Blockade Consequences, Arms Race, Hungarian Uprising And Its Consequenes Flashcards
Arms Race
Aug 1945: The USA dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.
1949: The USSR tested its first atomic bomb.
1952: The USA developed its first hydrogen bomb.
1953: The USSR developed its first hydrogen bomb.
1957: The USA and USSR both tested ICBMs.
Both sides gained the power to completely destroy each other in a war (mutually assured destruction).
Increased fears of any potential conflict.
Consequences of Berlin blockade
The USA won a propaganda victory over Stalin.
NATO was formed to prevent further Soviet takeovers in Europe.
The British, French and US zones of Germany and West Berlin were combined into the new Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany).
Stalin responded by creating the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
In 1955, after West Germany joined NATO, Khrushchev created the Warsaw Pact.
Hungarian Uprising
1956
After Stalin’s death in 1953, Khrushchev hinted at ‘destalinisation’ and increasing freedom.
In 1956, anti-communist protests began in Hungary.
Khrushchev made popular Imre Nagy the new prime minister to bring calm.
Instead he proposed holding free elections and leaving the Warsaw Pact.
Khrushchev feared this would lead to the end of Soviet control across Eastern Europe.
200,000 Soviet troops were sent into Hungary.
Consequences of Hungarian Uprising
1956-58
The USA did little to help, despite having previously encouraged Eastern Europeans to rebel.
NATO members were afraid of war with the USSR, so did nothing.
Imre Nagy executed.
New, pro-communist government set up under Janos Kadar, loyal to the USSR.
Other Soviet satellite states saw that the USA would not defend them.
Soviet control in Eastern Europe increased.
