3.1 Khrushchev and East-West relations

Question 1

Describe the Poland Uprising

Answer 1

• June - October 1956
• workers on strike in protest at wage cuts and poor working conditions
• October Gomulka elected First Secretary of Polish Communist Party
• Khruschev objected, Poles threatened to fight, Khrushchev backed down. Also China discouraged use of force.
• Khrushchev allowed Gomulka to remain and for moderate reforms in Poland as long as Poland didn’t leave the Communist bloc or threaten Communist rule

Question 2

Describe the Hungary Uprising

Answer 2

• Oct-Nov 1956
• 22nd Oct large demonstration in Budapest called for 16 demands including withdrawal of Soviet troops, increased freedom and new government under Imre Nagy
• Nagy elected 24th Oct
• Soviet troops initially began to withdraw from Hungary, partly due to pressure from China
• 1st Nov Nagy announced Hungary would become neutral and withdraw from Warsaw pact
• 15 divisions of the Red Army sent in, 4000 tanks. 4,000 civilians killed.
• New government under Janos Kadar

Question 3

Why didn’t the West get involved in the Hungary Uprising?

Answer 3

• Radio Free Europe suggested they would. Risk of WWIII
• US general election in early Nov,
• Suez crisis

Question 4

What were the outcomes from the Uprisings of 1956?

Answer 4

• Propaganda victory for US - communism would always be repressive, even without Stalin
• Mao threatening to challenge Khrushchev’s leadership
• Communism in Western Europe lost respect for USSR and themselves - New Left emerged
• Eisenhower and Dulles revealed promises of liberation and rollback were a lie
• limitations of Brinkmanship revealed
• USSR kept a loyal government in Poland and forced a loyal government in Hungary

Question 5

Describe Khrushchev’s secret speech

Answer 5

• Feb 1956
• openly criticised Stalin’s ‘intolerance, brutality and his abuse of power’
• Actions to support his words: released many prisoners from gulags, closed cominform and dismissed Stalin’s most trusted ministers e.g. Molotov
• Contributed to revolts in Eastern Europe (temporarily weakening Khrushchev)

Question 6

When and what did Tito and Khrushchev agree in their communique?

Answer 6

• June 1956
• agreed different forms of Socialism existed and should be accepted

Question 7

Describe the Suez Crisis

Answer 7

• July - November 1956
• Egyptian Nationalist leader Nasser turned to USSR for finance
• Nassar nationalised the Suez Canal (owned by Anglo-French company)
• Britain and France developed a strategy to topple Nassar, he refused to withdraw Egyptian troops from the Canal, Britain began bombing Egypt’s airfields 31st Oct
• US refused to give Britain financial support - couldn’t support imperialism. USA condonned attack.
• Couldn’t risk nuclear war, would increase criticism for not helping during Hungary, prevent Soviet attempts to increase their influence in Middle East
• Fighting stopped 6th Nov

Question 8

Describe the Geneva Summit

Answer 8

• July 1955
• Nuclear disarmament and Germany discussed
• Eisenhower’s Open Skies proposal - called for US and USSR to be allowed to survey if each other were following military agreements. Khrushchev saw as an ‘espionage plot’

Question 9

Describe the Paris Summit

Answer 9

• May 1960
• Was going to discuss nuclear arms reduction and dealing with increasing tensions surrounding Berlin
• Khrushchev visited US in September 1959 and the two had been getting on well
• U-2 spy plane shot down. Pilot Gary Powers imprisoned. US claimed it was an off-course weather plane - disproven, spying info onboard
• Summit failed, Khrushchev furious with spying