AQA · A-Level · History
Course version: 7042 · Version from Sept 2017
The collapse of Communism in the Eastern European soviet satellite states;…
Full specification wording
2R The Cold War, c1945–1991 – The ending of the Cold War, 1985–1991 (A-level only): The collapse of Communism in the Eastern European soviet satellite states; the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine and significance of events of 1989
The collapse of Communism across Eastern European Soviet satellite states in 1989 fundamentally altered the global geopolitical landscape.
Checked against the AQA 7042 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 3 of 4
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The collapse of Communism across Eastern European Soviet satellite states in 1989 fundamentally altered the global geopolitical landscape. A primary catalyst was Gorbachev's abandonment of the Brezhnev Doctrine, replacing the threat of Soviet military intervention with the 'Sinatra Doctrine', which allowed Warsaw Pact nations to determine their own internal affairs. This policy shift emboldened opposition movements. The events of 1989 cascaded rapidly: Poland held semi-free elections leading to a Solidarity-led government; Hungary dismantled its border fence with Austria, creating a hole in the Iron Curtain; and mass protests in East Germany culminated in the historic fall of the Berlin Wall in November. These largely peaceful revolutions signified the definitive end of Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe.
What earns the marks
- Explain the ideological and practical implications of Gorbachev abandoning the Brezhnev Doctrine.
- Trace the domino effect of the events of 1989, starting with Poland's Solidarity movement and Hungary's border opening.
- Analyse the significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall as both a physical and symbolic end to Soviet control in Eastern Europe.
- Evaluate the internal economic and political weaknesses within the satellite states that made them vulnerable to rapid collapse once Soviet military backing was withdrawn.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Stating that the Soviet Union used military force to suppress the 1989 revolutions.
Put it right: Gorbachev explicitly refused to use Soviet troops to prop up Eastern European regimes, marking the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine.
Treating the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe as a single, uniform event.
Put it right: The collapse occurred differently in each satellite state, ranging from negotiated transitions in Poland to violent revolution in Romania.
Confusing the collapse of the Eastern European satellite states in 1989 with the collapse of the Soviet Union itself.
Put it right: The satellite states broke away in 1989, whereas the Soviet Union itself did not officially dissolve until December 1991.
Exam tips
- Emphasise the causal link between Gorbachev's foreign policy shifts (ending the Brezhnev Doctrine) and the emboldening of domestic opposition groups in Eastern Europe.
- Use specific examples from different countries (e.g., Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Romania) to illustrate the variety of ways in which communist regimes fell in 1989.
- When discussing the significance of 1989, ensure you link the events back to the broader context of the ending of the Cold War.
Try the lesson
The start of the 2R The Cold War, c1945–1991 – The ending of the Cold War, 1985–1991 (A-level only): The collapse of Communism in the Eastern European soviet satellite states; the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine and significance of events of 1989 lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
What was the primary practical consequence of Mikhail Gorbachev's decision to abandon the Brezhnev Doctrine in the late 1980s?
Listen
The collapse of Communism across Eastern European Soviet satellite states in 1989 fundamentally altered the global geopolitical landscape. A primary catalyst was Gorbachev's abandonment of the Brezhnev Doctrine, replacing the threat of Soviet military intervention with the 'Sinatra Doctrine', which allowed Warsaw Pact nations to determine their own internal affairs. This policy shift emboldened opposition movements. The events of 1989 cascaded rapidly: Poland held semi-free elections leading to a Solidarity-led government; Hungary dismantled its border fence with Austria, creating a hole in the Iron Curtain; and mass protests in East Germany culminated in the historic fall of the Berlin Wall in November. These largely peaceful revolutions signified the definitive end of Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explain the ideological and practical implications of Gorbachev abandoning the Brezhnev Doctrine. Trace the domino effect of the events of 1989, starting with Poland's Solidarity movement and Hungary's border opening. Analyse the significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall as both a physical and symbolic end to Soviet control in Eastern Europe. Evaluate the internal economic and political weaknesses within the satellite states that made them vulnerable to rapid collapse once Soviet military backing was withdrawn. A common slip: Stating that the Soviet Union used military force to suppress the 1989 revolutions. Instead, Gorbachev explicitly refused to use Soviet troops to prop up Eastern European regimes, marking the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine. Exam tip: Emphasise the causal link between Gorbachev's foreign policy shifts (ending the Brezhnev Doctrine) and the emboldening of domestic opposition groups in Eastern Europe.
Key words
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Brezhnev Doctrine
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Sinatra Doctrine
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Soviet hegemony
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satellite states
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See every definition
- Brezhnev Doctrine
- The threat of Soviet military intervention in Eastern European Soviet satellite states, which Gorbachev abandoned.
- Sinatra Doctrine
- The policy replacing the Brezhnev Doctrine, which allowed Warsaw Pact nations to determine their own internal affairs.
- Soviet hegemony
- Soviet control in Eastern Europe, which the largely peaceful revolutions of 1989 definitively ended.
- satellite states
- Eastern European states where Communism collapsed in 1989, vulnerable to rapid collapse once Soviet military backing was withdrawn.
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