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Krushchev and East-West relations - Coggle Diagram
Krushchev and East-West relations
Hungarian Uprising
Impacts
The lack of intervention from the West confirmed that the post-war status quo had been accepted. This simply reassured the USSR that, should any further problems erupt in Eastern Europe, it would have no interference from the West. Eastern Europe was firmly back under Soviet control.
The rising was demoted to merely a debating issue in the UN, illustrating that the UN would not interfere in Eastern Europe either.
Moved towards peaceful coexistence were compromised
The rising did show that there was a need for social and political reform in Eastern Europe, and this reality was not entirely lost on either the USSR or national communist movements across the region
Events
On 22 October, students in Budapest demonstrated and listed 16 demands. Including, the appointment of Nagy as PM, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary, freedom of speech and a free press, and multi-party elections.
By the next day, the situation has escalated into an armed revolt. Events moved quickly as workers' groups joined the students and seized power from communist local authorities.
October 24th, Nagy was appointed as PM. He met with a Soviet delegation, led by Anastas Mikoyan, in order to convince the USSR that military intervention was unnecessary. Nagy argued that the revolt could be calmed, and assured Moscow of Hungary's loyalty.
28th October, Krushchev agreed to withdraw Soviet forces from Budapest. This was in part due to pressure from China.
Polish
Impacts
Many Poles supported Gomulka because they believed he preserved a path to socialism rather than conforming to Soviet views of how their satellite states should behave
Gomulka balanced the need for Polish security with the presence of Soviet troops in Poland, in order to placate Moscow. The USSR would protect Poland from any revanchism from West Germany.
The Polish Rising showed that Moscow would allow its satellites a measure of national independence if the regimes were led by trustworthy men
Krushchev's instinct had been to use force once Gomulka, a nationalist leader, had taken control of the Polish Communist Party. Force was not used, primarily because China supported the Polish Communist Party.
Events
In 1956, Boleslaw Beirut (the Polish communist leader) died suddenly, Krushchev selected his successor to be Edward Ochab, to implement de-Stalinisation in Poland
After the secret speech, many Poles started to demand more freedom, on 28th June 1956, workers were on strike in protest at wage cuts and poor working conditions. Specific economic grievances led to anti-communist uprisings.
In October 1956, Gomulka was elected as First Secretary of the Polish Communist Party. Krushchev threatened military intervention if Gomulka refused to operate.
The stand-off was resolved when Krushchev conceded that Gomulka could be appointed First Secretary if he agreed not to carry out reforms that might threaten local communist rule, or the unity of the Soviet Bloc. Poland would remain a member of the Warsaw Pact.