Chapter 9: Krushchev and East-West relations 1955-60 Flashcards
Uprisings, Summits, talks
1
Q
What was the Austrian State Treaty and when was it made?
A
- May 1955
- Austria had been divided into zones of occupation after WW2
- Outcomes = would withdraw all powers, Austria would become a neutral state, would have democratic elections, would remove a potential source of conflict
2
Q
What was the ‘Secret Speech’?
A
- Feb 1956
- Announced de-Stalinisation and a need for change in the USSR
- Wanted to remove the cult of personality Stalin had created
- Highlighted the cruelty of Stalin’s regime and the imprisonment and execution of 1000s of loyal communists
- Also wanted to strive for peaceful coexistence
3
Q
What was the Geneva summit?
What 2 key things were discussed?
A
- Sep 1955
- Open skies –> Wanted to each be allowed recon over each other’s military bases to know the capabilities of each other
- GB and french open to it - USSR reject
- Germany –> US propose reunification with free elections, USSR propose a neutral and demilitarised Germany
- Was good that they were cooperating but no actual decisions were made
4
Q
What happened in the Polish uprising?
A
- June - Oct 1956
- Wanted improved working conditions, higher wages, freedom for Catholicism, end of collectivised agriculture and Gomulka to be put in power
- This made it look like Khrushchev had limited control
- 28th June - workers strike - squashed by army
- 29th June - martial law imposed in response
- 19th Oct - Khrushchev threatens soviet military intervention
- 21st Oct - Gomulka elected and negotiation allow him to stay as long as he remains committed to communism and its values
- 24th Oct - No soviet military action mostly as Poland is supported by China
- Moscow is shown to allow satellite states some independence –> partly causes Hungarian uprising
5
Q
What happened in the Hungarian uprising?
A
- Oct - Nov 1956
- Wanted Imre Nagy as leader, soviet troops to leave, free speech/press etc and multi-party elections
- 22nd Oct - students protest in Budapest
- 23-24th - workers join and it becomes an armed revolt - Hungarian secret police take action leading to battle
- 24th - Nagy = PM and immediately meets with soviets to negotiate
- 25-26th - Soviet tanks fire on unarmed civilians, Nagy wants to negotiate a Soviet withdrawal
- 28th - USSR agrees with pressure from China
- 1st Nov - Nagy declares them as leaving the Warsaw pact and becoming neutral
- Red army surrounds Budapest and crushes revolution
6
Q
What were the consequences of the Hungarian uprising?
A
- West had no involvement as they were busy with the Suez crisis and did not see it as their responsibility - lack of tensions
- 200,000 Hungarians fled to Austria, Nagy was executed, 4000 Hungarians killed and rest now live in fear and oppression
7
Q
When and what were the Camp David talks?
A
- Sep 1959
- The first time a leader of the USSR went to America
- Discuss disarmament, situation in Berlin, agree to settle disputes diplomatically
- Deteriorates Sino-Soviet relations
8
Q
What was the Paris Summit and what caused its collapse?
A
- May 1960
- Discussed USSR wanting a deal on Berlin, want to agree to having no nuclear weapons in the Pacific or Germany
- China say they will not agree to anything they were not involved in the discussion of
- U2 affair causes the breakdown of the summit
9
Q
What was the U2 affair?
A
- U2 spy plane was shot down over the USSR causing the collapse of the Paris Summit
- Gives Khrushchev a chance to calm down the Chinese opposition
10
Q
When did Kennedy become president and what did this mean?
A
- Jan 1961
- Increased defence budget, promised more flexible conventional forces, wanted nuclear arms expansion including Polaris submarines
11
Q
What was the Vienna Summit?
A
- June 1961
- Khrushchev and Kennedy meet to talk about Berlin - cannot agree
- Khrushchev thought Kennedy was too young and would be easily manipulated
