Years 1980

Events

By areas

Africa

  • Between 1980 and 2000, the direct foreign investments in Africa account for 2% of the world total (30% for Asia).
  • In Egypt, the social gaps widen: 5% of the urban households hold 55% of the national revenue to the beginning of the year 1980.

Asia

  • Chinese industry in years 1980 with the hands of government enterprises, to the plethoric personnel, is still submitted to a central planning. The system of fixed prices by the State blocks the decisions of the managers, the limitation of the Concurrence limit the Productivité. The Usine S small, little are specialized and not very profitable, and are maintained thanks to protection of the local authorities and with the State grants, which want to avoid by the Privatization the arrival of a dangerous mass of unemployed for the stability of the mode. Beside these public mastodons safe from the bankruptcy, the capacity encourages the creation of co-operative and private companies which can call upon foreign assets. “special economic Zones” are opened, especially in China of the South, with a antiquated Capitalisme of style 19th century. The China attracts by its low wages, its stability social and political, the quality of its labor. It produces cheap manufactured articles which are exported towards the the United States, the Europe and the Japan. This rise enables him to maintain growth rates about 10  % per annum. This force economic growth increases however the regional inequalities, the social disparities, the Corruption, the Pollution, the Inflation…
  • the production of grain in North Korea, increasing until in 1985, which with made it possible to ensure the food self-sufficiency of the country, reaches a maximum, then declines, initially because of an internal structural crisis.

The United States

  • Under Reagan, the United States joins again with the economic liberalism. Deregulation of the oil prices. Raise record of interest rates. Tax reform. The marginal rate highest of the federal tax on the income of households, which reached 90% at the time of Kennedy, falls to 31%.

  • Economic revival in the United States after 1983. Unemployment decreases (15 million employment is created between 1982 and 1988). The index Dow Jones of the industrial projects, after having stagnated in the Years 1970, flies away after 1983. The trade deficit is in dizzying increase.

  • In 1980, the car manufacturer Chrysler is saved bankruptcy only by the financial aid of the federal government. Hundreds of thousands of workers are laid off (1979-1980). In the years 1980, after a slow decline, the American automobile production will find its dynamism, by an adaptation to the modern methods of manufacture and organization and in a climate more opened with competition in all the range of the vehicles. The labor productivity increases. It will double at Chrysler between 1980 and 1992. The innovations multiply, quality improves, the cars adapt to the public constraints as regards pollution, of safety and fuel consumption.

Latin America

  • Crisis of the debt of the countries of Latin America, related to the rise of interest rates practiced by the administration Reagan in the United States then in the whole world and the recession of the years 1981-1982 which reduced considerably the demand for raw materials on behalf of the industrialized countries. Between 1982 and 1987, the Latin-American currencies are depreciated of 23% on average.
  • Between 1983 and 1991, nearly 1000 state enterprises are put at the biddings with the Mexico (87% of the state enterprises), paying more than 38 billion dollars to the State, of which the banks respectively sold Bancomer and Banamex 2,5 and 2,3 billion dollars.
  • In the middle of the years 1980, the fast increase in the foreign debt and the fall of the oil price plunges the Mexico in serious financial problems.

Western Europe

  • the implementation of the economic program thatchérien plunges initially the the United Kingdom in its first recession since 1929 (1980 - 1982).
  • half of the British state enterprises passes to the hands of private of 1979 to 1990. They bring back 13 billion £ to the Treasury and in 1990, one counts nine million shareholders, resulting for the majority from the middle-classes.
  • In Italy, in the years 1980, the areas manage 20% of the national budget.
  • Return to the capacity of the Social democrat in Sweden (1982). Olof Palme sets up a devaluation policy of the currency for redynamiser exports. During the years 1980, inflation decreases, exports increase, the industrial production increases and unemployment rate is stabilized.
  • In France the successful launch of the train at high speed conditions the development of the rail-bound transports for the following decades. After an economic policy of revival marked by many nationalizations, the Socialist government starts in 1984 the turning of the rigor. Reorganizations of importance will take place in the iron and steel industry in particular. After this period, there will be no more in France of economic policies aiming at increasing to a significant degree the weight of the State in the market.
  • With the adhesion of the Greece (1981), then of the Spain and the Portugal in 1986, the European Economic community widens towards the South and passes to twelve Member States.

