The Soviet Bloc Unwinds: Crash Course European History

The video explores the political and economic turmoil in Europe post-Prague Spring, highlighting the rise of neo-liberalism in the West and resistance movements in the Eastern Bloc. It discusses the role of punk rock in East Germany, Gorbachev's reforms, and the eventual collapse of communism across Eastern Europe, culminating in the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the USSR.

What was the primary reason for the Soviet crackdown in Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring?

• To ensure the region remained communist

• To promote economic growth

• To reduce military spending

• To support democratic reforms

What economic phenomenon characterized the 1970s, leading to high unemployment and inflation?

• Recession

• Stagflation

• Deflation

• Hyperinflation

Which policy did Margaret Thatcher implement to address economic challenges in the UK?

• Increased welfare benefits

• Socialism

• Neo-liberalism

• Isolationism

What was the name of the workers' group formed in Poland in response to government actions?

• Unity

• Alliance

• Brotherhood

• Solidarity

How did punk rockers in East Germany express their dissatisfaction with the government?

• Through peaceful protests

• By adopting the punk identity

• Through academic debates

• By forming political parties

What was the primary goal of Gorbachev's policy of glasnost?

• To increase military spending

• To promote openness and transparency

• To expand Soviet territory

• To restrict media freedom

Which reform policy aimed to make the Soviet economy more efficient and competitive?

• Collectivization

• Glasnost

• Industrialization

• Perestroika

What event symbolized the end of the Cold War and the division between Eastern and Western Europe?

• The Yalta Conference

• The fall of the Berlin Wall

• The signing of the Treaty of Versailles

• The Cuban Missile Crisis

Which Eastern European country experienced a Velvet Revolution with little violence?

• Poland

• Yugoslavia

• Czechoslovakia

• Romania

What was the outcome of the 1991 coup attempt in the USSR?

• It caused a civil war

• It resulted in a new constitution

• It led to the dissolution of the USSR

• It successfully reinstated communist rule