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History GCSE > Collapse of the USSR > Flashcards

Collapse of the USSR Flashcards

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1
Q

What methods did the USSR use to control the people of Hungary?

A

1) no freedom of speech
2) secret police
3) thousands of soviet troops and officials in Hungary
4) Russian street signs
5) taught communist version of history in school

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2
Q

Who were the leaders and in what order in Hungary around 1956?

A

Rakosi, Gero, Nagy, Kadar

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3
Q

What reforms did Nagy plan to introduce?

A

1) free, multiparty elections
2) to leave Warsaw Pact and become neutral in Cold War
3) restore farms to private ownership
4) abolishment of the AVO (secret police)

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4
Q

Why did Krushchev decide to take action against Nagy’s reforms?

A

Could not tolerate the fact that Nagy wanted to leave the Warsaw Pact

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5
Q

Describe the Soviet response to events in Hungary in 1956

A

1) invaded Hungary in November 1956
2) sent in 200,000 troops and 2,500 tanks
3) two weeks of fighting followed where 3,000 Hungarians and 7,000 soviet troops were killed
4) Khrushchev emerged victorious and imprisoned Nagy

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6
Q

How many people were killed in the two weeks of fighting in Hungary in 1956?

A

3,000 Hungarians and 7,000 Soviet troops

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7
Q

Why did western powers not come to the aid of Hungary in 1956?

A

They were preoccupied with the Suez Canal Crisis in the Middle East

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8
Q

Who replaced Nagy as leader of Hungary?

A

Kadar

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9
Q

When was Nagy executed?

A

1958

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10
Q

Why was Novotny’s rule of Czechoslovakia unpopular?

A

1) people were very disappointed by the standard of living under Soviet-style communism
2) people represented their lack of freedom of speech

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11
Q

When did Dubcek become the leader of Czechoslovakia?

A

1967

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12
Q

What policy did Dubcek propose?

A

‘Socialism with a human face’

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13
Q

Why was Rakosi ordered to retire?

A

‘For health reasons’

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14
Q

When was the huge student demonstration in Budapest against Gero where giant statue of Stalin was pulled down ?

A

The 23rd October 1956

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15
Q

When did a new government form under Nagy?

A

24th October 1956

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16
Q

What reforms did Dubcek propose in 1968?

A

1) less censorship
2) more freedom of speech
3) reduction in the activities of the secret police
4) BUT did not attempt to leave the Warsaw Pact

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17
Q

Why was the period of reform in Czechoslovakia in 1968 called the ‘Prague spring’?

A

1) less censorship (communist leaders were challenged about how they were running the country)
2) talk of forming new political party (social Democratic Party)

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18
Q

Why was Brezhnev worried about events in Czechoslovakia in 1968?

A

1) strategically important to the defence of the USSR as it was central placed in the communist bloc
2) economically important as had the strongest industry
3) might cause other countries to rebel
4) East German leader and polish leader told him to intervene

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19
Q

Why did Brezhnev do in response to events in Czechoslovakia in 1968?

A

1) ordered soviet, polish and East German troops to start doing public exercises on the border
2) setup conference in July where Dubcek agreed to not set up the social Democratic Party
3) at conference in August Warsaw Pact countries declared Czechoslovakia needed to maintain political stability
4) in August moved tanks into Czechoslovakia
5) no violent resistance from the Czech people

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20
Q

When was Dubcek removed from power?

A

1969

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21
Q

Who was Dubcek replaced by?

A

Husak

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22
Q

Why did western powers not intervene in events in Czechoslovakia in 1968?

A

USA was preoccupied with fighting in Vietnam and internal race riots

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23
Q

What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?

A

The new soviet policy after the Prague spring which explicitly states that he would not allow any communist country to abandon communism and would use force to impose this

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24
Q

What were the essentials of communism as defined by the Brezhnev Doctrine?

A

1) having a one party system

2) remaining a member of the Warsaw Pact

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25
Q

What events in 1979 triggered the Polish rebellion?

