Gorbachev , Kruschev and the Cold War

by Mitch R. and Danny S.

Cold war - US vs. the Soviet Union

Both superpowers made plenty of weapons, but never used them. It was only verbal attacks. Seventy-five percent of the Soviet Union's money went towards the arms race. The Cold War started when Berlin and the rest of Germany was divided. The US owned half of Germany. The Soviet Union owned part of Germany, too.

Nikita Krushchev

He criticized Stalin for his method of industrializing the Soviet Union over night. He sponsored the space program that launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. The communist leaders forced Krushchev to retire because farm production slowed and industrial growth slowed. He put missiles in Cuba because he wanted to anger the United States.

Mikhail Gorbachev

He was last leader of Soviet Union. Reforms- He took power from communist leaders. He held the first democratic election. He established a parliament. Worked to improve relations with western countries. Went to the US to help stop making warfare weapons by one-third. His program of economic and political reforms was called "perestroika." His call for more openness was known as "glasnost."