History 106 Library Activities: Fall of Communism
General Historical Information - Electronic
The following sources are a good place to start for general information on U.S. and World History. Follow the links to get to the sources. You may need your full Carroll CC email address and password to get into these off-campus..
- Americans at WarGood information on the Cold War and how it impacted the Communist nations and the U.S. and how it ended.
Fall of Communism - Starting Places
The following resources will help you find information about the history, participants, and controversies surrounding the collapse of the Soviet Union and fall of Communism. Print sources will either be located on the main level (Reference) or lower level (these can be checked out). Follow the links to get to the electronic sources. You may need your full Carroll CC email address and password to get into these off-campus..
Print:
Russia - DK 42 R77 2010 (General history of Russia, includes chapters on end of Communism)
Electronic:
- The Berlin Wall, 1961–1989From the World History Encyclopedia. One of the symbols of Eastern European Communism dividing the city. Its fall came to symbolize the end of Communist regimes in the east.
- Civil Disobedience Movements in Eastern Europe Against CommunismFrom World History Encyclopedia.
- The Collapse of the Soviet UnionFrom the World History Encyclopedia.
- George H.W. BushPresident during the fall of Communism and dissolution of the Soviet Union.
- GlasnostMeans "openess" in Russian, policy involving losening restrictions on speech, self-expression, etc.
- Mikhail Gorbachev EraFrom the World History Encyclopedia, an overview of the era of the last Soviet Premier.
- Mikhail Sergeevich GorbachevLast General Secretary of the Communist Party and leader of the Soviet Union, initiated reform policies of glasnost and perestroika, resigned after USSR collapsed in 1991.
- Ronald W. ReaganUS President during the latest parts of the Cold War. Some credit him with ending Cold War due to aggressive policy regarding Soviets, among other reasons.
Fall of Communism - Disputes
- Collapse of the Soviet Union: Was the Collapse of the Soviet Union Inevitable?From History in Dispute.
- End of Cold War: Did Ronald Reagan Win the Cold War?From "History in Dispute."
- Power Vacuum: Did the Collapse of the Soviet Union Cause a Dangerous Vacuum in World Politics?From History in Dispute.
Fall of Communism - Additional Sources
- At the Cold War's EndMonograph from the CIA, includes CIA documents from the time period.
- The End of the Cold War, 1981-1992From the Office of the Historian of the U.S. State Department. Covers U.S. foreign policy at the end of the Cold War during the Reagan and (first) Bush administrations.
- Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, 1989From the Office of the Historian of the U.S. State Department, part of series of pages on foreign events during the (first) Bush presidency, including end of the Soviet Union.
- PerestroikaFrom the Library of Congress, documents from the Soviet Archives on Gorbachev's attempted economic restructuring.
Fall of Communism - Primary Sources
Memoirs - DK 290.3 G67 A3 1996 (by Mikhail Gorbachev)
General Historical Information - Print
The following sources are a good place to start for general information on U.S. and World History. These titles are located on the main floor of Carroll's library and cannot be checked out, though you can photocopy articles.
Berkshire Encyclopedia of World History - REF D23 B45 2005
Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy - REF E183.7 E52 2002
Primary Sources - General
If you're looking for primary sources, the follow links should provide you with a start.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Baltimore Sun This link opens in a new windowCovers the period of 1837-1988. You can also narrow your search to a date range and keyword to find articles on a particular topic or period.
- ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times This link opens in a new windowCovers 1851-2010. You can also narrow your search to a date range and keyword to find articles written on a particular topic or period.
Fall of Communism - In-depth Sources
To find books on the fall of Communism in the library's online catalog, try the following subject searches:
Subject Guide
1601 Washington Rd.
Westminster, MD 21157
Office: L094
Phone: (410) 386-8335