KQ6: How secure was Soviet control over Eastern Europe, 1945-89? Flashcards
How did Stalin gain control of Eastern Europe
- Salami Tactics from 1945-49, create a broadly left-wing coalition then cut off the less radical members until all that’s left are hardline Communists
- After Communists came in, he made the Eastern Bloc one party states, using COMINFORM to ensure they followed USSR’s policies
- Eastern European economies were directly controlled from Moscow using COMECON to nationalise industry and have central planning.
- Use of the Red Army to crush opposition
Reaction to Eastern Takeover
- Economy slumped greatly by the 50’s, wages fell compared to other countries - including USSR and Eastern Bloc was forced to produce for the USSR not themselves
- Consumer goods were common in the West but scarce in the East
- People hated the loss of freedoms and lack of protests - in 1953 40 were killed for protesting in East Germany
How did Khruschev differ to Stalin?
Stalin dies in 1953, Khruschev named leader in 1955.
Seemed at first more relaxed, ending conflicts with China and Yugoslavia,
encouraging coexistence with the West
- 1955 attended a summit with USA UK and France
- Wanted to improve standard of living
- Released political pisoners
- Withdrew troops from Austria
- Denounced Stalin as a tyrant when he came to power
Destalinisation
In 1956 he denounced Stalin’s purges, described him as an evil tyrant
- Close COMINFORM to make peace with Yugoslavia
- Dismissed Molotov - Stalin’s foreign Minister
Warsaw Pact
- USSR’s answer to NATO, set up in 1955
- Created a buffer between East and West
- All countries pledged to defend one another
Poland, 1956
Demonstrators in Poznan attacked the police due to increased food prices without wage increases. 53 were killed by the Polish Army
Polish Govt couldn’t cope with the numbers, asked Khrushchev for help, he moved Soviet troops to the border.
In October, new Polish leader, Wladyslaw Gomulka was appointed. Led Communist resistance during the war. Didn’t see eye-to-eye with Stalin, which helped appease Poles
Red Army withdrew from Poland
Hungary Context
- Hungary had been taken over by the Communists in 1947 after using Salami Tactics (in 1945 Communists only got 70 seats compared to 245 others, the majority of which was a smallholders party)
- Joins COMECON in 1949
- Hungarians hated Matyas Rakosi’s hardline Govt, and the restrictions is imposed, secret police, Soviet Troops, Russian street signs
- June 1956, Rakosi is replaced by Erno Gero, who was no more accepted than Rakosi.
- Huge demonstration by students in October 1956, led to Stalin’s statue being torn down.
Hungarian Uprising
- After statue was torn down, Moscow replaces Gero with Imre Nagy, a widely respected politician
- Nagy began to make radical changes - made local councils to replace Soviet power, planed to hold free elections, create impartial courts, restore farmland to private ownership, get Red Army out of Hungary, leave the Warsaw Pact, declare Hungary neutral
- Many hoped Eisenhower would support it.
- Khruschev was open to some of the reforms, but couldn’t accept withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact. Nov. 1956, he sends Red Army into Budapest
- 2 weeks of fighting crushed the Hungarians, killing 3,000 civilians, 200,000 fled to the West. 7-8,000 Russian troops were dead.
- Western powers condemned the USSR but didn’t actually do anything, they were dealing with the Suez Crisis.
Results of Hungarian Uprising?
- New leader, Kadar, a hardline Communist put in power, 35,000 anti-Communists were arrested, 300 executed. Kadar introduced some reform but didn’t attempt to leave the Warsaw Pact.
-Imre Nagy and other leaders were executed.
- Some of the reforms were introduced, Hungary was more free than pre-1956, but Warsaw Pact leaving was out of the question.
Context of Berlin Wall
After 1949, Berlin was clearly seen as a symbol of the divide between East and West, with high living standards, decadence and, most importantly free travel from East to West.
The much more powerful West German currency also heightened the disparity, as it was far easier for West Berliners to get cheap goods in the East.
Hundreds of thousands of East Germans were defecting every year, such as the entire Maths Department of the University of Leipzig. Walter Ulbricht (leader of East Germany) was very worried about this brain drain, and East Germany was on the brink of collapsing if something didn’t change.
The defectors not only threatened the collapse of the East Germany, but also looked very bad for Communism
Berlin Wall
- August 13th 1961, barbed wire goes up around the whole border of East and West Berlin.
- Later replaced by a concrete wall, closing off all access points bar checkpoint Charlie.
- Soldiers ordered to shoot any defectors.
- Willy Brandt, West German Mayor criticised the USA for not responding.
The East said it was a protective shield against fascists, and was protecting Communism. The West saw it as a prison war, and a clear symbol that Communism was a failing system if they had to stop their people defecting.
West’s reaction to Berlin Wall
October 1961: US troops and diplomats regularly crossed the border to gauge the reaction of the USSR
October 27th: Soviet tanks go to Checkpoint Charlie and refuse to allow further access to the East, US and Soviet tanks faced each other all day in a stand-off, but both backed up 5m at a time.
Kennedy: “A wall is a hell of a lot better than a wall”
Prague Spring Context
- Brezhnev now in power
- Czechs weren’t impressed with Communism’s effects, and were ready for change. Antonin Novotny, the President, was forced to make liberal concessions in 1965, with decentralisation.
- These reforms were slow, and in Sept 1967, Alexander Dubcek presented grievances against the Government. There were then anti-Novotny protests.
In January 1968, there was a no confidence vote against Novotny, and Dubcek replaced him.
Dubcek was a committed Communist, but believed that there could be more liberal reforms
Socialism with a human face
Dubcek’s idea, less censorship, more freedom of speech, restriction of secret police. Began to introduce reforms, but assured Brezhnev that they wouldn’t leave Warsaw Pact or COMECON
Prague Spring
After less censorship, people began to speak their minds, Ministers were grilled on TV and radio, and more and more radical ideas were coming into focus by the summer. There were talks of establishing another party to rival the Communists.
USSR was worried of losing control of Czechoslovakia, it was an important member of the Warsaw Pact, and had the strongest Industry of the Eastern Bloc. Brezhnev was pressured by Ulbricht (East Germany) and Gomulka (Poland) to sort things out before everyone in the Eastern Bloc began to demand more freedoms.
