Chapter 16: Pressures on the USSR 1963-72 Flashcards
What internal pressures did the USSR face at this time?
- Costs –> arms race, supporting allies
- Reforms –> change wanted in communist bloc
- Sino-Soviet split –> 1969 - led to border clashes
- Sino-US relationship –> 1971 - movement west = threat
What pressures came from the soviet bloc - past and now?
x5
- Khrushchev allowed differentiation of communism in countries - led to a variety of approaches
- Limits to USSR clear - crushed Hungarian uprising
- Brezhnev concerned for reforms in E Europe
- Alternative models of communism seen - Tito - Yugoslavia
- Economic decline - rising discontent - needed to strengthen control
How did the Czechoslovakian crisis occur?
- Negative economic growth seen - made leaders question the benefits of communism
- 1960s - Ota Sik (economist) proposed reforms
What reforms were proposed?
- End centrally planned economic targets
- Increased rights
- Increased private enterprise
- Argued political reforms needed to make these possible
What was the consequence of these propositions?
- Gained support in the country
- Brezhnev moved to change the Czechoslovakian leadership
How was leadership changed?
- Jan 1968 - Novotny -> Dubcek
- Seen as a typical, loyal communist leader
How did Dubcek change things?
- Announced a new regime
- Communism with a human face / democratising communism
- 1968 - freedom of speech, press, travel, making economic decisions based on demand, move to consumer goods, allowance of trade unions and political parties
What factors allowed the Prague Spring to happen?
- Economic problems
- Demands for change (Sik)
- Dubcek’s role
- Role of the USSR
What concessions did Dubcek make to the USSR?
- Promised to stay loyal to the Warsaw pact
How did Warsaw pact nations respond?
- July 1968
- Warsaw nations troops and red army do ‘training’ in Czechoslovakia but remain after as a threat
- Warsaw letter sent to demand the reversal of reforms that were a threat to communism
How does Dubcek respond to the threats?
- Refuses letter - goes on TV to inform the public of this
- Announces the intention to discuss Western loans
How does the invasion occur?
- 20 Aug 1968
- Dubcek and government officials arrested
- Forced to sign to reverse the reforms
What was NATO’s response to the invasion?
- Condemn the invasion but take no action
How was Czechoslovakia controlled after this?
- Red army reman
- Dubcek replaced by Husak 1969
What was the Brezhnev doctrine?
- Used to justify the Czechoslovakian invasion
- Says they want to protect communism - would prevent the overthrow of any communist regimes
- Had a right to interfere if communism was threatened
How had Khrushchev made Sino-Soviet relations worse?
- 1959 - indirectly supported India over a border dispute with China
- Refused to give China nuclear weapons, discussed them with the US instead
- Put missiles on Cuba without telling China
How did Mao worsen relations with the USSR?
- Provoked the USA by bombing Quemoy & Matsu 1954+8
- Criticised Khrushchev for removing Cuban missiles
- Criticised him for not being willing to use nuclear weapons - called him revisionist
What was the impact of the Vietnam War on relations?
- Brezhnev though they should work together to support NV
- 1964 - Malinovsky incident - USSR minister said to remove Mao
- 1965 - Mao refused a meeting with USSR + NV - wanted NV to be reliant only on China and to sideline USSR
How did the Chinese Cultural Revolution change relations?
- 1966
- China removed all western, capitalist or dynastic things
- To achieve ideological purity
- Denounced the USSR as revisionist
What border disputed happened?
- 1967 - USSR put troops on the border - threat
- March 1969 - China attacks USSR - active defence to deter invasion
- Aug - clash again
- Sep - talks in Beijing - reassure both that neither want war
–> Mao still insecure - could not reconcile
