Analysis Of 1989-A Revolution By The People?

1989- A Revolution by the People?
1989 witnessed the dramatic collapse of Communist rule in Eastern Europe which, at the beginning of the decade, was almost entirely unimaginable. To fully understand why this transformation took place, it is necessary to clarify the terms which will be used in this essay. The interpretation of ‘revolution’ used henceforth is the “overthrow or renunciation of one government or ruler and the substitution of another by the governed”, which, therefore, qualifies the events of 1989 as a series of revolutions, despite that they were largely violence-free (the exception being Romania). This definition is similar to the term “Refolution” as coined by Timothy Garton Ash which describes the events as a combination of
The focus here is primarily on the economic problems communism was creating. Throughout the 1980s, debt to the west was constantly growing after the Soviet Union stopped supporting the rest of the Soviet Bloc. Consequently, the economic burden was spiralling out of control and the governments were forced to look at alternative options. Poland, for example, did not have the financial strength in 1988 to re-enforce martial law as in 1981 but instead began Round Table negotiations with Solidarity. Economic problems could also be seen through the direct influx of western media into the eastern bloc. In East Germany, direct comparisons were drawn with western Germany through watching the same television programs and the failings of communism on a domestic level could be seen through the lifestyle differences and number of consumer products. Economic performance was used as a form of legitimisation for the enforcement of communism, however, when populations could see just how far their economies were lacking behind, questions arose about the legitimacy of the regime and its right to rule. Underlying issues were exposed further by the appointment of less able or unsuitable politicians into positions of power into the Communist Parties to prevent threats to power from within. Thus, when problems arose, the free thinking required to generate solutions was not present within the ranks of government, but instead within the ranks of the opposition. Ash even argues that 1989 could be referred to as a “revolution of the intellectuals” because of their role in the opposition politics of revolution. These inherent weaknesses within the Communist establishments were accelerated and exposed throughout 1989, and ultimately paralysed the governments from taking decisive action against the opposition. A final element to consider in the events of 1989 is the domino effect