Post by mrsticka on Apr 15, 2023 4:14:51 GMT
-The US still emerges as a global superpower after WWII.
-Instead of Germany splitting into East and West Germany, it stays as 1 whole country. It becomes a democratic republic.
-Poland becomes what East Germany originally became-An authoritarian communist nation.
-A wall goes up along the German-Polish border. At first, it's to keep the Germans out. But as time goes on, it's to keep the Polish people in. No one can leave Poland. Anyone who attempts to flee is shot.
-The people in Poland have basically no freedom. They can't go wherever they want or do whatever they want. They need to get permission from the government to travel in their own country, have a security clearance and show their papers. And those papers list all the places where that person can and can't go. The people's movement is severely limited.
-There's a secret police force in Poland known as the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). Their job is to ensure loyalty to the government. That's another freedom the Polish people don't have. They cannot criticize their government. Doing so has very severe consequences.
-There are forced labor camps in Poland. Not necessarily from World War II, but after it. And they do have gas chambers.
-The people in Poland are severely impoverished. They can barely afford to feed themselves and their families. The government does offer food stamps, but they're not worth much. They don't last very long. And in order to get them, the people have to fill out forms proving their loyalty to the state. Refusal to fill out such documents is a serious felony and can land them in prison for 20 years.
-In the 80's, communism shows no signs of collapsing in Europe. It's still going pretty strong over there. Especially in Russia. The Soviet Union is not on the verge of collapse and breakup.
-The Soviet Union is still around after 1991. As is the Polish Communist government. The Cold War is still going on.
-In the late 90's, the Soviet Union finally starts to collapse. All sorts of problems begin unfolding. The people in Russia begin to reject communism.
-In 1999, the Polish Wall finally comes down. People start chiseling away at it. Soon they start taking sledgehammers and break the wall down. It takes several months to tear down the whole entire wall. After 54 years, the people in Poland begin rejecting communism. They've had enough. They finally want their freedom.
-The Communist government in Poland collapses. The MPS is dissolved.
-On December 1st, 1999, the Polish Wall is officially torn down completely. The last portion is finally taken down. It's a huge worldwide event. The people in Poland celebrate. They finally have their freedom. They can come and go as they please and do as they wish. They don't need the government's permission to travel anywhere. They don't have to show their papers everywhere they go. They don't need a security clearance anymore.
-So with the collapse of Poland's Communist government, it appears to be only a matter of time before the Soviet Union collapses and breaks up.
-On September 11th, 2001, instead of there being terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, nothing happens in the United States. It's just another ordinary day for the country. But it's not an ordinary day for the rest of the world. The Soviet Union finally breaks up. The flag is lowered for the last time in Moscow. Boris Yeltsin resigns as Soviet President. Vladimir Putin becomes the new president of Russia. He promises "a new day" in Russia. In the US, no one is exactly sure what that means.
-President George W. Bush addresses the nation that night to talk about the Soviet Union's demise and says "it's a great day for freedom, peace and prosperity". He goes on and on about how the United States "finally defeated evil and brought and end to Communism".
-On May 1st, 2002, the Cold War is officially declared over.
-Instead of Germany splitting into East and West Germany, it stays as 1 whole country. It becomes a democratic republic.
-Poland becomes what East Germany originally became-An authoritarian communist nation.
-A wall goes up along the German-Polish border. At first, it's to keep the Germans out. But as time goes on, it's to keep the Polish people in. No one can leave Poland. Anyone who attempts to flee is shot.
-The people in Poland have basically no freedom. They can't go wherever they want or do whatever they want. They need to get permission from the government to travel in their own country, have a security clearance and show their papers. And those papers list all the places where that person can and can't go. The people's movement is severely limited.
-There's a secret police force in Poland known as the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). Their job is to ensure loyalty to the government. That's another freedom the Polish people don't have. They cannot criticize their government. Doing so has very severe consequences.
-There are forced labor camps in Poland. Not necessarily from World War II, but after it. And they do have gas chambers.
-The people in Poland are severely impoverished. They can barely afford to feed themselves and their families. The government does offer food stamps, but they're not worth much. They don't last very long. And in order to get them, the people have to fill out forms proving their loyalty to the state. Refusal to fill out such documents is a serious felony and can land them in prison for 20 years.
-In the 80's, communism shows no signs of collapsing in Europe. It's still going pretty strong over there. Especially in Russia. The Soviet Union is not on the verge of collapse and breakup.
-The Soviet Union is still around after 1991. As is the Polish Communist government. The Cold War is still going on.
-In the late 90's, the Soviet Union finally starts to collapse. All sorts of problems begin unfolding. The people in Russia begin to reject communism.
-In 1999, the Polish Wall finally comes down. People start chiseling away at it. Soon they start taking sledgehammers and break the wall down. It takes several months to tear down the whole entire wall. After 54 years, the people in Poland begin rejecting communism. They've had enough. They finally want their freedom.
-The Communist government in Poland collapses. The MPS is dissolved.
-On December 1st, 1999, the Polish Wall is officially torn down completely. The last portion is finally taken down. It's a huge worldwide event. The people in Poland celebrate. They finally have their freedom. They can come and go as they please and do as they wish. They don't need the government's permission to travel anywhere. They don't have to show their papers everywhere they go. They don't need a security clearance anymore.
-So with the collapse of Poland's Communist government, it appears to be only a matter of time before the Soviet Union collapses and breaks up.
-On September 11th, 2001, instead of there being terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, nothing happens in the United States. It's just another ordinary day for the country. But it's not an ordinary day for the rest of the world. The Soviet Union finally breaks up. The flag is lowered for the last time in Moscow. Boris Yeltsin resigns as Soviet President. Vladimir Putin becomes the new president of Russia. He promises "a new day" in Russia. In the US, no one is exactly sure what that means.
-President George W. Bush addresses the nation that night to talk about the Soviet Union's demise and says "it's a great day for freedom, peace and prosperity". He goes on and on about how the United States "finally defeated evil and brought and end to Communism".
-On May 1st, 2002, the Cold War is officially declared over.
