Nicolae
Ceausescu |
He was the autocratic, Communist leader of Romania from 1965-1989. In the 1960s, he ended Romania's participation in the Warsaw Pact. During his presidency, he exported the country's resources and put his family members into high government positions. He ruled Romania as his private fiefdom and was eventually executed with his wife on Christmas Day, 1989 by anti-communist forces. |
Mikhail
Gorbachev |
Gorbachev worked on a farm as a teen. He joined the Communist Party in 1952. He was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1985-1991. Gorbachev became president of Russia in 1990-1991. During his presidency, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for ending communism in eastern Europe. He also took issues to the streets and to television as part of glasnost. |
Vaclav
Havel |
Havel was a Czech playright and poet. He participated in the Prague Spring of 1968 and was arrested and served 4 years for participating in these human rights reforms. During this time, his works were banned. In 1977, Havel was one of three spokepersons for the Charter 77 Manifesto. This charged the government with violating the human rights provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords. He became president Czechoslovakia on December 1989 through July 1992 and president of the Czech Republic on January 1993. |
Erich
Honecker |
Honecker was imprisoned for anti-Fascist activity from 1935-1945. He helped to find the Free German Youth Movement and was chairman from 1946-1955. In 1958 he became a full member of the Socialist Unity Party. He oversaw the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. Honecker was elected head of state in 1976-1989. In 1990, he was arrested for corruption, teason, and abuse of power. |
Pope John
Paul II |
Pope john Paul II studied at the University of Krakow and in 1942 became a chemical worker during the Second World War. Afterwards, he decided to become a priest and was ordained in 1946. In 1978, he became pope. He survived an assassination at St. Peter's Square in 1981 by Mehmet Ali Agca. During the 1980's, he held meetings with Russia and Poland which aided in Poland's quest for independence. He believes in democracy and economic justice for all developing nations. |
Ronald
Reagan |
Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932. In 1937, he became an actor. As his carrier was decling, he decided to run as governer of California as a republican in 1966 and in 1970 for reelection. Reagan was elected president and served from 1981-1989. During his presidency, some of his advisors were accused of selling weapons to Iran. He said he had no knowledge on this happening. In 1988, Reagan signed the INF Treaty with Gorbachev. |
Lech
Walesa |
Walesa was the leader of Solidarity from 1980-1990 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983. From 1966-1976 he worked as an electrician at the Lenin Shipyard at Gdansk. In 1988, he had a discussion with the Jaruzelski government. Agterwards, in 1989, Solidarity was restored, free elections to the upper house of parliament and the post of presidency were establised. |
Boris
Yeltsin |
Yeltsin joined the CPSU in 1961. He became a full member of the Politburo in 1981. From 1985-1987, he served as mayor of Moscow. On July 1990, Yeltsin resigned from the Communist Party. He attempted to call off the coup and return Gorbachev to power on August 19, 1991. He was elected president of Russia in 1990. During his presidency, Yeltsin joined Ukraine and Belarus to form the Commonwealth of Independent States. |