Soviet Takeover of Eastern Europe

Question 1

What 3 takeovers are studied in the GCSE?

Answer 1

Poland
Czechoslovakia
Hungary

Question 2

How did the Soviets takeover Poland?

Answer 2

Refused to help the Home Army in the Warsaw uprising (in order to prevent anti-soviet uprising)

Supported the Lublin government

Question 3

How did the Soviets takeover Czechoslovakia?

Answer 3

Got rid of non-communist party government

Propaganda posters in Prague

Benes was overpowered by the communist group lead by Klement Gottwald

Question 4

How did the Soviets takeover Hungary?

Answer 4

Communists lost to the Smallholder Party (who represented peasants and wanted land reform and democracy, won with 57% of the vote)

Father Kiss arrested so the Smallholder Party gave in and made a communist Minister of the Interior

Rakosi, now used ‘salami tactics’ to accuse his political opponents of being fascists, and force them out one-by-one

When Prime Minister, Ferenc Nagy, travelled abroad, the communists threatened on a phone call that “some misfortune might happen” to him if he returned to Hungary