USSR Liberation 2 Flashcards
What did the USSR do in response to the Kennan Telegram of 22 Feb 1946?
Feb 1946 - At Stalin District of Moscow Stalin celebrates USSR’s industrial achievements and collective sacrifice, warning of a longterm preparation for war which Americans consider ‘ the declaration of WW3.’
Novikov made a telegram in September 1946 describing the American political and economic means to achieve ‘penetration of the American capital’ with military outposts and dollar imperialism, reducing Soviet influence as its barrier.
What did Stalin tell Dimitrov, and what did he direct Communists to do in Germany?
Stalin told Georgi Dimitrov that ‘All of Germany must be ours.’
He directed Communists to merge with the Social Democrats to establish a Socialist Unity Party to expand influence westward with the help of Nazis, but the Allies had firm control over its richer part. A middle ground would be a demilitarised and neutral Germany serving as a buffer zone, or a minimum zone to create a client state in the Soviet zone of occupation to preserve Soviet presence. These plans hoped to achieve secret Sovietisation.
What did JLG and Mark argue about Stalin’s spreading of communist influence?
John Lewis Gaddis : ‘ As long as Stalin was running the USSR cold war was unavoidable.’
Eduard Mark argues that Stalins advise of making zig-zags to communism was evidence that his National Front policy of coalitions would be used to achieve domination.
Which countries had slow paced policy changes, and what system would have kept the West calm? What Western decisions agitated the USSR into having their coup in Czechoslovakia?
Czechoslovakia and Hungary had slow-paced policy changes, and Finland was exempt. If all of East Europe experienced ‘Finlandization,’ the West would have been less concerned. In 1947 with the failure of the Conference of Foreign Ministers to draw up terms for German peace, and the declaration of the Truman Doctrine alongside the ERP, the USSR decided to set up Cominform in Sept 1947 and the Czechoslovakia coup in Feb 1948. Retaliation to the West.
What were communist actions in Germany?
In Germany, Soviet reparations devastated the country. Elbe, an agricultural region, was denuded of industrial equipment, sent on trains to the east, and sarcastic poems were issued.
The Red Army, under the influence and fuelled by anti-German propaganda raped and assaulted members of the population, resulting in many moving to the West where they experienced rebuilding of the economy and integration with the West. In 1946 Stalin rejected economic reform agreements made at Potsdam, and refused the name of the Red Army be hurt by accusations.
How did the USSR gain support, and what growth did the PCI experience?
The USSR aimed to achieve power through forming governments of national unity, with the authoritarian right wiped out of power and political parties reluctant to be anti-communist due to fears of being branded as Nazis. The Communists’ war efforts were commended, and they grew in size. In the PCI, they grew from 6000 in May 1943 to 2 million by 1948. The governments benefited from being close to the USSR, where they gained organisational help. At first, it appears initial post-war intentions were to establish friendly parties.
What were Communist actions in Romania?
In Romania, communists led by Gheorghe Gheorgiu-Dej helped the monarchy survive the war until 1947 and helped Petru Groza, non-communist prime minister, gain power, including representatives of the liberals + National Peasant Party in their government, with agrarian reform leaving church lands untouched. But by 1947 the NPP was banned and the social democrats were made to merge with the communists while King Michael was made to abdicate. In March 1948, there was a landslide in the rigged elections to ensure takeover.
What were communist actions in Bulgaria?
In Bulgaria non-Communist opposition was purged with the rest compelled to join the Communist Fatherland Front, with the absorption of social democrats in 1948.
What were communist actions in Hungary?
In Hungary, communists won 17%, losing to the Smallholder Party, KGB, a coalition with Ferenc Nagy as prime minister. By 1947 anti-communists and former fascists were purged. Hungarian communists only gained 22% in the 1947 elections, but with their allies in the KGB had 60%. In 1949 with new elections, the bloc turned itself into the Hungarian Workers’ Party, communist dominated and in full control.
How did the communist parties gain control?
What were the Communist policies similar to, and how did they evolve?
When did they establish influence?
It is most likely that all parties reacted to events by maximising their power and underpinning opponents with available means.
Policies were similar to the West in agrarian reform and extension of the public sector with nationalisations. Eliminating private property proceeded rapidly in the East later on.
Anti-Communists had removed political anomalies in 1947, and the European cold war order was born, with the October 1944 percentage agreement and conference agreements defining the alliances.
Which countries freed themselves from Communism, and why was the international situation deteriorating?
Albania and Yugoslavia had freed themselves from control by 1950 and 1960 collectively. The agreements defined the borders of Eastern Europe, alongside Red Army presence. The international situation was deteriorating with the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid as the USSR saw their power undermined.
