On August 31, 1980, the first independent trade union federation within a Warsaw Pact nation emerged. It was established at the Gdansk Shipyard in Poland as anti-communist, non-violent, social program for workers. It claimed 9.4 million members from different worker groups. Its leader was Lech Walesa, who was persecuted and imprisoned several times. Negotiations between the shipyard workers and the government led to elections. Lech Walesa was elected president in 1990. Soon after his election, he began to dismantle the Communist government and to establish a modern democratic government. It was the first time this happened in any of the Eastern bloc countries.
Between November 17 to December 29, 1989 a 'gentle' or non-violent revolution took place in Prague, Czechoslovakia. It is known as the 'Velvet Revolution' and caused the 41 years of Communist regime to end. It started was started by students and older people who did not agree with the one-party Communist rule of their nation. On November 24, all the Communist Party leaders, including the Secretary General Milos Jakes, resigned. On November 27, there was a general strike by all workers in the country for two hours to demand a change in government. On November 29, the Communist Party lost control of the government due to fear of another general strike. Free elections took place in Czechoslovakia on June, 1990. On January 1, 1993, the nation split into two separate countries: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Communist regime was dismantled without any fighting.
In Timisoara and Banat, Romania. Poorer and more repressive than other Warsaw Pact nations, Romania had a very bloody revolution. Secretary General Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife Elena, Deputy Prime Minister were very repressive and disliked Gorbachev's more lenient government of glasnost and perestroika. They were both executed later for their ruthless oppression during the revolution. People were complaining originally over the 1981 Austerity Program, which was so severe that malnutrition and infant mortality increased. Activists of the Romanian Communist Party sent a letter protesting the austerity measures, but soon there was an announcement that the foreign debt had been paid due to these measures. However, the austerity program continued despite the announcement. A few students protested with posters requesting reforms on November 11, 1989. They were arrested and later released. Because minorities were discriminated against, a pastor complained that Romanians did not know their human rights. When Pastor Laszlo Tokes was to be evicted as punishment, riots began. The government sent the military and the police with weapons and tanks. People continued to riot with the support of the new National Salvation Front Party, and the government to try to suppress them. The Communist regime ended in December of 1989. The National Salvation Front and Ion Iliescu took over. Economic reforms and a new democratic government were established.
In 1945, after the end of WW II, Germany is divided into four sections, for each of the Allies to regulate. In 1948 East and West Germany are established with two different forms of government. In 1949, France, Britain and the U.S. create the Federal Republic of Germany for the West side, while the USSR creates the German Democratic Republic for the East side. By 1960, about 3 million people had fled from the East to the West due to the prosperity of that side versus the poverty of the other. On August 13, 1961 the Berlin Wall went up. It was 12 feet high and 96 miles long. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev claimed that the wall had been built to keep 'Western imperialism' from trespassing into the German Democratic Republic. However, about 10,000 people tried to cross from East to West, though only about 50% of them were successful. In 1985, taking advantage of 'Glasnost', East Germans stage a demonstration against Communism. When Hungary opened its border to Austria in 1989, East Germans cross over to reach West Germany. On November 9, 1989 travel restrictions between East and West are lifted, and people publicly celebrate for days. The Berlin Wall began to be taken down by the people at both sides of the wall that day.
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was elected Secretary General of the USSR in 1985. He established several reforms, including some to reduce waste and increase productivity. The most significant reforms were 'Glasnost' (openness) and 'Perestroika' (restructure). This was an attempt at creating a better social, political, and economic environment in the USSR. Since his policies spread to all of the Soviet republics, his contribution had an impact in every one of those nations. Gorbachev also actively sought to improve relations with Western countries, including the U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Secretary General Gorbachev developed a personal friendship that helped them end the Cold War. In 1990, Gorbachev won the Nobel Prize for Peace, and became the first president of the Soviet Union. He resigned in 1991 and founded the Gorbachev Foundation. His leadership helped the USSR during a period of many changes.
Credits:
questgarden.com
http://www.newseum.org/berlinwall/riseandfall/index.htm
http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1060898.html
http://www.year1989.pl/y89/czechoslovakia/history/8699,Czechoslovakia.html
http://www.berlin.de/mauer/index.en.html
https://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/exhibits/unique-experience-of-romania/introduction
http://www.biography.com/people/mikhail-sergeyevich-gorbachev-9315721#general-secretary&awesm=~oEb4mCWTBLGNrh
questgarden.com
http://www.newseum.org/berlinwall/riseandfall/index.htm
http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1060898.html
http://www.year1989.pl/y89/czechoslovakia/history/8699,Czechoslovakia.html
http://www.berlin.de/mauer/index.en.html
https://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/exhibits/unique-experience-of-romania/introduction
http://www.biography.com/people/mikhail-sergeyevich-gorbachev-9315721#general-secretary&awesm=~oEb4mCWTBLGNrh