Eastern Europe

  • In 1981, the budget of defense mobilizes from 25 to 35% of Soviet GNP. The country will appear unable to support an effort also prolonged. In spite of the enormous sums devoted to the nuclear force, the Soviet Union will be never able to have a sufficient superiority to destroy by a first strikes the American arsenal, without exposing itself to massive reprisals.
The death of Leonid Brejnev (1982) mark the one time end. In 1985, the new general secretary of the PCUS, Mikhaïl Gorbatchev, noting the economic dead end in which engaged the country, launches, timidly initially, a policy of reform, the Perestroïka (the word means in Russian " reconstruction"). On the economic plan the perestroika is a failure, the socialist model of economy set up in the USSR being breathless. But to the political plan, it gives a space to the freedom of expression and the national claims of the people of the USSR which will be fatal with a fossilized mode, whose ideology was not for a long time any more the engine. In 1989 the USSR gives up its European satellites and starts its withdrawal of Afghanistan, whereas first disorders burst on its territory between Armenian and Azeri in connection with the Haut-Karabakh.
  • Plane of austerities in Yugoslavia. They have few effects on the economy, which staggers under the weight of a foreign debt higher than 15 billion dollars. With the growth of inflation and unemployment, the standard of living does not cease declining during the years 1980. In this context re-appear or are exacerbated the old ones of national antagonisms, which will lead to the come to power of the nationalists in Serbia with Slobodan Milosevic and in Croatia with Franjo Tudjman. the decoration of the civil war which will tear the country in the years 1990 is planted.
  • inflation increases with the beginning of the year 1980 in Hungary, forcing János Kádár to express its concern publicly and to carry out some changes with the head of the economy. In 1985, the foreign debt of the Hungary reaches 7 billion dollars. It triples in a few years to reach 20,390 billion in 1990. From 1980 to 1990, the real income of the employees falls of 10%, that of the peasants of 20%. The loans are used to finance the Public deficit and to slow down the fall of the purchasing power of the households, but are not used with the investments, which drop in ten years by 18%.
  • the degradation of the economy is obvious throughout the years 1980 in the socialist States. In Poland the trade union Solidarité born from the strikes of the workmen of the shipyards of Gdansk feeds a dispute which will be growing throughout the decade, forcing the general Jaruzelski to found the martial law (1981) before negotiating with the opposition after the come to power of Gorbatchev in Soviet Union. In Romania, the conducator Nicolae Ceausescu completes its mode of national Communism closed in the world and impoverishes the population by focusing its economic policy on the refunding of the foreign debt. Held well in hand by modes directed by growing old apparatchiks, GDR and the Czechoslovakia also see their economies being degraded. There the perestroika in progress in Moscow speeds up here the reforms (Hungary) or causes in return a greater closing of the country (Romania), but everywhere it weakens modes which will end up falling the ones after the others in 1989. Liberal Hungary followed by the Poland slinger open walk, followed GDR and of Czechoslovakia, then of Bulgaria and Romania. Except for Romania, these transitions will occur in the calm one: one qualified velvet the revolution pragoise of 1989. Fifty years after its beginnings, the Cold war is completed with the fall of the Iron curtain.

By topics

Economy and company

  • Against Oil crisis (1982 - 1986). The request for Pétrole is blown. The economic crisis generated by the rise of interest rate necessary to suppress inflation reduces the purchasing power of the consumer countries. The high prices of the crude make profitable the projects of exploitation hitherto forsaken. The desire to escape the domination from OPEC supports the exploitation of the coal, the rise of the Natural gas and the construction of Nuclear plants. The policies of energy saving improve the energetic efficiencies (consumption of the cars drops). OPEC must decrease its production. In 1983, obliged to follow the market, it lowers the oil price for the first time (from 34 to 29 dollars the barrel).

