1980s: Decade of Change

The 1980s were a time of incredible social and political change. A generation on from the upheavals of the 1960s, there were continued revolutions in civil rights, women's rights, sexuality and technology. These changes took place against the backdrop of Cold War tensions, which reached a high point in the early 1980s, before the unexpected fall of Communist regimes throughout Eastern Europe, starting with the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Here is the slideshow we used in class, which includes tips about how to carry out historical research, using the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the Fall of the Berlin Wall as examples:

1980s Master Slideshow

The Age of AIDS - BBC (2005)

Live Aid (The Arts Channel)

Chernobyl Documentary (The Documentary Channel)

When the Weather Changes History (Challenger Documentary from History Channel)

The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall - History Channel Documentary