MAPPING THE PASTMAP 29.2 Democratic Movements in Eastern Europe, 1989 Countries that had been satellites in the orbit of the Soviet Union began to set themselves free in 1989.ANALYZING THE MAP Why did the means by which communism was overthrown in the East Bloc vary from country to country? What accounts for the rapid spread of these democratic movements?CONNECTIONS How did Gorbachev’s reforms in the Soviet Union contribute to the spread of democratic movements in eastern Europe, and how did his actions hasten the end of the Cold War?