9. Krushchev and East-West relations Flashcards
why did Khrushchev want to de-stalinise the soviet bloc?
- wanted to redefine relationships between soviet union and eastern bloc
- long term political stability
- improve living conditions
- did this through secret speech February, 1956
what was the impact of Khrushchev’s secret speech?
- implications on the stability of the Eastern Bloc
- uprisings in Poland and Hungary
when was the Poland uprising and what sparked it ?
June-October 1956
-not only the secret speech, but universal wage cuts in Poland
what were the demands of the polish after the secret speech?
- demanding political freedom
- national sovereignty
when+ why did workers go on strike in Poland and what happened?
- 28th June, 1956
- strike in protest of wage cuts and poor working conditions
- leading to anti-communist armed uprisings
- K threatened military intervention if G didn’t cooperate
- allowed G a nationalist leader to be elected if he didn’t carry out any reforms that would threaten local communist
why was force not used in Poland?
- because of support from Beijing towards the polish communist party
- easy resolutions made
- G balanced need for polish security with conforming to how a soviet satellite state should behave
- replacement was Edward Ochab to implement de-Stalinisation in Poland
when was the Hungarian Uprising?
October-November 1956
what first happened in the Hungarian Uprising?
- Oct: students in Budapest gave list of 16 demands
- by next day escalated to an armed revolt demonstrators were shot by Hungarian secret police
- the workers and students joined together to seize power from local communist authorities.
what we the most significant points on the list of 16 demands in Hungarian Uprising
- Imre Nagy to be appointed prime minister 24th october 1956
- withdraw soviet troops from Hungary
- freedom of speech and press
- multi-party elections
what happened in Nagy’s meeting with the soviet delegation (Hungary)?
- convinced them military intervention was not needed
- argued the revolt could be calmed
- assures Moscow of Hungarian loyalty
- K agreed to withdraw troops from Budapest
- declared they would withdraw troops from all of Hungary
why did Red army declare they would withdraw troops from all of Hungary?
- partly due to pressure from China
- did not want further engage in military action in Hungary
why did Moscow fear the collapse of communism in Hungary?
- introduction of Multi-party elections
- dissolution of secret police
- moves towards freedom of press
- Hungarian withdrawal from Warsaw pact 31st October, 1956
- therefore reversed decision to withdraw troops November, 1956
what were the impacts of Hungarian Withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact?
- Red army and tanks surrounded Budapest
- rising was crushed
- 4000 killed
- new government installed
what did the Hungarian uprising show?
- lack of western intervention reassured USSR that any further problems created would have no western intervention
- east Europe back under soviet control
- peaceful coexistence compromised
what did the 20th congress of the communist party show and how?
- February, 1956 (secret speech)
- fundamental shift in USSR thinking
- abandoned conventional Marxist-Leninist view
- believed communism would become powerful without war
- that capitalism would fall on its own.
- therefore resources would be concentrated on internal progress not war.
which of Khrushchev’s foreign policy’s were the same as Stalin?
- soviet union remain unchallenged leader of world wide communism (fuck China)
- maintain grip on satellite states
- Germany must be prevented re-arming
- USSR expand nuclear capailites
which of Khrushchev’s foreign policy’s were different to Stalin?
- spending in military security=reduced
- international tension diffused
- don’t provoke the USA
theerfore he would= engage the USA in diplomacy
what were the impacts of Stalinist aggression?
- escalation of expenses
- government debt
when and what was agreed in the Austrian state treaty and what did this show?
- may, 1955
- withdrawal of all western occupying troops from westG
- Austria would neutral
- showed intent of mutual cooperation
- removed a major source of conflict
- west removed troops from west Germany
when was the Geneva summit?
September, 1955
why did Khrushchev want to slow down the arms race?
- russia needed troops to ensure compliance in eastern states
- needed troops for Russian security
- needed to focus on internal economic development in the soviet union
- he would do this by having a less confrontational relationship with the west
why did the Geneva summit happen?
- to diffuse tenions
- also the entry of west Germany into NATO and their rearmament
- to assure french that the reassurance of german military would be assessed
- US placed troops in Europe= concerned Khrushchev
what were the 2 major issues and outcome of the Geneva summit?
- nuclear disarmament
- future of Germany
- agreement of free elections HOWEVER nothing was set up to make this a reality
- (no satisfying outcome reached)
what was the aim and outcome of the ‘open skies proposal’?
- eisenhower proposed at the geneva summit September, 1955
- to end deadlock over superpowers inspecting each others arsenals and ariel satellites to monitor
- a step closer to disarmament
- K rejected
what was proposed about the future of Germany at the Geneva summit?
- eisenhower proposed a reunified Germany, free elections and determine its own security (basically NATO)
- k would only agree if it was demilitarised and neutral
what impact did the Geneva summit have in the cold war?
- marked the beginning of dialogue between superpowers
- point of calm in international relations
- foundation of peaceful coexistence
what was discussed during Camp David talks?
September 1959
- disarmament
- situation in Berlin
- agreed to settle international issues through diplomacy
what was the impact of Camp David talks on the Sino-Soviet relations + what did it assure the west of?
- caused a deterioration between china and russia
- assured west that communist power bloc had not been created by a Sino-Soviet alliance
what summit did Camp David talks lead to?
-Paris summit May, 1960
what was Khrushchev’s aim for the Paris summit?
- deal over Berlin
- agreement to prohibit nuclear weapons in Pacific and Germany
what did china declare in 1960 and what did it mark?
- would not bind itself to an agreement it had not been involved with (relating to decisions made at the paris summit)
- marked an end of Sino-Soviet relations
why did the Paris summit collapse?
-news that the American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the soviet union
allowed Krushchev to calm Chinese opposition
what date was the Sino-Soviet split?
-1960
was Kennedy republican or Democratic?
-Democratic
when did Kennedy take office?
January, 1961
what was said in Kennedy’s inauguration speech and what’ did it show?
- do anything regardless of the cost to ensure liberty and freedom
- seemed to condemn future of peaceful coexistence
what provocative actions did Kennedy take after inauguration?
-increased defence budget
-promised more troops
-wanted the expansion of nuclear arsenal
and after vienna he wanted:
1. increase in defines spending
2. reactivate ships
3. call on army reserves
4. build up of NATO forces
when and where did Kennedy and Khrushchev meet for the first time and what did this show?
- Vienna (it was a reaffirmation of k’s faith in peaceful coexistence)
- June, 1961
what did Khrushchev believe about Kennedy after first meet?
- young and politically vulnerable
- easily manipulated
what later evidence proved to Khrushchev what he first believed about Kennedy
- kennedy proved he was politically vulnerable + easily manipulated
- seen in the ‘bay of pigs’ (unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro communist government
how did Kennedy create a stalemate for east west relations?
- refused to compromise on the status of Berlin
- ignoring Khrushchev’s demand that berlin should not be an ‘escape route’ for east germans
what did Khrushchev’s dealings with Polish uprisings show?
-Moscow would allow satellite states some independence
