History Flashcards
Who was Brezhnev’s Prime Minister?
Alexsei Kosygin
When did Brezhnev come into power?
1964
How much of Soviet GPN was being spent on military defense from 1964-82?
25%
Name one book that criticised the Communist/Stalinist system
“One Day in the Life of Ivan Desinovich” or “The Gulag Archipelago” by Aleksandr Solzhenistyn
What problems did the USSR face by 1976?
- Relations with the US had not improved
- Struggle to keep up economically/economic stagnation
- Stagnant politics - too many old men in Politburo
- Problem with satellite states wanting more freedom
- Human rights issues - against Helsinki Accords
When was the ‘Prague Spring’ and where did this take place?
In 1968, Czechoslovakia
Explain what happened in the Prague Spring of 1968
- Czechoslovakia allowed more of a voice, oppression relaxed a bit due to reforms made by Dubcek
- Threats from Moscow failed to made Dubcek step down
- Anti-Soviet publications started to appear
- Politburo decided to use force - paratroopers invade Prague and arrested Dubcek to ‘protect interests of the Warsaw Pact”
- Kidnapped leaders and broadcast surrender to nation
Soviet troops remained until 1990
= Demonstration of weakness of Communist regime, needed military force to maintain authority + shows people opposed their control
Which Five-Year-Plans took place in 1971-5 and 1976-80?
The 9th and 10th Five-Year-Plans
What kind of economic problems did the USSR face?
- 1972: Crop failures > food shortages
- Living standards stagnated > lowered productivity
- 1975: poor grain harvest
- 1970s: worldwide petroleum shortages but struggled to keep up production to take adv of high oil demand
BUT also reversed some effects of collectivization > allowed farmers to work on state-owned plots = incentive to keep/sell surplus product
Soviet citizens became increasingly outspoken against the Soviet regime. Give two examples of the forms in which these publications were printed:
Samizdat = self-published, illegal pamphlets/articles distributed/copied within Soviet sphere
Tamizdat = similar to samizdat but published abroad + smuggled back into USSR
When were the Helsinki Accords signed and what did they mean for the USSR?
in 1975. They meant that the USSR had agreed to uphold certain human rights laws, like allow Soviet Jews to emigrate to Israel if they wanted
What did Brezhnev not want politically?
Government reform or Party structure, even though there was a need for change - there were so many old Soviet hardliners > ageing + dying
What was Brezhnev’s “stability of cadres”?
Elderly party members were safe in their positions, also mirrored in workers - will not be dismissed for poor productivity
> the average age of Politburo members rose from 55 in 1966 to 68 in 1982.
What had Khrushchev done for the Soviet Union in terms of nuclear weapons?
1963: signed the Test Ban Treaty = USSR, UK and USA will not explode nuclear weapons in atmosphere/underwater
1968: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?
A policy that contradicted Soviet want to improve relations with the USA. It made it clear that Soviets would react to any anti-Communist activity within their sphere of influence - i.e. aid any Communists fighting for power - Prague Spring + Afghanistan
When did the Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT) begin? And when did they meet an agreement?
In 1969 with US President Nixon. Agreed to limit number of anti-ballistic missiles in 1972
When did the USSR invade Afghanistan?
1979 to give support to a socialist government that took power the year before
Who was the President of the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA)?
Nur Muhammad Taraki
Who was the Prime Minister of the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA)?
Amin
What did the new government in Afghanistan do?
The People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) imposed new reforms that were violently enforced and led to civil strife - estimated 27,000 political prisoners executed
What were the rebel forces in Afghanistan called?
The Mujahideen - mainly pro-religion fundamentalists, but included all other opposition in loose coalition
In 1979, approx. how many Soviet advisers were killed in Herat? And what was the response?
100
They responded by killing 24,000 in Herat
Why did the Soviets become concerned with the Afghan leaders?
They thought they were ‘too Communist’ - reforms were too quick. But then feared that they were pro-US
What happened to Taraki and Amin?
Taraki was arrested and executed after returning from Moscow by Amin.
Amin was attacked and killed in his home be Soviet special forces
Who replaced Amin in Afghanistan?
Babrak Karmal
What was the US reaction to the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan?
