/>.

In the twenty-eight years that followed World War II, the Soviet Union evolved from Josef Stalin's total repressive control to a more open and willing-to-negotiate Soviet Union under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev. His policies known as Glasnost and Perestroika changed the Soviet Union completely. Learn more by watching The Fall of the Soviet Union – and then read Glasnost and Perestroika.

The Russian successor to Gorbachev was Boris Yeltsin who became the president of the Russian Federation of States from 1991 to 1999 and who tried to support the policies of his predecessor, but with the break-up of the Soviet Union and the movement toward de-monopolization to capitalism did not work leaving great poverty in the new Russia and its former states.

See below the new Russian Federation of States:

A Map of the Breakup of the Soviet Union IRC, 2005 . Image. Discovery Education. Web. 17 July 2014. <http://www.discoveryeducation.com/>. View larger version.

In 2012, Vladimir Putin became the president of the Russian Federation of States, and problems of poverty, human rights and civil liberties continue to plague that country, especially those who want to maintain independence from Russian control. The Muslim state of Chechnya that tried to break away from Russia in 1996 was never able to achieve independence under the strong control of Russia, and even in 2014, problems still existed as evidenced in the Ukraine. Watch these videos, first about Chechnya in 1996 and then the Ukraine in 2014 to understand some of the problems facing Russian states and former Russian states that do not want to be under Russian control.

Good News for Europe! Shortly after World War II ended, Western European states began the work of trying to prevent future conflicts that the previous global wars had brought. This movement began shortly after World War II. Read about the history of the formation of the European Union from its early beginnings in 1949 to its current status. Explore the site, learning about its purpose, member nations, currency used, and more. Be sure to become familiar with the use of this website so that you will be ready for the assessment.