Ch.40 The 1980s in the USSR
Chernobyl and Nuclear Power
- On April 26th, 1986, at 1:30 in the morning, an explosion shook the Soviet town of Chernobyl, just eighty miles north of the city of Kiev. A power plant had exploded. The fireball from the explosion killed thirty people.
- This might not seem like such a bad accident. But in fact, one hundred and thirty-five thousand people were in danger as soon as the explosion occurred. Another four hundred thousand were told that the accident might damage their health, permanently. The Chernobyl power plant was a nuclear plant-and the explosion in its fourth reactor was the worst nuclear disaster in history.
- The Chernobyl accident didn‘t stop the use of nuclear power. All over the world, nuclear power plants still produce electricity. Today, almost one-fifth of the world‘s electricity comes from nuclear energy. Meanwhile, scientists try to make sure that the power plants in their countries are safe, and that an accident like Chernobyl never happens again.
The End of the Cold War
- Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev are remembered for their work in ˝melting˝ the Cold War.
- The thaw began in Russia. In 1985, Gorbachev, who had become the leader of the Soviet Union, introduced a plan called perestroika. This is Russian for ˝economic restructuring˝- in simpler words, changing the way that the government runs the banks and owns land. Under perestroika, ordinary people were allowed to have more control of Russian businesses and even to own their own businesses once more.
- Then, Gorbachev introduced a second plan, called glasnosh, which is Russian for ˝openness.˝ Under glasnost, people in the Soviet Union were given greater freedom of speech.
- Peace Through Strength
- Although this may seem like a strange way to bring peace, it seemed to work. America still had strong weapons that it could use for self-defense-but it had also promised not to use other weapons to attack Russia. Glasnost, perestroika, and the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) Treaty spelled the end of the Cold War.
