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(Redirected from Revolutions of 1989)
The Counterrevolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Nations or, incorrectly, the Fall of Communism and the Revolutions of 1989, were a series of bourgeois counterrevolutions against socialist countries. The counterrevolutions primarily took place in Eastern Europe but also affected the Soviet aligned Afghanistan and included a failed attempted by CIA-backed protestors to overthrow socialist China.
The counterrevolutions resulted in the deaths at least 200,000 people in civil wars,[1] and poverty increased massively: 5% to 32% in the Balkans and Poland, 1% to 29% in the Baltics, 2% to 52% in the Slavic Soviet republics and Moldova, and 15% to 66% in Central Asia.[2]
Counterrevolutions[edit | edit source]
| Country | Counterrevolution | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Polish People's Republic | Rise of Solidarity and the 1989 parliamentary elections | Formation of a non-communist-led government and subsequent restoration of capitalism. |
| Hungarian People's Republic | Political liberalization and dismantling of the socialist state | Proclamation of the Republic of Hungary and transition toward capitalism. |
| German Democratic Republic | Mass demonstrations, emigration and opening of the Berlin Wall | Annexation of East Germany by the Federal Republic of Germany. |
| People's Republic of Bulgaria | Removal of Todor Zhivkov and political liberalization | Transition to multi-party bourgeois politics and capitalism. |
| Czechoslovakia | Velvet Counterrevolution | End of communist rule and capitalist restoration. |
| Socialist Republic of Romania | Romanian coup d'état | Overthrow and execution of Nicolae Ceaușescu and collapse of the socialist government. |
| People's Republic of China | 1989 Tian'anmen Square riots | Attempted political destabilization defeated; socialist state remained in power. |
| USSR | Political crisis, nationalist separatism and capitalist restoration | Overthrow of the Soviet Union. |
| SFR Yugoslavia | Nationalist fragmentation and political crisis | Dissolution of Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav Wars. |
| Democratic Republic of Afghanistan | Mujahideen war against the socialist government | Collapse of the government in 1992. |
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Gordon M. Hahn (2017). Ukraine Over the Edge: Russia, the West and the "New Cold War". McFarland. ISBN 9781476628752
- ↑ Branko Milanovic (1998). Income, Inequality, and Poverty during the Transition from Planned to Market Economy: 'Poverty; By How Much Has Poverty Increased?' (p. 68). [PDF] Washington, D.C.: World Bank. ISBN 082133994X