Mikhail Gorbachev and the Collapse of Communism

Mikhail Gorbachev is the president of Russia. He was the youngest president at age 54. Mikhail decided that since the Russia was a totalitarian state, and nothing was getting done, he thought that he should open up Russia more so that free fresh new ideas will come and make Russia more economic and new with social reforms. This was called the "Glasnost". This was to promote Openess in Russia.

In 1985, Gorbachev decided to make something new called "Peristrokia". This was to make economic reforms. Local managers gained full rights to their farms and property and people were allowed to own privately owned small businesses.

The collapse of communism

Many things led to the fall of communism in Russia. The people were going though oppression and wanted to break free just like us over here in the west. The government wanted full control over the country but when people are always being told what do or feel they fell the need to revolt and the Government crumbles.This is what the leaders in the U.S.S.R. faced. The people of the USSR voted Communism out of the country soon this spread all over the east and communism everywhere was starting to fall.

Since Russia was no longer a communist state they decided to take down the Berlin Wall to connect the Former east Germany with West Germany. Germany was no longer divided and Germany was free from the clutches of communism once again.Today there are still communist countries, but they're economies are terrible and they rely on donations from other countries.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

Apartheid means the separation of races for the benefit of one. In other words, they separate races so that one race can live better and get more benefits. This is exactly what was happening in Africa. Africans were being separated from the whites in their own country. They were also being mistreated and were being harmed by the government. This was all legal and it going against it was considered unlawful or insubordinate.

Nelson Mandela was one of the people who fought to eliminate the apartheid laws in Africa. He went to jail for opposing the law, but nevertheless he fought what he felt his people deserved and he helped a lot. Thanks to him Africa got rid of these laws and voted nelson Mandela as their first black president.

African Inpendence

The Europeans basically imperilized the continent and took it for themselves. Until recently 1955-1970, Africa had been gaining their independence. The French, Spanish, English etc. took over them for a long time. They used them for their natural resources and cheap labor. Ghana was the first country to gain their independence. Kwame Nkrumah was the leader. He was a teacher who spent time studying in the united states and came back to get rights for his country, but ended up becoming the president of Ghana and the English left. 

Another nation was Kenya. This country was special because their leader/president was in prison then he was elected as the leader. This is one of the two countries that did this. The leaders name was Jomo Kenyatta. He led the Mau Mau's so he can scare the white men away without any war.