A

Polish economy hit a crash and industry collapsed

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26
Q

What happened in Poland in July 1980?

A

Government announced increases in the price of meat

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27
Q

What happened in Poland in August 1980?

A

1) workers at the Gdańsk Shipyard put forward 21 demands to the government
2) they also started a new free trade union called SOLIDARITY

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28
Q

Who led the workers at the Gdańsk shipyard?

A

Lech Walesa

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29
Q

What were two demands included in the 21 demands the workers at the Gdańsk Shipyard put forward to the government?

A

1) free trade unions

2) the right to strike

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30
Q

When did the government agree to all 21 of Solidarity’s demands?

A

30th August 1980

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31
Q

When was solidarity officially recognised by the government?

A

October 1980

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32
Q

Why was solidarity accepted by the polish government to begin with?

A

1) extremely popular (1/3 worker in Jan 1981)
2) strong in industries that mattered to the government (strike in shipbuilding and heavy industry would have devastated Poland’s economy)
3) popular in the West (so USSR has to treat the crisis carefully)
4) didn’t think it was at odds with communism (1 million communist party members joined)
5) has support do the Catholic Church (most poles were catholic)

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33
Q

How did the Polish government crush solidarity in 1981?

A

1) in February army leader General Jaruzelski took over as PM
2) negotiations about forming a new government between Jaruzelski and Walesa collapsed
3) in December Jaruzelski introduced martial law
4) imprisoned Walesa and 10,000 other solidarity leaders
5) banned solidarity

34
Q

What did solidarity prove despite it being crushed in 1981?

A

1) communism was not making people’s lives better
2) party members had better lives than ordinary people
3) organisations could challenge and change government policy

35
Q

What happened in Poland in 1987?

A

In November 1987 Jaruzelski held a referendum on new economic reforms and failed to get enough votes

36
Q

What happened in Poland in 1988?

A

1) still illegal solidarity held nationwide strikes over price rises and economic problems
2) Walesa calls for talks with Jaruzelski
3) as a result of talks solidarity is legalised and elections are organised for June 1989

37
Q

What happened in Poland in 1989?

A

Elections held in June and Solidarity triumphs winning 99/100 seats in the second chamber where no seats are reserved

38
Q

How many seats does Solidarity win in 1989 in the second chamber?

A

99 out of 100

39
Q

Who became leader of Poland in 1981?

A

Jaruzelski

40
Q

Who was Father Popielusko?

A

A pro-Solidarity priests who had been beaten to death by the secret police (250,000 people attended his funeral in 1984)

41
Q

When did Gorbachev become leader do the USSR?

A

1985

42
Q

What problems was the USSR facing when Gobachev came to power?

A

1) the USSR could no longer afford to put money into the war in Afghanistan and the arms race with the USA
2) there were shortages of goods and food despite the USSR’s abundance of raw materials and fertile land
3) the average life expectancy was falling and infant mortality rate was rising

43
Q

What were Gorbachev’s 2 main policies which he applied within the USSR?

A

Perestroika and Glasnost

44
Q

What was Perestroika?

A

Restructuring in the free market (now legal to buy and sell for profit)

45
Q

What was Glasnost?

A

Open debate about government policy and facing up to problems

46
Q

When did Gorbachev tell leaders of Eastern European countries that he could no longer support them with the Red army and they would have to listen to their people (effectively abandoning The Brezhnev Doctrine)?

A

March 1989

47
Q

Give four examples of how the USSR collapses in 1989

A

1) in February Hungary proposes multiparty political system
2) in June Poland holds free elections and Solidarity wins
3) in July Gorbachev announces each country can take their own path to socialism
4) in November the Berlin Wall is torn down
5) in November Czech gov opens borders and allows formation of other parties
6) in December Romanians other throw Ceausescu’s Communist regime

48
Q

When did the USSR cease to exist?

A

1991

49
Q

What did Gorbachev say in March 1985?

