Chapter Twenty-Three

Question 1

What problems did Eastern European countries face?

Answer 1

The same problems as the Soviet Union- economic instability, and lack of consumer goods. Gorbachev was looking for ways to divest the Soviet Union of its responsibilities to other communist countries, which had cost the Soviets tremendous sums of money over the years.

Question 2

How did EE leaders respond to Gorbachev’s promised reforms and abandonment of the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 2

These reforms were not welcome news to the Party leaders in EE- although intervention from Moscow was always a concern, it also provided them with support and the knowledge that their regimes would continue
Threatened the stability of apparatchiks in Soviet satellite states in EE.

Question 3

By the end of 1989, what was the only communist country?

Answer 3

Albania remained communist among EE countries.

Question 4

What did Polish leader Wojciech Jaruzelski recognise? What action did he take?

Answer 4

The need to reconcile with Solidarity’s members, so in September 1986 a general amnesty for all political prisoners was enforced.
Confident that Solidarity’s popularity had declined since 1981, Jaruzelski ended martial law and made the reconstitution of Solidarity legal.

Question 5

Why was there unrest in Poland?

Answer 5

Jaruzelski’s actions coincided with an economic downturn; to cope with the problems the government raised food prices in February 1988. Led to strikes and demands for changes in the system, and workers and protestors remained peaceful and used Gorbachev’s policy of glasnost as a justification for expressing dissent. Gov had to work with dissenters, as the did not have Soviet support.
Feb 1989 the gov agreed to talk to leaders of Solidarity and other opposition groups in an attempt to maintain its power over Poland. Discussions led to three major reforms: trade unions, position of president and formation of a Senate.

Question 6

What was the response to the Polish reforms?

Answer 6

The new structure pleased the USSR- step towards socialist rather than capitalist democracy. But in June elections Solidarity won increasing amount of seats= many Poles simply refused to vote for the Communist party candidates in the Diet (parliament).
Lech Walesa demanded a government, led by Solidarity and within a fortnight, with Soviet agreement a new pro-Solidarity government led by Mazowiecki was formed.
By the end of 1989, Poland was a multi-party state with a coalition government dominated by Solidarity. Seen by many other EE countries.

Question 7

What initiated reforms in Hungary?

Answer 7

The Communist Party itself (Hungarian Socialist Workers Party, HSWP). Hungary’s leader himself Kadar, refused to extend any reform programs.
Worsening economic conditions led to general dissatisfaction in Germany- even dedicated communists wanted improvements to economy. Economic advisers interested in engaging in trade with Western Europe.

Question 8

What happened in Hungary after 1988?

Answer 8

1988- Kadar resigned as Secretary-General, and Nemeth became Pm due to his negotiating of a one billion Deutsch Mark loan from West German banks.
He followed economic reforms with political ones, and the government adopted basic freedoms, civil rights and electoral reforms. Ready to adopt a multi-party system.

Question 9

What did the Soviets agree to regarding Hungary?

Answer 9

1989, Soviets agreed to withdraw all its military forces from Hungary by 1991 and in June 1989 the HSWP’s leadership agreed that free elections should take place in 1990- belief that the HSWP held the strongest support among Hungarians so would remain leading party.
Hungary’s movement away from communism was peaceful and served as a model for other Eastern European countries. 1990 elections peacefully moved Hungary from communism to democracy.

Question 10

What crucial decision did Hungary make in September 1989?

Answer 10

Agreed to open their frontier with Austria and allow East Germans, who could freely enter Hungary, to travel freely to West Germany. Exodus that followed illustrated the rejection of the communist East German regime and thus, the rejection of communism. Led directly to the crisis in East Germany Nov 1989.

Question 11

What was East Germany’s reputation?

Answer 11

For being the most loyal of all the USSR’s satellite states. Leaders were communist hardlienrs and its secret police, the Stasi, was feared above all other Eastern European political parties.

Question 12

What agreements had been made in Germany in 1984?

Answer 12

Two German states reached agreements for cultural exchanges and the removal of land mines on their frontier, signalling a commitment to the status quo for both.

Question 13

What was Erich Honecker’s position regarding reform?

Answer 13

He ignores the calls for reform embedded in perestroika, and the dissent at home and in other Eastern European states. Aged 77, was the last of the communist leaders who had come of age at the same time as Leonid Brezhnev. Remained firmly loyal to the Communist Party and was determined to keep East Germany a single party state.

Question 14

What impact did events in Hungary have in East Germany?

Answer 14

Events in Hungary had an effect on the situation in East Germany- 1989 Hungarian gov removed fence on border with East Germany, and by Sep 1989 it is estimated that 60,000 East Germans had left for Hungary to seek asylum in the West German embassies there.
International pressure= East German government temporarily allowed its citizens to travel to West Germany
In October, opposition was in many streets in every city in East Germany. East Germans protested at the lack of reforms in the Honecker regime and the repression that he embodied.

