Don Mills C.I.
Model United Nations
March 26-27th, 2021
Revolutions of 1989
Don Mills Model United Nations | Revolutions of 1989
Page 1 of 11
Table of Contents
TOPIC PAGE
Introduction…………………………………….…...………………….…...……….…. 2
Committee Format…………………………………...……………..…..…………….... 3
Timeline of Events……………………………………………….…...…….…...…….... 4
Topics to Consider………………..…………………………………………………... 8
Pronunciation Guide…….…………..………....………………………………....……. 9
Don Mills Model United Nations | Revolutions of 1989
Page 2 of 11
Introduction
Dear delegates,
On behalf of Don Mills Collegiate Institute Model United Nations, it is my honour to
welcome you to the Revolutions of 1989 Historical Committee.
In the spirit of this conference, I hope you will enjoy the DMCIMUN experience. In this
committee, you will be deciding upon what path Europe will take after the Polish election
of 1989. The format of this committee will differ from your standard MUN committee,
which will be addressed in the following section.
Position papers must be sent via email to [email protected] by 11:59pm on March 18,
2021. A position paper is required to be eligible for awards, but is not mandatory for this
committee. However, it is strongly recommended to submit a position paper as it can help
delegates prepare for the discussions. There will also be one Best Position Paper award in
this committee.
If you have any further inquiries, please feel free to email us. We look forward to seeing you
on March 26th!
Sincerely,
Eric Pei
Committee Chair, Don Mills CI MUN 2021
Don Mills Model United Nations | Revolutions of 1989
Page 3 of 11
Committee Format
The Revolutions of 1989 Crisis Committee kicks off on June 5th, 1989. The Polish
election of the previous day is seen as the beginning of the Revolutions of 1989 that would
last until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In this committee, the key figures of the
Warsaw Pact nations, republics of the Soviet Union, and various others will come together
to decide the fate of Europe.
As this is a crisis committee, delegates can expect to be removed from their
positions (e.g. voted out of power by the Politburo) and given a new role. With this in
mind, delegates are encouraged to research beyond their assignments.
This Model UN crisis committee will run within a moderated caucus. Actions will be
performed through directives. A delegate who wishes to perform an action within the
power of his/her role must send a directive to the crisis director outlining what is to be
done. If a directive is deemed unreasonable, it will be denied. Public directives are read
aloud to the committee if passed, while private directives are not. If delegates would like to
perform an action together, they may send a joint directive (to be signed by all parties
involved).
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email us at [email protected].
Don Mills Model United Nations | Revolutions of 1989
Page 4 of 11
Timeline of Events
Since the 19th century, socialism has been gaining momentum among
working-class citizens of the world. This momentum led to the establishment of communist
parties in several states and colonies in the early 20th century. However, socialism was
undesirable within the circles of the ruling classes (which had begun to include industrial
business leaders). Many states had existing hierarchical societies with an established
nobility and aristocratic social structures. As such, communist ideology was repressed.
Citizens were discouraged from adopting communism, and those who championed it
suffered persecution. This was the practice even in states which identified as exercising a
multi-party system.
World Wars & The Soviet Era
During the Russian Revolution of 1917, the first communist state, the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was established as the Bolsheviks overthrew the existing
provisional government. After the end of World War I, communism was gaining
popularity in many parts of the world, especially in urban areas. This surge of support led
to a series of purges by the ruling classes in an attempt to stifle the movement. However,
these attempts at repression were met with violent resistance and led to an increase in
support for communism in Central and Eastern Europe.
In the early years of World War II, both Nazi Germany and the USSR invaded and
occupied many Eastern European countries as per the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. In 1941,
Germany then turned against the USSR as part of Operation Barbarossa. The German
invasion led to battles on the Eastern Front, which are considered to be the largest in
history. Soon after, the USSR joined with the Allies, and, following conferences in Tehran
and Yalta, it was agreed that Central and Eastern Europe would be in the "Soviet sphere of
influence." The German advance was brought to a halt by the USSR and German forces were
eventually pushed back to Berlin, with the city ultimately being captured by USSR forces. It
is important to note that Nazi ideology was violently anti-communist and that the Nazis
brutally suppressed communist movements in occupied countries. Communists played a
large part in the resistance to the Nazis in these countries. As the Soviets forced the
Germans back, they assumed temporary control of these devastated areas.
