1989- fall of Eastern Europe

Question 1

communist puppets

Answer 1

ordered from Moscow. East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria

Question 2

origins of a soviet-led east

Answer 2

eve of WW2- USSR moves west and by 1945, soviet troops found in all regions. Stalin used countries as barrier
with help from Moscow and intimidation, local communists able to set up government in these countries, as long as they were loyal to SU
industrialisation and collectivisation enforced

Question 3

Stalin death

Answer 3

1953
less violent and crazy regime in SU
translates to soviet allies across eastern europe, grip is relaxed

Question 4

Stalin denunciation

Answer 4

1956- Khrushchev
triggers political earthquakes. all leaders in eastern europe declared loyalty to Stalin, making east european leaders vulnerable

Question 5

POLAND- first to fall

Answer 5

solidarity wins first semi-free elections in Poland. gov had realised only way to survive would be to work with them, S agreed if they get elections (which they won)
key figures in S undo communist structure and by the end of year, most communists pushed out of gov

Question 6

solidarity win in free election

Answer 6

92 seats out of 100 in upper house parliament

Question 7

HUNGARY- second to fall

Answer 7

in debt to many western banks, has aging leadership
older man pushed out, and opposition is allowed to be part of the political process
Imre Nagy reburied: embodiment

Question 8

EAST GERMANY- most successful of all the blocs. highest living standards and strongest economy

Answer 8

east germans flee to west germany as hungarians open the border
prayer meetings 1989, eg Leipzig 700,000
Gorby won’t crush the protests

Question 9

CZECHOSLOVAKIA-

Answer 9

liberalisation since 1968 been crushed and despite new politicians, reform isn’t implemented
large public meetings and commomerations held about invasion of 1968- student meeting turned violent and CP resigns

Question 10

ROMANIA- most violent

Answer 10

over 1000 killed
Nicolae Ceausescu ruled
1980s- mass debt and strict austerity: all sold abroad, electricity only 2 hours a day, food and petrol rations
protests n crowd gets angry, tries to flee but is caught

Question 11

key point of these revolutions

Answer 11

hardly any demonstrations or seizure of key buildings
except for Romania, the revolution of 1989 were all dismantled from inside, approved by the people, showing lack of popular legitimacy