A

“Neither the USA or the Soviet Union is able to force its will onto others”

50
Q

When did the USSR withdraw from Afghanistan?

A

1987

51
Q

How much did the Afghan War cost the USSR?

A

$20 billion

52
Q

Who did the USA support in the Afghan war?

A

The Mujahidin

53
Q

What was Reagan’s idea which was nicknamed ‘Star Wars’?

A

The Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) which aimed to create a shield of lasers around the USSR which would stop detect and destroy any incoming missiles

54
Q

When did the Afghan war start?

A

1979

55
Q

Why did the USSR invade Afghanistan?

A

To preserve the communist government in Afghanistan

56
Q

What did Reagan say in 1988 about the Cold War?

A

“Here’s my strategy on the Cold War: we win they lose”

57
Q

When did Reagan make his evil empire speech?

A

1983

58
Q

When did Reagan become president of the United States?

A

1981

59
Q

What was operation cyclone?

A

Funding for anti communist guerrillas in Afghanistan

60
Q

When was Operation Cyclone introduced?

A

In 1979 under President Carter

61
Q

What did Reagan do regarding operation cyclone?

A

Expanded it as per of Doctrine to fund anti communism

62
Q

What did the USA give to the mujahidin under Operation Cyclone?

A

1) sent over $20 billion to train and arm Afghan resistance groups
2) supplies equipment such as Stinger missiles

63
Q

When was SDI announced?

A

1983

64
Q

What is the argument for Gorbachev leading to the collapse of the USSR?

A

Gorbachev did not use force to restore soviet control (allowed collapse as Khrushchev and Brezhnev had not)

65
Q

What is the argument for Reagan leading to the collapse of the USSR?

A

Increases military spending which weakens the USSR

66
Q

What is the argument for people power being the reason that the USSR collapsed?

A

If they had not pushed for it they would not achieved their freedom

67
Q

When was the Berlin Wall erected?

A

1961

68
Q

When was the Berlin Wall torn Down?

A

November 1989

69
Q

What was the Alexanderplatz demonstration?

A

500 thousand to 1 million people called for democratic rights and the abolition of one party rule in Germany (authorities permitted it)

70
Q

Why did Jaruzelski allow solidarity to re-emerge?

A

1) threat/support of soviet tanks began to disappear under Gorbachev
1) inspired to introduce reforms similar to those tried by Gorbachev in the USSR

71
Q

What was the membership of Solidarity in September, October 1980 and January 1981?

A

September: 3.5 million
October: 7 million
January: 9.4 million (1/3 of all polish workers)

72
Q

What was the Sinatra Doctrine?

A

Gorbachev’s policy of allowing neighbouring war saw pact countries to determine their own internal affairs

73
Q

How much did Gorbachev cut Military spending by in 1989?

A

14%

74
Q

When did Walesa win the Nobel Peace Prize?

A

1983

75
Q

Who were the leaders of Czechoslovakia and in what order around 1968?

A

Novotny, Dubcek, Husak

76
Q

What were the terms on which Gorbachev attempted to withdraw from the Afghan war in 1982?

A

Offered to withdraw if the US and Saudi Arabia stopped supplying the mujahidin

77
Q

How many people were leaving East Berlin every day in 1961?

A

Nearly 2,000

78
Q

What was younger more skilled workers leaving east Berlin called?

A

The ‘brain drain’

79
Q

How many people left East Berlin before 1961?

A

3 million

80
Q

What was West Berlin to the people of east Berlin?

A

A ‘window to the west’ showcasing how much better life was in the capitalist west

81
Q

When did Gorbachev attempt unsuccessfully to withdraw from the Afghan war?

A

1982

82
Q

What did the USA do when the USSR attempted to withdraw from the Afghan war in 1982?

A

It refused to stop backing the mujahidin so the war continued which hardliners like Reagan saw as an opportunity to weaken the soviets.

History GCSE (8 decks)

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