USSR's international position
emergence of a superpower
formation of the Soviet bloc (reasons)
conflict with USA and capitalist west
Stalin's death and legacy
conspiracy theories that he had been murdered (Beria murdered him by poisoning him) - many people eg. Beria, Molotov, Mikoyan had motive as they would likely have been purged and/or killed if Stalin had not died
Stalin was preparing for another wave of terror and repression before his death
Stalin most likely died of old age - he was 73 and had suffered strokes in the past
his funeral was the perfect demonstration of the Stalinist cult - his body was embalmed and the whole country grieved in funeral services
Stalin did not name a successor so it was difficult for anyone to take power, but Krushchev eventually emerged as the new leader of the Soviet union
very mixed legacy
Stalinist cult decreed he was perfect and nothing needed changing - he had led the USSR to victory in WWII, seen huge industrial growth and established the USSR as a superpower
image abroad was poor - he was remembered for Cold War tensions and the dangerous nuclear arms race
consumer goods and agriculture were failing to keep up with industrial growth
economically
militarily
politically
socially
Stalin was acting a dictator - gave the country status
centre of communism - gave the country status but also made them a target to capitalist enemies
Soviet bloc - occupation of eastern European countries
by 1952, 25% total expenditure was on the military
developed the atom bomb by 1949 - later than the USA but still the second country to develop it
t34 tanks - good quality weapons that were produced during the war and contributed to the victory
victory is the Great Patriotic War - gave them status, the war itself forced them to increase military capabilities
agricultre and consumer goods took a long time to recover after the war
by 1952, USSR was spending 25% of its total expediture on the military - USA only had to spend 5% to match this
2nd largest economy in the world after WWII - HOWEVER the gap between 1st (USA) and second was huge
3 million people died of starvation
rapid industrial development after the war - production in many areas eg. coal and electricity decreased during the war but exceeded 1940 levels by 1950
famine 1946-47 - peasants were starving and dying as they were still seen as expendible
living and working conditions were inferior to other countries, but they were steadily improving
centre of communism - made them a target but also established status
REASON - ensuring international security
Soviet bloc - occupation of eastern and central Europe - the USSR had military presence and political influence in many countries even if they weren't under Soviet control
Satellite states - retained national identity but had pro-Soviet governments - came increasingly under Soviet control from 1949
buffer states (satellite states providing security along the USSR's western border) protected the USSR against future invasions
HOWEVER the Soviet bloc did not entirely ensure international security - while it gave protection, it also caused more tension between the capitalist west and the USSR
the more states they occupied, the more power they had - way of combating US influence in Europe
REASON - ideological - to spread communism
Katyn Forest Massacre 1940 - 22,000 captured Polish army officers were shot and put in mass graves - they were only allowed to survive if they were pro-Soviet - eliminated Polish nationalists that might oppose communism
Warsaw Uprising 1944 - AK launched an uprising to liberate Warsaw from German occupation - Red Army were on their way but halted and did nothing to support the AK - the rising was crushed by the Nazis in 63 days - also took out Polish nationalists and aided them for their occupation later
salami tactics - enforced the spread of communism in small steps eg. inflitrated trade unions, journalism and local government, targeted individuals etc. - enabled pro-Soviet governments to gain power in Hungary in 1947 and Czechoslovakia in 1948 - fact that they infiltrated politics rather than just occupying by force suggests ideological motives
HOWEVER - this was also all to aid international security as well - the wider the reach of communism the harder it is to stamp out - also it was more about establishing pro-Soviet governments rather than just pro-communist governments
Stage 1
Stage 2
wartime events
Stage 3
meeting between Stalin and Churchill in Moscow 1944 had disagreements over Poland
Yalta conference feb 1945 - conflicting ideas about post-war borders between Poland and Germany
Stalin demanded a second front to protect the Red Army
Potsdam conference July 1945 - ended with no final peace agreement and ideological differences became exaggerated
The Long Telegram Feb 1946 - sent by American diplomat Kennan to Washington from Moscow - stated that the USSR was trying to isolate itself and there was excessive use of military and police power - created horror in the capitalist west
Iron Curtain Speech Mar 1946 - given by Churchill, warning about the spread of communism and the "iron curtain" across Europe - seen as an attempt to create conflict by Stalin and created fear in the West
Soviet expansion - the Soviet bloc created tension as the US was concerned about the spread of communism in Europe
Truman Doctrine Mar 1947 - announced policy of containment - attempting to prevent the spread of communism in Europe
The Marshall Plan Jun 1947 - plan for USA to give aid to Europe for economic recovery after the war - Stalin viewed this as a hostile move - US attempting to assert capitalist dominance in Europe - Soviet bloc countries pressured not to accept Marshall Aid
Berlin blockade Jun 1948 - Stalin was frustrated by the way Soviet control was slipping in Berlin, especially as it was in the Soviet zone - launched the Berlin blockade, cutting off road and rail linked between Berlin and the West to attempt to reassert Soviet control
Hardening of Cold War Divisions - after Berlin Blockade was lifted in 1949, divisions of Germany were solidified, Cold War became fully formed, NATO was established to protect western Europe from Soviet aggression
Czechoslovakia coup Feb 1948 - communists took over government in Czechoslovakia - heightened tensions over the Marshall plan as US saw this as a communist coup backed by the USSR
Stalin thought he had won this as the West would not risk a war, forcing the US to give in to Soviet terms, but the US launched the Berlin airlift 1948-49 to drop off essential supplies - Stalin had been defeated