Post-Stalin Thaw & Peaceful Coexistence Flashcards
When did Stalin die?
1953
What failures marked Stalin’s death?
Berlin Wall Blockade, NATO, Yugoslavia defecting from Cominform
What was period of Collective Leadership?
1953-1955
Who was apart of the Collective Leadership?
Malenkov, Molotov, Bulganin & Khrushchev
How did the Collective Leadership attempt to reform Stalinist Soviet system?
Ending “personality cult” politics
Reforming the Secret Police - KGB
Arresting & Executing Beria (1953) & other hard line Stalinists
“New Course” economic policy (greater emphasis on consumer goods)
When was Khrushchev’s Secret Speech?
February 1956
What three things were included in his speech?
Promoting a cult of personality
Using purges & persecution to consolidate his personal rule
Reducing the Communist Party to a compliant body with complete control
What was Khrushchev’s speech formally known as?
De-Stalinisation
When did Khrushchev become leader?
1956
When was NATO formed?
1949
What was NATO?
A military alliance of the West to protect capitalism & prevent the spread of Communism
When was the Berlin Uprising?
1953
What was the Berlin Uprising?
400,00 workers protested against work quotas & wanted free elections
Why didn’t the West intervene?
The fear of War
Who was Malenkov (Melanie)
Part of the collective leader ship in 1953-56 & headed the New Course
When was the Korea Truce?
July 1953
What was the Korea Truce?
Armistice was negotiated along the 38th parallel
Moved away from Stalin & conflict & moved towards peacefully negotiating & the economy as war was EXPENSIVE
Who was Beria?
Head of the secret police feared for being a hardline Stalinist
Tried to forge better relations with the West
When was Beria executed?
1953
What was the Warsaw Pact?
Military alliance of communist states in response to NATO
When was the Warsaw Pact created?
1955
When was it dissolved?
1991
What were the economic causes of Peaceful Coexistence?
West would be overwhelmed by ECONOMIC SLUMP so the East could bide time
West believed USSR’s economic output would overtake the West due to the disintegration of imperialist colonial system
What were the ideological causes of peaceful coexistence?
Both East & West established their spheres of influence (1940s) - there was a greater sense of security
What did Malenkov propose?
The New Course
Diverting military spending to producing consumer goods
Attempts to reduce Cold War tensions & achieve peaceful coexistence
Who headed peaceful coexistence?
Beria
What was peaceful coexistence?
The East & West could work together & exist amongst each other despite different ideologies & avoiding military conflict
What is Destalinisation?
Moving away from Stalin’s polices no cult of personality kgb secret police execution of Beria new course
What did Khrushchev attack Stalin for?
Cult of personality
Purges & prediction. Communist Party - complaint body
When was the Austrian State Treaty?
1955
What did the Austrian State Treaty include?
Signed by 4 occupying powers removed all troops & guaranteed Austria’s independence as a neutral state
When did the SU remove their troops from Finland?
1956
What was the Finnish-Soviet Peace Treaty in 1947?
The end of conflict between Russia & Finland.
Land was returned to Finland & they pledged to remain neutral
When did Eisenhower become President of the USA?
1953
Who was Eisenhower?
Ex Army General in WW2 who criticised Truman for being to soft!
What policy did Eisenhower adopt?
New Look - emphasised a hardline approach towards communism
Who was Dulles?
Eisenhower’s Secretary of State (1953) who rejected containment policy & supported brinkmanship