Following the end of World War II, the Soviets ensured that communists loyal to
Moscow took power in the countries it occupied. They also retained troops throughout
these territories to maintain influence. During the Cold War, these states were bound
together by the Warsaw Pact and had continuing tensions with the capitalist west, which
Don Mills Model United Nations | Revolutions of 1989
Page 5 of 11
was bound together by NATO. Separately, in 1949, the Chinese Revolution established
communism in China.
The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the
20th century, including the world's first spacecraft and the first cosmonaut. In addition, the
Soviet economy was the first in the modern world to be centrally planned, based on a
system of state ownership of industry managed through Gosplan ( the State Planning
Commission), Gosbank (the State Bank) and the Gossnab (State Commission for Materials
and Equipment Supply). Economic planning was conducted through a series of Five-Year
Plans. The emphasis on the fast development of heavy industry led the nation to become
one of the world's top manufacturers of various heavy industrial products but caused it to
lag in the production of light industrial products and consumer durables. The standard of
living increased during this period as the nation underwent modernization.
The Beginnings of Unrest
One of the first major threats to Soviet control came in 1956. During the Hungarian
Revolution of 1956, a student protest quickly grew into a nationwide anti-authoritarian
revolt. In an effort to assert control, the Soviet Union invaded Hungary and installed a new
government. Similarly, in 1968, the USSR repressed the Prague Spring by organizing the
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia.
From 1964 to 1982, during a period referred to as the Brezhnev Era, the USSR was
ruled by Leonid Brezhnev. This period began with high economic growth and soaring
prosperity but ended with a much weaker Soviet Union that was facing social, political, and
economic stagnation. The average annual income stalled because needed economic reforms
were never fully carried out.
Labour turmoil in Poland in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade
union Solidarity, led by Lech Wałęsa, which became a strong political force over time. On
13 December 1981, Polish Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski started a crackdown on the
union by declaring martial law in Poland, suspending the union, and temporarily
imprisoning all of its leaders.
Since the 1950s, several Eastern Bloc countries attempted some sort of economic
and political reform, but the rise of the reform-minded Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in
1985 signalled the beginning of a strong trend toward greater liberalization. During this
period, a younger generation of Soviet apparatchiks, led by Gorbachev, began advocating
for reform in order to reverse years of stagnation under Brezhnev. After decades of growth,
the Soviet Union was now facing a period of severe economic decline and needed the
Don Mills Model United Nations | Revolutions of 1989
Page 6 of 11
incorporation of Western technology. The costs of maintaining its military, the KGB, and
subsidies to foreign client states further strained the declining Soviet economy.
In 1986, Gorbachev launched a policy of glasnost (openness) and emphasized the
need for perestroika (economic restructuring). In the following three years, the Soviet
Union had not only experienced lively media debates, but had also held its first
multi-candidate elections in the newly established Congress of People's Deputies. While
glasnost s eemingly advocated openness and political criticism, these were only permitted
within a narrow spectrum dictated by the state. The general public in the Eastern Bloc was
still subject to secret police and political repression.
Gorbachev urged his counterparts in Central and Southeast European states to
imitate his policies in their own countries. Some of these states such as Hungary and
Poland were emboldened by the increasing liberalization of the east. However, many other
Eastern Bloc countries remained skeptical of reform. Believing Gorbachev's reform
initiatives would be short-lived, hardline communist rulers like Czechoslovakia's Gustáv
Husák, East Germany's Erich Honecker, Bulgaria's Todor Zhivkov and Romania's Nicolae
Ceauşescu firmly ignored the calls for change.
