origins of the cold war -> developing tensions up to 1948 - Soviet hegemony in Eastern and Southern Europe and the US response Flashcards
Why did Stalin believe he was entitled to control of many Eastern European states?
The percentages agreement + the Yalta conference confirmed to Stalin that Eastern Europe and the states the USSR had liberated from Nazi occupation would fall within the Soviet sphere of influence
Was there support for communist regimes in Eastern Europe?
- yes, a substantial degree of support for policies put forward by communist groups
- communist parties called for radical change from the situation that had existed before WWII
- little desire to restore old regimes (e.g. fascism)
- desperate need for restoration after devastation of war -> fitted with communist’s message of building a new society
What did the communist regimes offer for states in Eastern Europe?
- Communists advocated land reform -> redistributing land from large landowners to smaller farmers, popular with peasants
- Communists actively resisted Nazi German occupation of their countries during the war and gained respect -> Yugoslavian local communist resistance + Partisans under Tito liberated the country from Nazis
What other political groups were calling for radical change in 1945?
- In the countryside, peasant parties were popular + posed a threat to Communist’s ability to succeed in elections
- Stalin’s strategy to form agreements and government coalitions with other left-wing parties, such as socialists and peasant groups
- Known as ‘salami tactics’
what was the reality of the ‘salami tactics’ ?
- appeared to ‘strengthen’ pro-communist powerhouses, but in reality they dominated the party
- thought to be more acceptable to the West than immediately installing communist-led one-party states.
what were Stalin’s intentions in Eastern Europe?
- influence, rather than ideological expansion was Stalin’s initial focus
- however, his actions in Eastern Europe were motivated by a determination to do whatever was necessary to safeguard Soviet international interests and Soviet territory
What can Stalin’s actions in Eastern Europe be interpreted as?
- as ‘defensive expansionism’
- initial intent to establish a buffer zone against a potential invasion from the West based on satellite states was completed by 1948
where did Stalin have pro-communist regimes in place in 1948?
Poland
Hungary
Bulgaria
Romania
Albania
Czechoslovakia
What took place in Poland?
elections in Jan 1947 took place amidst violence + manipulation, so the Peasant’s Party was effectively neutralised as a political force
What happened in Hungary?
The smallholder’s party was subjected to similar pressures and effectively destroyed by the time of elections in August 1947
When did Stalin have full control of Romania?
By December 1946, CP and its allies fully in control
what was political life like in Stalin’s buffer zones?
- remained a semblance of a parliamentary gov + democratic norms
- in reality, Soviet secret police + the Red Army’s bayonets were decisive factors in shaping political life
- some important reform
and reconstruction measures introduced
Were there any attempts to introduce Soviet style regimes?
no attempt to introduce Soviet-style regimes until 1947-48
What were Soviet actions in Eastern Europe interpreted as?
Soviet actions viewed as a contravention of the Declaration on Liberated Europe reached at Yalta in Feb 1945 + Greek Civil War (March 1946 - Oct 1949)
- seen as evidence of Soviet aggression.
how was there compliance to communism in post-war Czechoslovakia?
- Communists had figured predominantly in anti-fascist wartime resistance and emerged as committed patriots
- the Communist party emerged as the largest single party + won 38% of votes in relatively free elections held in May 1946
How did the war influence the popularity of communism in Czechoslovakia?
War had left workers in states with unemployment + economic chaos
-> communism offered better prospect than capitalism + the dominance of an economic elite associated with it
what was the case of Poland in 1945:
- Despite Polish gov existing in exile in London, the pro-Stalin Lublin gov was established + became Stalin’s instrument of political control
- Stalin failed to conform to range of agreements at Yalta regarding Poland
- agreement to free elections at Yalta enabled him to preserve the role of the Lublin gov
What was formed in Poland and when?
Provisional Government of National Unity formed in June 1945 -> contained parties from both ends of political spectrum
what did Stalin’s tactics in Poland focus on?
- Stalin didn’t simply impose a pro-Soviet communist regime in Poland
- focused on a number of approaches
- such as appearing to allow free multi-party elections with clear intent to ensure he would emerge
how did Stalin combat the Peasant Party? (salami tactics)
- Communists weakened the Peasant Party by strengthening their own links with the Polish socialists
- Jan 1947, communist + peasant groups merged (coalition where communist dominant)
Who opposed Soviet policies in Poland?
Deputy Prime Minister, Wladyslaw Gomulka (Polish communist) not fully pro-Moscow
- opposed Soviet policies -> felt irrelevant to Poland
What was Gomulka accused of and who replaced him?
1948: Accused of being a ‘nationalist deviation’ and replaced by a compliant pro-Stalinist Boleslaw Bierut
how did Romania view communism?
- communists were popular as they offered an alternative to the pre-war regime
- the Red Army occupied Romania -> Soviets treated Romania as occupied territory
- these factors made it relatively easy for Stalin and opposition was minimal
What were the issues between Michael I and Petru Groza?
- King Michael was not content with the direction of Groza’s government
- attempted to force Groza’s resignation by refusing to give royal assent (sign any legislation)
- Groza enacted laws without obtaining Michael’s signature
- despite King’s disapproval, the first Groza gov brought land reform and women suffrage