Collapse Of Communism

Question 1

Nagy reforms

Answer 1

Withdrawal of Soviet troops
Free elections
Freedom of speech
Leave the Warsaw Pact

Question 2

Threat of Hungary to Soviet Union

Answer 2

Gap in buffer zone (leaving Warsaw Pact)
Knock on effect
Stop spread of communism
Propaganda defeat

Question 3

Soviet reaction to Hungary

Answer 3

Soviet tanks and troops piled into Hungary
Nagy arrested and executed
NATO countries refused to help despite ‘roll back’ policy

Question 4

Outcome of Hungarian uprising

Answer 4

Remained communism
Communist parties in Western Europe disappointed in treatment of Hungary
NATO proved unwilling to intervene in Soviet bloc countries

Question 5

Why didn’t West help Hungary

Answer 5

Occupied elsewhere (Suez Canal)
Couldn’t access Hungary (Austria was neutral)
It was beyond the iron curtain so risky and challenging

Question 6

Why Hungary rebelled

Answer 6

No freedom of speech
Handling communist regime- Rakosi
Red army and secret police
Forced to learn Russian 
Russian street signs etc
Through the UN would help

Question 7

Causes of Prague Spring

Answer 7

Hatred for Novotny
Comecon led to poor living conditions despite Czechoslovakias huge industry
Food shortages and inflation
Russian street signs
Soviet presence throughout country
Political discontent (democracy to a dictatorship)

Question 8

Prague spring proposed reforms

Answer 8

Socialism with a human face
Freedom of speech
Less censorship 
Legalisation of political groups
Re-education of red army activities
But remain in Warsaw Pact
Capitalist elements in economy

Question 9

Threat to Soviet Union

Answer 9

Presenting capitalist ideals, could be preferred and other countries then follow
President of Yugoslavia welcomed to Prague despite not being a member of Warsaw Pact
Lack of trust in Dubcek, changing the way of communism
Other candidates allowed up for election

Question 10

Outcome of Prague Spring

Answer 10

Brezhnev Doctrine (no country allowed to rebel communist control)
Romania and Yugoslavia condemned Russian invasion and lent towards links with China
Communist parties in Western Europe distanced themselves from USSR

Question 11

Events of Prague spring

Answer 11

500,000 Warsaw Pact troops sent to Czechoslovakia
Czechs peacefully protested
Dubcek arrested and held hostage in Moscow
Husak was made Czech leader and reversed reforms made by Dubcek

Question 12

Why didn’t West help Czechoslovakia

Answer 12

USSR could do what they wanted in own sphere of influence
Wouldn’t roll back communism
Behind iron curtain so very difficult
USA involved in Vietnam

Question 13

What caused the Polish uprising

Answer 13

Hope for reforms (Khrushchev secret speech)
Poor living and working conditions
Food shortages
Poor economy

Question 14

Formation of solidarity

Answer 14

Protests throughout Poland carried out about working conditions, wages and food
Lech Walesa leader of Solidarity, wanted free trade unions
Made 21 demands which government accepted

Question 15

Succes of solidarity

Answer 15

Popularity within country (grew to 9 million)
Support from Pope provided international recognition
First trade union in Eastern Europe
Russia cautious of clamping down due to world watching
Lech Walesa popular leader who people loved
Wasn’t a threat to communist party, worked along side it

Question 16

Why Russia attempted to crack down on Poland

Answer 16

Increasing signs of it becoming a political party
Due to increasing shortages, rationing, strikes and unemployment more people turned to solidarity than communism
Knock on effect throughout Eastern Europe
Provide hope for other countries
Groups being formed within Russia = uncontrollable

Question 17

Response of Soviet Union to solidarity

Answer 17

Accepted it to begin with
Then sent troops in to shut down the trade unions
The revolt was suppressed and by 1982 the leaders were arrested and solidarity banned

Question 18

West reaction to solidarity

Answer 18

USA worked with Catholic Church to undermine communist control
West provided finance
The Pope helped secure the release of Solidarity leaders
CIA provided communication technology to keep movement alive

Question 19

Outcome of Solidarity

Answer 19

Protests continued
Workers illegally went on strike
This led to solidarity leaders talking to the government resulting in new elections
Communism support declined and solidarity formed a coalition anti-communist government

Question 20

How did solidarity lead to the collapse of communism

Answer 20

First trade union in Eastern Europe
Worldwide recognition, provided hope for other countries
Proved USSR was weak as couldn’t prevent solidarity

Question 21

Gorbachev policies

Answer 21

Glasnost- openness and transparency within the government
Perestroika- restructuring of economy
Rejection of Brezhnev Doctrine

Question 22

Ronald Reagan

Answer 22

Increased money invested in defence ( 32.6 billion dollars)
Star Wars defence ring
Neutron bomb
Referred to USSR as ‘evil empire’

Question 23

Impact of Gorbachev reforms

Answer 23

Hungary dismantled barbed wire between them and Austria
Free elections in Poland led to victory for solidarity
Fall of the Berlin Wall marked end of Cold War
Czechoslovakia opened borders with the west
Romania underwent a short, bloody revolution

Question 24

Problems Gorbachev faced becoming leader of USSR

Answer 24

Lack of work ethic
Bankruptcy (war in Afghanistan)
Alcoholism
High death rate

Question 25

Reagan’s effect on collapse of communism

Answer 25

Won the arms race
Helped Afghanistan defeat USSR
INF treaty