Consequences of the secret speech Flashcards
Who was the initial Stalinist leader in charge of Poland and who did Khrushchev nominate to replace him when he died?
Boleslaw Beiruit- Ochab to replace him
What was the reaction in Poland to the secret speech?
-demand for political freedom
-uprising
When did the uprising in Poland follow the secret speech?
28th June 1956
What were the demands of the June 1956 Polish uprising?
-wage increases
-better working conditions
Which minister demanded a violent supression of the Polish revolution?
Konstantin Rokossovsky
How many people killed in the June 1956 Polish uprising?
60 people killed + 100s wounded.
How did Khrushchev attempt to supress the consequences of the secret speech in Poland?
-sent troops to Warsaw to threaten.
-23 people killed + young protesters appeared at show trials.
Who took leadership of Poland without Russian approval?
Gomulka (had been previously expelled by Stalin)
What did Khruschev intitially do with Gomulka?
-met up and threatened millitary intervention
-agreed he would be appointed firt seretary of SWP- as long as no reforms threatening to communist + stay in Warsaw pact.
What was the outcome of the Polish revolution?
-Polish support of Gomulka.
-soviet troops allowed in Poland to protect.
-independence of satilite state.
What was the reaction to the secret speech in hungary?
-Imre Nagy took role of leader of hungarian revolution after removal of stalinist leader Rakosi
-revolt
Why was Rakosi disliked in hungary?
-brutal supression methods
-low standards of living.
What was the intitial reaction of Russia to the Hungarian revolution?
-not worried.
-destructive behaviour like toppling monuments, ripping out communist symbol of flags, violence + released political prisioners.
-British and French distracted by Suez canal.
What did Hungary think to the British and French getting distracted by the suez canal?
-‘wrecked the rising’
-had asked UN but too distracted
What did Imre Nagy try to do to government?
-free elections + end of the secret police.
-withdraw from Warsaw pact.