Immediately against. Stopped SALT II treaties, limited grain sales to USSR and boycotted Moscow 1980 Olympics
Also started to send military aid to the Mujahideen to fight Socialism
Sent supplies through Pakistan which ended up in Islamic Fundamentalist hands..
President Carter also sanctioned CIA covert operations
When did Brezhnev die and who replaced him?
Brezhnev died in 1982 and he was replaced by Andropov - former KGB leader. Ill and constantly relied on protege Chernenko
What did Andropov do?
- Attempted to negate “stability of cadres”
- Tried to force productivity > “illegally absent”
- 1983: shut down most of Soviet space program to save money + slow down foreign debt
- Tried to remove Brezhnev’s followers > meant promoting younger members to replace them - helped by Gorbachev - create nomenklatura (political elites) loyal to him
When did Andropov die and who replaced him?
Andropov died in 1984 and was replaced by Chernenko - figurehead > short-lived reign - gerontocracy (leadership consisting of people older than majority adult population)
When did Gorbachev come into power?
1985 - inherited stagnant political system and rising dissent > recognised need for reforms
What did Gorbachev’s first major reform target?
Alcohol. He wanted to improve productivity and absenteeism. Prices were raised on wine, beer and vodka. People were arrested for public drunkenness pr intoxicated at work.
One goal: decrease vodka production by 10%
This was achieved by 1986 - but cost USSR 100 billion rubles in lost tax due to a drop in official consumption
When was the policy of perestroika introduced?
Perestroika (economic restructuring) introduced in 1985
- Decentralise planning and end price controls by state
> increase in prices - extremely expensive
- State also wanted to allow some self-management but without losing ownership of factories + other businesses
When was the Chernobyl disaster?
April, 1986 - Soviet government didn’t notify surrounding areas like Pripyat
Evacuation zone of 30-km radius around reactor
What was the name of the dissident that Gorbachev allowed back into the USSR from exile in Gorky?
Andrei Sakharov - he was the public face of Soviet dissent abroad and presented info on oppression of USSR citizens and conditions in the gulags - traveled nationally + abroad until death.
Sakharov’s notoriety led to further stands against the government and open criticism of the past
What was Gorbachev’s glasnost policy?
Started in 1986
Translated as ‘openness’
Official acceptance and re-examination of Soviet History and open debate on past gov actions e.g collectivisation and purges
Former enemies of state - purged - rehabilitated
Most participants and supporters of Stalin’s policies now dead - free to talk within party without causing divisions
What did glasnost lead to?
Led to Soviet citizens further questioning socialist economic policies and criticising central planning
Rejecting collectivisation > agricultural reform -> wider economic change
End collectives -> privatisation - improve productivity
Like NEP - farms still owned by state, but workers paid for their leases and taxes on product - kept surplus
How did Soviet foreign policy change during the Gorbachev era?
- satellite states expensive > reexamine relationship
1980s: USSR distanced itself from satellite states
1987: Gorbachev encourages more autonomy + less reliance on USSR
Clear on USSR non-intervention policy in Warsaw Pact countries - negates Brezhnev doctrine
States left to pursue own socialism while Gorbachev encouraged reforms from abroad
When did the USSR withdraw from Afghanistan?
Started slowly in 1986 but after agreements in Geneva - full withdrawal > by 1989 all Soviet troops out of Afghanistan
Necessary to withdraw - v. costly & unpopular at home
At height of intervention - 100,000 Soviet troops there with no clear objective
How did relations between the USA and the USSR change after Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan?
Led to series of meetings between Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan that marked notable improvements in relations esp. At Geneva and Reykjavik
Nuclear arms talks resumed - US wanted to continue nuclear testing & build defence shield (strategic defence initiative SDI) = angered USSR
Limiting nuclear arms testing/development became too priority for USSR after Chernobyl disaster
Where was the summit held in October 1986?
Reykjavik, Iceland
Why was be Reykjavik summit seen as a failure?
Held in 1986
It led to no agreements or framework for any solution - but leaders began to develop a rapport and seemed willing to work together
Gorbachev went to Washington in 1987 and Reagan went to Moscow. What was significant about these visits?
Gorbachev in Washington = Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INf) treaty - limited in Europe
Reagan in Moscow = begin discussions for new Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty (SALT) (III)
> both sides agreed to reduce their nuclear arms
USSR by 25% US by 15%