The Chernobyl disaster in April 1986 had major political, economic and social
effects that partially led to the revolutions of 1989. According to Gorbachev, the Soviet
Union spent 18 billion rubles (the equivalent of US$18 billion at that time) on containment
and decontamination, draining the resources of the USSR. Additionally, the disaster greatly
increased the significance of the new Soviet policy of glasnost.
Cracks in the Monolith
By the late 1980s, the Kremlin began losing control over certain regions of the
Soviet Union as people in the Caucasus and Baltic states were demanding more autonomy
from Moscow. In November 1988, a declaration of sovereignty was made by the Estonian
Soviet Socialist Republic, eventually leading to similar declarations from other states.
Poland experienced two waves of strikes, the first of which occurred in April/May
of 1988. A second wave began on 15 August, after a strike broke out at the July Manifesto
coal mine in Jastrzębie-Zdrój. The workers demanded the re-legalization of the Solidarity
trade union, and over the next few days, several other mines and shipyards followed in suit.
On 31 August 1988, Lech Wałęsa, the leader of Solidarity, was invited to Warsaw by the
Communist authorities, who had finally agreed to talks. In the following year, on 4 April
1989, the historic Round Table Agreement w as signed, which legalized Solidarity and set up
parliamentary elections to be held a few months later.
Don Mills Model United Nations | Revolutions of 1989
Page 7 of 11
Soon after Poland's reform, Hungary switched to a non-Communist government. On
12 January 1989, the Parliament adopted a set of new democratic policies, which included
a variety of provisions such as trade union pluralism, a new electoral law, a revision of the
constitution, and the freedom of association, assembly, and the press. Later that month, it
was declared that Hungary's 1956 rebellion was a popular uprising rather than a
foreign-instigated attempt at counter-revolution, a statement that contradicted the official
view held for more than 30 years,
On 15 March, the National Day, mass demonstrations persuaded the regime to
begin negotiations with the emergent non-Communist political forces. Round Table talks
began on 22 April and are currently ongoing.
On 2 May 1989, the first visible cracks in the Iron Curtain appeared when Hungary
began dismantling its 240-kilometre long border fence with Austria. Immediately, Eastern
German and Czechoslovak citizens began illegally crossing over to the West via Austria.
During the Polish elections on 4 June 1989, Solidarity achieved enormous success
and surpassed all expectations. Its candidates captured all the seats that they were allowed
to compete for in the Sejm, and 99 out of the 100 available seats in the Senate. Additionally,
many prominent Communist candidates failed to gain even the minimum number of votes
required to capture the seats that were reserved for them.
The Revolutions of 1989 Crisis committee begins on June 5th, 1989, one day after
Polish elections.
Don Mills Model United Nations | Revolutions of 1989
Page 8 of 11
Topics to Consider
● Mass Demonstrations
○ Mass demonstrations have already swept the Baltics, Poland, and Hungary.
How will nations deal with social unrest and prevent the escalation of
conflict?
○ Would your country benefit from a peaceful transition to a multi-party
democracy?
● Economic Stagnation
○ As a result of decades of economic stagnation, living standards in socialist
states are far lower than living standards in the West. Technological
advancements are slower and industrial output is lower in the East. How will
each nation meet its economic challenges?
○ Currently, Soviet troops are withdrawing from Warsaw Pact nations. Faced
with both political instability and economic ruin, should military funding be
cut?
● Decline of Centralized Power
○ As Soviet authority over the Warsaw Pact has weakened, so has it’s control
over the Soviet Union. As the soviet republics gain more autonomy, they
threaten to dismantle the Soviet Union. What position on centralized power
should each delegate take?
○ Do the rising nationalist movements strengthen or weaken Europe?
○ What role will foreign powers play in your country?
Don Mills Model United Nations | Revolutions of 1989
Page 9 of 11
Pronunciation Guide
The following pronunciation guide may be useful for delegates in the Revolutions of 1989
Crisis committee. Not all of the listed people will be present in our committee and delegates
are certainly not asked to learn these pronunciations. Names are separated into syllables
that contain either a similarly sounding English word, an English letter, or a part of an
English word with brackets indicating which word the part comes from. Note that this is
simply a guide, and may contain inaccuracies. If you have any questions or concerns, feel
free to email us.
