The Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe 1989-1990

May 1989

Hungarians begin to dismantle the barbed-wire fence between Hungry and non-communist Austria.

September 1989

Thousands of holidaying East Germans in Hungry and Czechoslovakia refuse to go home. They escape through Austria into West Germany.

December 1989

Short, bloody revolution in Romania that ended with the execution of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

December 1990

The Communist party in Hungry renames itself the Socialist Party, declaring that free elections will be held in 1990. In Bulgaria, there are huge demonstrations against the Communist government.

November 1989

Huge demonstrations in Czechoslovakia. Czech government opens its borders with the West, allowing the formation of other parties.

June 1989

Free elections are held in Poland for first time since WW2. Solidarity wins most of its contested seats. Eastern Europe has its first non-communist leader President Lech Walesa.

October 1989

Gorbachev visits East Germany and tells leader Honecker to reform. Honecker ordered troops to fire on demonstrators but they refuse.

March 1990

Latvia leads the Baltic republics by declaring independence from the USSR.

November 1989

Thousands of East Germans march to the Berlin Wall. The wall was then dismantled.

The Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe 1989-1990