Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Unit 6: How secure was the USSR's control over Eastern Europe? (Berlin…
Unit 6: How secure was the USSR's control over Eastern Europe?
Berlin wall
why did Germans want to leave?
the Hungarian uprising showed many people in Eastern Europe that it was impossible to fight the communists
someleft because of political reasons, some left because of economic reasons
why was leaving a problem for the USSR?
those who were affecting were very highly skilled workers or well qualified managers
1,000,s were leaving communism which meant having better life under capitalism undermined communism generally
Khrushchev's solution
all crossing points from East to West Berlin were sealed to foreigners and allied soldiers, except for one
on August 13, 1961, East German soldiers erected a barbed wire barrier along the entire frontier between East and West Berlin
Hungarian uprising
why did Hungarians hate communism?
they had no freedom of speech, catholic church was banned by the USSR. they feared the secret police, and they disliked the army living in their country
standard of living were declined and yet the papers and radio kept saying that that we have never had it so good
what did the Hungarians do?
students protested on October, 1956. they demanded their independence of freedom from the USSR
Hungarians also demanded the soviet army to retreat and leave the country, and withdrawal from the warsaw pact that bond them to the USSR
Prague spring
why was there opposition in Czechoslovakia?
Dubcek wanted "socialism with a human face", Czechs wanted less censorship, more freedom of speech and a reduction in the activities of the secret police
there was only one political party
how did the soviet union respond?
the USSR tried various methods with Dubcek to slow him down
troops performed very public training exercises right on the Czechs border
soviet tanks moved into Czechoslovakia
outcome
there was little violent resistance
Dubcek was removed from power, even though he expressed loyalty to communism and the warsaw pact
eastern Europe leaders feared that their own people would demand the same freedom that Dubcek had allowed in Czechoslovakia
USSR collapse
Gorbachev's reforms
Gorbachev didn't want to end communism he just wanted to change it for the better so he started the Glasnot and now the media was less restricted and could now report news honestly
also Perestroika and this introduced some elements of capitalism to the USSR, in order to fix the economy
effects of the reforms on Eastern Europe
in 1985 Gorbachev informs the warsaw pact nations that they are free to do as they please in their countries
Gorbachev was replaced by Boris Yeltsin and communist even tried to overthrow Yeltsin but they were unsuccessful, on Dec. 25th Gorbachev announced the end of the USSR
in 1988, Gorbachev announced he was withdrawing troops from East. Europe, the message was, " the Red Army will not support your communist government any longer."
why did Gorbachev want to reform the USSR?
economy was weak do to overspreading on the arms race, money spent on a war in Afghanistan
quality of life was low in USSR like lower standards of living compared to the capitalist countries
poland's solidarity
solutions
the communist government's cracked down on these union strikes
workers began to set up trade unions which would organize strikes in order to make changes
USSR response
USSR placed tanks and troops on the border with Poland
150,000 solidarity members were arrested and solidarity was declared illegal
problems in Poland
price of food was going way up, wages were not rising along with the price of goods
overall economy was shrinking and Poland's foreign debt was rising too