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Unit 6: How secure was the USSR's control over Eastern Europe (Polands…
Unit 6: How secure was the USSR's control over Eastern Europe
Berlin Wall
Why did the Germans want to leave?
Hungarian uprising showed it was impossible to fight communists
Some left because of political reasons, some because of economocial ones
Standars of living in Eastern Europe fell further behind these of the west
West Germany had shops full of goods, great freedom, greath wealth, and a great variety due to massive investment by the western powers
Why was leaving a problem for the USSR?
Those who were defecting were very often highly skilled workers or very well qualified managers
1000's leaving communism meant communism was undermined
Khruschev Solution
Khruschev insisted kennedy withdraw us troops from the city
Alll crossing points from East to West Berlin were sealed to foreigners and allied soldiers except for one, checkpoint Charlie
The west's reaction
Us diplomats and troops crossed regularly to East Berlin to find out how the soviets would react
Soviet tanks pulled to checkpoint charlie and denied further access to East
The US and USSR had a faceoff fully armed, After 18 hours. the tanks pulled out one by one metre at a time
Hungarian Uprising
Why did Hungarians hate communism?
They had no more freedom of speech
Catholic church was banned
They feared the secret police
They disiked the soviet army living in their country
What did the Hungarians do?
Students protested in the street
Hungarians demanded the soviet union army to leave
Hungarians demanded a new leader
They demanded withdraw from the Warsaw Pact and to be neutral in the cold war
How did the USSR respond
Kchruschev was going to remove the army and allow a popular Hungarian leader to take over but they couldn't leave the Warsaw Pact
1,000's of soldiers and tanks moved into the capital of Budapest
Imre Nagy and leaders were imprisoned and killed
Prague spring
Why was there opposition in Czech?
Dubcek wanted socialism with a human face
Czechs wanted less censorship and more freedom
Reduction in secret police
Only one political group
How did the Soviet union respond?
Tried to calm Dubcek down
Troops performed public excersices right at the border
Ussr thought about imposing economic sanctions
Finally Soviet Taknks moved into Czechoslovakia
Outcome
There was little violent resistane
Dubcek was demoted
Even though Dubcek presented loyalty to communism and the Warsaw Pact, they worried new ideas would come out of Eastern Europe
Polands solidarity
Problems in Poland
Poland economy was in bad shape
High food prices
wages stayed low
economy was shrinking
Polands foreign debt was rising
Solutions
Workers set up trade unions
Gov't tracked down union strikers
Importance of Solidarity
It was an organized movement rather just a street movement
Lech Walesa was an actual leader
Ussr response
USSR placed tanks and troops on border
Brezhnev engaged Polands leader
Aftermath
Solidarity continued to call strikes and call boradcasts
Lech Walesa went to other leaders
USSR collapse
Why did Gorbachev want to reform the USSR?
Overspending on the arms race (weapons, nukes)
Money spent on a War in Afghanistan (like Vietnam for US)
There had been no new ideas about their econ. since Joseph Stalin’s era.
Quality of life was Low in USSR
Lower standard of living compared to the capitalist countries.
Gorbachev’s Reforms
Gorbachev did not want to end communism, only change it for the better.
The media was less restricted and could now report news honestly.
Perestroika (restructuring)
DDD (Decrease Defense Spending_)
Scut spending on arms race
cut spending on soldiers
Effects of the Reforms on East. Europe
1985 Gorbachev informs the Warsaw Pact nations that they are free to do as they please in their countries.
1988 Gorbachev announced he was withdrawing troops from Eastern Europe, the message was, “the Red Army will not support your communist Government any longer.”
The 15 republics in the USSR also began to declare their independence as well.
Russia elected Boris Yeltin