Western Civilization II / Unit 18 WC2 1725 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Gorbachev, Glasnost, Perestroika, Solidarity
Captions available
The idea
Brezhnev died in nineteen eighty-two. Gorbachev, from eighty-five, faced no growth and an unaffordable arms race against Reagan's buildup. Glasnost let Chernobyl be reported in eighty-six; perestroika allowed limited markets. Criticism exploded. In Poland Solidarity, ten million strong with the Pope's backing, forced round-table talks in eighty-nine.
In practice
Wałęsa's shipyard union of nineteen eighty.
Where people slip
Solidarity and John Paul II are witness-built.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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