18- Post-war central and eastern Europe (extent and nature) Flashcards
Give an overview of how Stalin exercised control over central and eastern Europe between 1945 and 1950
Stalin established political control over the eastern and central European states; he also tied them economically to the USSR and, via the Warsaw Pact, secured military control.
What was the only country to resist Soviet domination between 1945 and 1950?
Yugoslavia (under Tito)
What are ‘salami tactics’?
The Soviet Union gained increasing political control over eastern Europe using a method dubbed ‘salami tactics’ by Hungarian Communist leader, Matyas Rakosi; the USSR would orchestrate the removal of all other political parties in stages, ‘like slicing of a salami, piece by piece’.
What were ‘Baggage Train’ leaders
In addition to salami tactics, men known as the ‘Baggage Train’ leaders, obedient to Moscow who had spent most of the war in the USSR, were returned to eastern Europe: to Poland – Bierut, to Hungary – Rakosi, to Bulgaria - Kolarov and to Romania – Pauker.
What were the three stages of Soviet domination?
1) Soviets established governments in central and eastern Europe comprised of a broad alliance of ‘anti-fascists’.
2) Starting with the center ground parties, all non-communist parties were ‘sliced’ away.
3) Only the communist ‘core’ remained. Local communist leaders were replaced (if necessary) by Moscow-trained, obedient men.
Describe the elections that took place in central and eastern Europe between 1945 and 50
- The free elections that Stalin had agreed to hold did not take place until January 1947.
- Prior to these elections there was a campaign of intimidation, censorship, arrest and murder.
- It is estimated that more than 50 000 people were deported to Siberia from eastern Europe before the elections.
How did the Soviets use the secret police to exert control over central and eastern Europe from 1946?
- From 1946 the extent of Soviet control over central and eastern European states increased.
- Each country had become a ‘police state’ by the end of the 1940s.
- The secret police forces were moulded on the KGB, and exercised control over the population via surveillance and widespread use of informants.
Explain how propaganda was used to control people in the years 1945-50
- There was tight control of the media, well organised propaganda and total control over education.
- It was compulsory to teach and learn Russian in schools.
- Society was also indoctrinated and mobilised by mass parades and rallies and in some countries there was the promotion of cults of personality, for example, Ceausescu in Romania.
- Organisations of friendship were set up with the USSR.
- Soviet films and books were imported, and socialist holidays replaced national public holidays.
- Each state also had its own communist youth movement.
What was the political situation in central and eastern states?
- All central and eastern states under Soviet domination were single party states.
- Where other parties were allowed to exist this was only to give the semblance of democracy.
- Elections were held only to give the ruling group ‘legitimacy’; only the official candidates could stand and while mass participation was encouraged in these elections, the results were predetermined.
Give an example of the political situation in central and eastern states
For example, other parties were permitted in East Germany but these had to be obedient to the Socialist Unity Party.
Explain how political control maintained in satellite states between 1945 and 50 by maintaining a rigid structure
- Nationalist sentiments were suppressed and each state followed the doctrine of Soviet Marxist-Leninism.
- In addition to the presence of Soviet trained leaders in each country, the USSR kept a close watch on each state through its embassies.
- Political organizations were structured: local party organizations elected members to intermediate organizations who in turn elected members of government.
- Candidates were selected, and government posts were appointed by the central committee.
- The politburo of each state actually determined policy.
Explain how political control maintained in satellite states between 1945 and 50 by isolating states and appointing Soviet trianed people to each one
- Soviet trained people were placed in all key positions in each state, including in the security services.
- The USSR also isolated the satellite states from each other.
- Good jobs in each state were reserved for those with party membership.
What was the Nomenklatura system?
- This was a system that emerged where a new social elite formed based on party membership and political obedience.
- By 1950 Polish communist party membership had increased to 1.2 million and in Czechoslovakia to 1.5 million by 1954.
Explain how religion was suppressed in the satellite states between 1945 and 50
- In Poland, Catholicism was a powerful force which could challenge Soviet influence.
- The new communist Polish government separated church and state, and nationalized church property.
- The Lutheran churches in East Germany, and the churches in Romania and Czechoslovakia were also persecuted.
- Government agencies were set up to monitor religious activity.
How was force and intimidation used to maintain the regimes in central and eastern Europe?
- There were purges and mass arrests.
- Thousands of political prisoners were sent to new camps, similar to the Gulag.
Give an example of how force and intimidation were used to maintain the regime in Poland
There were 97 concentration camps in Poland by 1950.
Give an example of how force and intimidation were used to maintain the regime in Yugoslavia
- When it was suspected that arms from Yugoslavia to Israel were being transported via Czechoslovakia, Stalin believed the state was harbouring Titoist agents.
- In the ensuing purge, half of the central committee was removed, and 500,000 party members were purged.
Describe how elections were controlled in Poland
- In the 1947 elections, in Mikolajczyk’s Polish Peasant Party, 246 candidates were disqualified, 149 arrested and 18 murdered.
- One million voters were removed from the electoral register.
- Gomulka was not sufficiently obedient and was replaced by Bierut in 1948.
Need more examples about elections being controlled?
Give examples of the Soviet-style economic policies that the satellite states adopted under Soviet domination
- Centrally planned economies
- Nationalization of land and industry
- Collectivization in agriculture and 5 year plans for industry.
When and by whom was COMECON set up?
- January 1949
- By the USSR
What was COMECON?
Commission for Mutual Economic Aid
Who were the founding members of COMECON?
The USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria.
At the time, COMECON was deemed by the West as ___
The Soviet response to the Marshall Plan
Why did the USSR set up COMECON?
- The Soviets wanted to ensure closer economic cooperation between itself and each of the central and eastern European states under its control.
- It publicly declared that these states did not want to ‘subordinate’ themselves to US Marshall plan assistance as this would interfere with their sovereignty.
What were the economic aims for COMECON?
- To develop socialist economic integration
- To increase economic and technological progress
- To increase industrialization and improve productivity
- To promote scientific-technical cooperation
- To offer mutual advantage and mutual aid
What were the political aims for COMECON?
- To promote cooperation on the basis of socialist internationalism
- To strengthen the political ties with, and infleunce of, each state to the USSR
Although COMECON was set up in January 1949, it was not very active until ___
A more formal structure was agreed to in 1959.
What did the economies of satellite states look like until a more formal structure for COMECON was agreed to in 1959?
- Up until then, states generally planned their own command economies.
- However, the Sofia Principle, established in August 1949, made each country’s technologies available to the others for a very small fee and this benefitted greatly the less industrialized and technologically advanced states - including the USSR itself - to the detriment of East Germany and Czechoslovakia.
