The Brezhnev Era, 1972–1985: The Second Cold War - Solidarity in Poland, KAL 007

Question 1

Who was Pope John Paul II?

Answer 1

Polish Pope
Became pope 1978
Outspoken critic of war and some dictatorships
Supported solidarity movement
Lots of Polish support
USSR tried to limit his voice in Poland

Question 2

When did Pope John Paul II visit Poland?

Answer 2

June 1979
Big reception of 12 million in attendance at arrival

Question 3

How did Andropov try to limit John Paul’s influence in Poland?

Answer 3

Andropov issued a secret instruction to Soviet school teachers to warn about the Pope

Question 4

Who was Lech Walsea

Answer 4

Co-founder of solidarity movement
Later president of Poland from 1990

Question 5

When was John Paul II’s assassination attempt?

Answer 5

1981
Assassination had links to the Bulgarian secret police, possible to the Soviets

Question 6

What was the solidarity movement?

Answer 6

Solidarity was a broad anti-authoritarian social movement in 1980s Poland

Question 7

How did the Solidarity movement initiate?

Answer 7

Aug 1980 - workers go on strike, brings economy to standstill
Gdansk agreement allows trade unions to be free from government control and gives the right for workers to strike
Sept 1980 - Solidarity formed

Question 8

How widespread was the Solidarity movement?

Answer 8

Very
A year and a half after its creation 10 million had already joined, 1/4 of the population

Question 9

What happened to the Solidarity movement in 1981-82?

Answer 9

March - 12 million go on strike
Oct - General Jaruzelski becomes first secretary of Polish Communist Party
Dec - announces martial law and arrests solidarity leaders
Solidarity banned in 1982

Question 10

When was the KAL 007 incident?

Answer 10

1st Sept 1983

Question 11

What happens in the KAL 007 incident?

Answer 11

Soviet SU-15 interceptor fired air-to-air missiles at a Korean Boeing 747 commercial flight, flight 007 which had deviated off course (a serious but honest mistake), killing over 200 on board
Initially hearing about it Reagan called it “an act of barbarism”
Although concluding the USSR didn’t know it was a civilian flight, the US tried to punish the USSR by pushing for commercial boycotts in the UN
The USSR later said publicly that the plane was on a US intelligence mission to justify their actions

Question 12

How did the KAL 007 incident worsen relations?

Answer 12

Reagan used the incident to persuade congress to support his requests for increased defence spending and the new MX missile
Less trust between powers

Question 13

When was the Able Archer Crisis?

Answer 13

1983

Question 14

What was the Able Archer Crisis?

Answer 14

During annual NATO command post exercise called ABLE ARCHER 83
Involved a full-scale simulated release of nuclear weapons in a practice drill
USSR panicked and mobilised troops and readied their weapons, however as the exercise ended no further action was taken, avoiding war

Question 15

SS-20 Missile features

Answer 15

Medium range ballistic missiles
Not significantly restricted by SALT
Developed by Soviets
Could hit all NATO sites
Led to Carter’s ‘double track’ decision

Question 16

What was Carter’s double track decision?

Answer 16

Dec 1979 - decision in NATO
Track 1: offering mutual limitation on missiles
Track 2: developing US missiles in Western Europe
Negotiations failed and in 1983 FRG agreed to deployment of nuclear weapons in Germany
108 Pershing II missiles (US equivalent to SS-20) deployed by NATO in West Germany from 1983
Widespread protests against their deployment

Question 17

Examples of anti-nuclear protests

Answer 17

1982, 1 million in NYC demonstrated against nukes
1983, nuclear protest in West Berlin involving 600,000

Question 18

Impacts of SDI

Answer 18

Nicknamed Star Wars as critics felt it was impossible
Mixed reaction in Europe, Thatcher sceptical it could increase tensions, but it was supported by NATO
Soviets, fearing US nuclear monopoly, continued arms race development which contributed to the USSR’s economic collapse