Collapse Of Communism Flashcards
Nagy reforms
Withdrawal of Soviet troops
Free elections
Freedom of speech
Leave the Warsaw Pact
Threat of Hungary to Soviet Union
Gap in buffer zone (leaving Warsaw Pact)
Knock on effect
Stop spread of communism
Propaganda defeat
Soviet reaction to Hungary
Soviet tanks and troops piled into Hungary
Nagy arrested and executed
NATO countries refused to help despite ‘roll back’ policy
Outcome of Hungarian uprising
Remained communism
Communist parties in Western Europe disappointed in treatment of Hungary
NATO proved unwilling to intervene in Soviet bloc countries
Why didn’t West help Hungary
Occupied elsewhere (Suez Canal)
Couldn’t access Hungary (Austria was neutral)
It was beyond the iron curtain so risky and challenging
Why Hungary rebelled
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
Causes of Prague Spring
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)
Prague spring proposed reforms
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
Threat to Soviet Union
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
Outcome of Prague Spring
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
Events of Prague spring
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
Why didn’t West help Czechoslovakia
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
What caused the Polish uprising
Hope for reforms (Khrushchev secret speech)
Poor living and working conditions
Food shortages
Poor economy
Formation of solidarity
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
Succes of solidarity
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
Why Russia attempted to crack down on Poland
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
Response of Soviet Union to solidarity
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
West reaction to solidarity
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
Outcome of Solidarity
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
How did solidarity lead to the collapse of communism
First trade union in Eastern Europe
Worldwide recognition, provided hope for other countries
Proved USSR was weak as couldn’t prevent solidarity
Gorbachev policies
Glasnost- openness and transparency within the government
Perestroika- restructuring of economy
Rejection of Brezhnev Doctrine
Ronald Reagan
Increased money invested in defence ( 32.6 billion dollars)
Star Wars defence ring
Neutron bomb
Referred to USSR as ‘evil empire’
Impact of Gorbachev reforms
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
Problems Gorbachev faced becoming leader of USSR
Lack of work ethic
Bankruptcy (war in Afghanistan)
Alcoholism
High death rate
Reagan’s effect on collapse of communism
Won the arms race
Helped Afghanistan defeat USSR
INF treaty
