Question

• What does the emergence of mass movements in 1989 in Eastern Europe suggest about the disenchantment with communist elites and the socialist planned economy?

Answer 1

Emergence of mass movements in 1989 and further in 1990s which led to the fall of communism from Eastern Europe shows disenchantment of public with socialism and its inapplicability in the world.

Most of the democracies after the world war - II saw a higher and equitable economic growth whereas economic growth in Eastern Europe was limited to Russia and some other parts of the continent. On one hand economies such as US and western Europe saw rapid strides in development on the other hand people in the Eastern Europe saw stagnation in their incomes. This was one of the main reasons that led to the fall of communism.

Emergence of mass movements also suggests that the participation of the citizens in formation of the government gives them a sense of entitlement, of being an equal citizen which socialism and one party rule had taken away from them.

The movement not only brought down communism but it was a message to the leaders across the world that in the long run the most sustainable form of government is democracy where every citizen is given equal rights regardless of gender, race, religion or creed.