Question 15

As a result of mounting public pressure, what happened in East Germany?

Answer 15

The Politburo forced Honecker’s resignation and Krenz became General Secretary of Party.
Knrenz announced that East Germany was going to implement democratic reforms and endorsed Gorbachev’s ideas of perestroika, glasnost and the end of the Breznhev Doctine.
Visited Gorbachev on an economic mission- even with West Germany support, the country experienced a disastrous collapse in its economy. Meant East Germany had little to offer zitizens, proposed relaxing its travel laws. Attracted criticism for being too limited. Lost control of public= entire Politburo resigned, leaving Krenz and his colleagues.

Question 16

What was announced November 1989 in East Germany?

Answer 16

Another travel law: a news conference was broadcast live on television, announcing the authorisation of foreign travel without advance notice and free transit through border crossings into West Germany.
Berlin Wall became an anachronism as East Germans poured into the streets, headed to Berlin and crossed to the East.
= East German leadership hoped this reform would increase its credibility and popularity but instead it led to its collapse. Government changed constitituion, eliminating clause giving Com Par dominant role in gov, and two days later, Krenz and Central Committee resigned. Coalition gov was put in place.
Most Germans wanted the reunification of the country, and negotiations began almost immediately.

Question 17

What was the impact of Gorbachev’s measures in Czechoslovakia?

Answer 17

Perestroika and glasnost opened up the country to further discussion and open opposition to the regime. Opposition came from a small group of intellectuals led by Havel- in 1989 they gained support from the wider public, as by then, the population was tired of hearing and seeing Western prosperity while they still remained behind the Iron Curtain, with limited fashion and cultural developments.
Czech did well when compared to other communist countries but they were comparing themselves to Western Europe and felt they had fallen to far behind.

Question 18

Why, at first, was there little opposition to Communism within Czechoslovakia?

Answer 18

Unlike Poland, Hungary and East Germany, the Czechoslovak economy was thriving and the working classes had little reason to oppose the regime.

Question 19

What demonstration was there in Czech in 1989?

Answer 19

In Wenceslas Square, in memory of the suicide of a Czech students, and Havel and 13 others were arrested and jailed for orgniaisng this. This led to the creation of further opposition movements, as in addition to protests regarding the political policies of the government, there were numerous protests regarding environmental policies. Forests dying and a children’s hospital in Prague had been built for the sole task of treating respiratory ailments in children.
Demonstration in August as in July the gov announced a programme of limited economic eforms but the pop didn’t feel this was sufficient so a mass demonstration took place in Prague. Chants such as ‘long live Poland’ and ‘long live Dubcek’.

Question 20

What was the Civic Forum?

Answer 20

Formed by Havel. A united opposition group. Demonstrations against Czech communism. Collapse of Berlin Wall had further encouraged people. Was formed in November.
Demonstrations got larger as days progressed. Communist regime made no attempts to arrest leaders, believing if it instituted some reforms in response to crisis, it would remain in power.

Question 21

What was the ‘Programmatic Principles of the Civic Forum’?

Answer 21

Put together by the Civil Forum. Stated its goals: state of law, free elections, social justice, clean environment, educated people, return to Eruope and prosperity.
In response, constitution was amdned and phrase giving Communist party the lead role in government was removed.
Party suggested idea of a coalition government, but this was rejected by the Civic Forym, and the communist leadership resigned.
December, Havel elected as president and political change complete.
Velvet Revolution.

Question 22

What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?

Answer 22

Had been the USSR’s commitment to ensuring the Communist Eastern European Bloc remained intact and that communism was the dominant political force within each of the member states.
It reaffirmed the two fundamerntal principles of communist dominance through the unity of the Warsaw Pact.
Gorbachev took the decision, almosty from the point he took office in 1985, to abandon this commitment.

Question 23

What was Gorbachev committed to?

Answer 23

The idea that communism could only survive if people were willing to accept it rather than forced to live under it. Brezhnev Doctrine was also inconsistent with Gorbachev’s survival strategy for communism- Cold War process of winding down after 1985.
Showed individual populations they no longer had to fear the influx of troops from Moscow or other Warsaw Pact countries if they rose up against their governments- even Czech where Soviet roops remained until 1990, the citizenry did not fear external intervention.

Question 24

Significance of the events during Gorbachev’s Presidency…

Answer 24

1985 he came to power as a reforming communist but he was determined to keep socialist sphere intact. No one was aware that his calls for change within SU, designed largely to reinvigorate a failing economy and make USSR competitive with West would lead to end of com in Europe.
He was not going to authorise the use of force against reformers, so he made possible the changes the peoples of EE had long sought, and paved the way for democracy in the region.