Todor Zhivkov, General Secretary of the People's Republic of Bulgaria
Toe-door Jeak-ov(off but with v)
Gustáv Husák, President of Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
Goose-t(consonant)-av(avenue) Who-sock
Erich Honecker, Chairman of the State Council of East Germany
Airy-h(consonant) Hone-ay-cur(like curry)
Rezső Nyers, President of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party
Re(reverse)-zo(go but with z) Knee-aj(add, but with j)
Wojciech Jaruzelski, Chairman of the Council of State of the Polish People's Republic
Voy-check Yeah-ru(rumour)-zel-ski
Lech Wałęsa, Chairperson of Solidarity
Le(lemon)-h(consonant) Wall-ay-sa(salad)
Nicolae Ceaușescu, General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party
Knee-co-lie Ch-ow(owl)-sh-es-cu
Mikhail Gorbachev, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Meek-hi-ail Gore-ba(bad)-ch(cheese)-yaw-v(consonant)
Edgar Savisaar, Prime Minister of the Interim Government of Estonia
Edgar Sav(savvy)-e-sar(sarcasm)
Jānis Vagris, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR
Ya(yawn)-niece V(van)-au(august)-grease
Don Mills Model United Nations | Revolutions of 1989
Page 10 of 11
Algirdas Brazauskas, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of
Lithuania
Al(albert)-gre(greave)-das Bra-zow(sow but with z)-ss-cas(cast)
Yefrem Sokolov, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Byelorussian SSR
Ye(yet)-friem(friend but with m) Sow-coal-ov(off but with v)
Semion Grossu, First Secretary of the Moldavian Communist Party
Sem(semester)-me-yawn Graw-su(supervise)
Boris Yeltsin, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR
Bore-eas(east) Yell-ts(as in ants)-in
Volodymyr Shcherbytsky, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine
Vol(volley)-oh-dimmer Sh-ch-earn-beet-ski
Franz Vranitzky, Chancellor of Austria
Fraun(like fraud but with n)-z(consonant) Fran(france)-its-ski
Ramiz Alia, First Secretary of the Party of Labor of Albania
Ram-ease Al-e(eat)-a(at)
Slobodan Milošević, President of the Presidency of SR Serbia
Slob-o-dawn Me-law-shev(shed but with v)-each
Branko Kostić, President of the Presidency of Montenegro
Bran(brand)-co Cost-each
Obrad Piljak, Chairman of the Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ob(oboe)-rad(comrade) Peal-yak
Petar Mladenov, Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of Bulgaria
P-yo-tar M(consonant)-lad-en(end)-ov(oval)
Václav Havel, Czech political dissident
Va(value)-slav- Have-l
Egon Krenz, Deputy of the Council of State of the Democratic Republic of Germany
Egg-on Kr-enz(end but with z)
Don Mills Model United Nations | Revolutions of 1989
Page 11 of 11
Manfred Gerlach, Deputy Chairman of the Council of State of the Democratic Republic of Germany,
Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Germany
Man-freed Ger(hard g)-la(last)-h(consonant)
Victor Stănculescu, Ministry of National Defence of the Socialist Republic of Romania
Weak-tor(torrent) Stan-cul(culinary)-less-cu(cucumber)
Alexander Rutskoy, Colonel of the Soviet Air Force
Al-yex(yes but with x)-ander Rats-k-oi
Anatolijs Gorbunovs, Leader of the Popular Front of Latvia
Ana-tow-lease Gore-bun(like dune)-ovs(like offs but with v)
Igor Smirnov, would be President of the Pridnestrovian Moldovan Republic (Transnistria)
E-Gore Smear-nov(novel)
Yuriy Meshkov, would be President of Crimea
Your-e Mesh-cav(like caw but with v)
Leonid Kravchuk, Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine
Lay-o-need Crav(like crab but with v)-ch-u-k(consonant)
