Destalinisation Flashcards
What did khr want to achieve through destalinisation?
Long term political stability, economic growth and improved living conditions through a process of de-stalinisation, but without changing the basic structures of the communist system.
Khrushchev delivered ….. on 25 feb 1956
Secret speech which reported Stalin’s crimes
How did the soviet regime look under Stalin?
Characterised by a cult of personality, centralised planning, a one-party political party and press censorship.
How did khr become leader?
After a power struggle for 3 yrs, khr became oficial leader in 1958
Wha did khr promise?
To not be as genocidal and erratic as Stalin
Economic stability, improve living standards
Poland June-October 1956
1.Khr appointed Edward ochab to replace boleslaw bieuret after his death in 1956, and implement de-stabilisation in Poland.
2. After the secret speech, many poles started to demand more political freedom and national sovereignty
3.therefore, on 28th June 1956,workers were on strike in protest at wage cuts and poor working conditions. Economic grievances soon led to an anti-communist armed uprising.
4.gomulka and Khrushchev had a stand-off and came to a conclusion that gomulka could be pointed first secretary if he promised not to threaten local communist rule
5. Poland would remain a member of the wp and force was not used primarily bc of the support shown from Beijing towards the polish communist party. Moscow would allow its satellite states a measure of national independence.
Hungary
- Destalinisation- 22 oct students in Budapest demonstrated and listed 16 demands- appointment of Nagy as pm, withdrawal of soviet troops from Hungary, freedom of speech, multi-party elections
- Aimed revolt as the workers groups joined the students and seized power from communist local authorities.
- 24 oct Nagy=pm- tried to convince Mikoyan [soviet delegation] that ussr military intervention was not necessary and assured Moscow of Hungary’s loyalty so 25 Oct, khr agreed to withdraw soviet troop from Budapest and red army forces withdraw from pressure from china-
- 31 Oct , Moscow reversed its decision bc it feared the collapse of communism in Hungary, reintroduction of a multi party political system , dissolution of the secret police.
5.1 nov, Nagy announced hun has withdrawn from the Warsaw pact and 3 nov, 15 divisions of the red army and about 4000 tanks had surrounded Budapest. - New gov led by Janos kadar was installed [hard-line, staunch communist loyal to moscow]
- About 4000 Hungary citizens had been killed and further 200,000 went into self-imposed exile, status quo restored. Lack of intervention from the west and un., Eastern Europe was firmed back under soviet control.