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

  • Apple Macintosh

  • Microsoft Windows
  • BORN (Nintendo)
  • Internet
  • compact disk with laser reader

Culture

  • the Video clip

  • the free radios (Skyrock - which at the time diffused rock'n'roll, as its name also indicates it -, Maxximum - radio operator rock'n'roll before being radio house and techno -, NRJ, Fun,…)
  • the free Figuration
  • the World music
  • the Reggae, always present, with artists like Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Eddy Grant, UB 40, Alpha Blondy, Serge Gainsbourg which assume the heritage left by Bob Marley.
  • the Ska makes its return during first half of the Eighties through the British groups Madness, The Specials, The Selecter.
  • the Funk where illustrate themselves American black artists as Prince, Mickael Jackson, Kool & The Gang, Earth Wind & Fire, Imagination, The Whispers, Terence the Trent d' Araby.
  • the New wave, generic term, (because of the multiple directions of the word " New wave " and of the number of under-tendencies or sub-genera in this musical current: synthpop, cold wave, EBM…). Let us say that the music, in its great majority, was with electro-pop (synthpop) or pop synthetic electronics/with groups like Depeche Mode, New Order, Simple Minds, Eurythmics, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Tears For Fears, Soft Concealment, Pet Shop Boys, OMD, Modern Talking, Alphaville, Have-ha, Yazoo, Anne Clark, Kim Wilde, Trisomie 21, Indo-China, Rita Mitsouko, Etienne Daho, Daniel Balavoine, Mylène Farmer. (The electronic sounds and strike them battery strong were very present in this new music Pop of the Années 1980).
  • Appearance of the House music with artists like Marshall Jefferson, Kevin Saunderson.
  • Short appearance of the Acid music and his/her Belgian cousin at the heavier rates/rhythms, the Happy New, electronic musics (House type) with acute, acid sonorities to see psychedelic with group like Phuture, The KLF, 808 State, One O One, Amnesia, S-Express train, Confetti' S before evolving to the psychedelic Trance (Trance-Goa) the following decade.
  • the Electronic Body Music (EBM), Belgian alternative of the New wave, more radical and close to the industrial Music with groups like Face 242.
  • the Cold wave and the Beats Cellar with groups resulting from the scene new wave like Joy Division (New Order with Ian Curtis), The Cure, Killing Joke, The Sisters Of Mercy, Siouxsie and The Banshees.
  • the Rock'n'roll with artists or groups old or more recent coming from various horizons: folk, country, blues, hard rock, rock'n'roll American, post-punk, pop and new wave British like Pink Floyd, Status Quo, Yes, Supertramp, Queen, To say Straits, The Organize, U2, INXS, Midnight Oil, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Toto, ZZ Top, AC/DC, Scorpions, Van Halen, KIS, Pink Joan Jett, Europe, Guns, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Téléphone (with Jean-Louis Aubert and Louis Bertignac ), Trust, Starshooter, Hubert-Felix Thiefaine…
  • the alternative Rock with artists resulting from the scene independent Punk like Béruriers Blacks, Mano Negra, Green Negresses, Elmer Food Happy, Ludwig von 88, Parabellum, the Butcher's assistants.
  • Appearance of and the Smurf (in 1982, with the piece Street Dance of Station-wagon Machine ), near of the Electro and precursory movements to the musics Hip Hop. The word " smurf" will become later the name indicating the Station-wagon Dance (=> Films: Station-wagon Street 84 and Beat Street.
  • Decade of the music Italo Disco music and Dance with artist like Ken Laszlo, P.Lion, Valerie Gilds, Silver Pozzoli, Baltimora, Moon Ray, Spagna, Samantha Fox, Sabrina, Black Box…
  • Emissions: Children of the Rock'n'roll, Sex Machine, Hip Hop (or H.I.P-H.O.P), presented by Sydney Lumet).

Music

See also : category: Group music of the years 1980 and mainly music New wave

Cinema

French cinema

  • List of French films left in the years 1980

American cinema

Television

Significant characters

Simple: 1980s Zh-min-nan: 1980 nor-tāi Zh-yue: 1980 年代

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