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‘Stalin’s expansion of eastern Europe was mainly due to defensive…
‘Stalin’s expansion of eastern Europe was mainly due to defensive concerns’
PARA ONE: FOR - Post-WW2 USSR
Had sacrificed massively to win the war, 27 million dead, approx. $20b needed to rebuild, wanted to ensure this never happened again
Poland was route of German invasion in 1941, wanted to maintain strategic influence to add buffer, hence his insistence on the Lublin government and his expulsion of Gomulka
Buffer zone of satellite states run by pro-Soviet govs through salami tactics meant an extra resistance against any Western aggression
CAVEAT: Soviet insistence on expansion such as the refusal to leave an occupied Iraq can caveat this and evidence the opposing view
PARA TWO: AGAINST - Communist expansionism
Poland-Katyn 1940 and Warsaw Uprising 1944 seemed to be using opportunities to exert power and influence over Poland, breaking of Decleration of Liberated Europe as Provisional Gov of National Unity took power but he arresting 16 non-communist leaders and prevented elections and by Jan 1947, fixed elections had ensured a communist government was in power. However, Poland was instrumental to the safety of Soviet Union as had been route of invasion more than once.
Bulgaria (Oct 1946) manipulated elections and forced removal of opponents
Czechoslovakia coup d'etat Feb 1948, Soviet level of involvement can be disputed as only 500 USSR troops present
Communism was popular in countries like Romania and Albania where little Soviet interference was needed to implement communist gov as they offered an alternative to pre-war regime
Yugoslavia and Tito were communist but believed in a differing path to Stalin which led to them being expelled from Cominform in 1948
In Hungary, there was a coalition period after which the Red Army accused the independent smallholders' party of various crimes
Bulgaria - coalition established with the peasant's party, due to the alleged coup by petkov he was executed in 1947
Growth of communist support in Romania
Stalin made sure to label the USSR as staunchly anti-fascist and anti-nazi, which was a popular value in Eastern Europe (Eastern Europeans were arguably the biggest victims of the nazi-regime)
CAVEAT: The Red Amy was largely demilitarised in 1945, thus their presence in Eastern Europe wasn't that dominating
PARA THREE: FOR - in response to Western aggression
West had tendency to involve Stalin wherever communism posed a threat, e.g. aided communist rebels in Greek civil war 1944-47 which led to Marshall plan, when in fact he honoured the % agreement Oct 1944 by accepting that Greece was in the British sphere of influence
Idea that he was aggressive and expansionist not always true as did show willingness to negotiate at Yalta, Potsdam
Arguably only became more aggressive when provoked as policy of containment was adopted in Truman Doctrine March 1947 after apparent confirmation of Soviets as hostile threat in Kennan's Long Telegram (Feb 1946)
With development of atom bomb, had to protect Soviet sphere of influence as nuclear capability meant nuclear superiority
Cominform 1947 in response to Marshall plan
Stalin was concerned about capitalist encirclement, he was very interested in creating a buffer zone between the USSR and other states