1.3 - The Cold War Intensifies

Question 1

What was the significance of the arms race?

Answer 1

The arms race, where the US and the Soviet Union had built up and spent huge sums of money on large armies, navies, submarine fleets and stocks of conventional and nuclear missles, had resulted in extremely dangerous weapons of mass destruction.

Both sides understood the risks involved in nuclear weapons they acted as a deterrent.

Question 2

Who were the new leaders for the USA and Soviet Union? When were they placed into power?

Answer 2

• Eisenhower was elected president of the USA in 1952 and took office in 1953.
• Stalin’s death in 1953 led to a power struggle in the Soviet Union where Krushchev emerged as the effective ruler of the country, in 1956.

Question 3

Why were many hopeful that tension between the Soviet Union and the US could be reduced?

Answer 3

• There was a change in leaders where Khrushchev criticised Stalin’s policies and suggested there be peaceful co-exsistence with the West.
• In 1950, a war in Korea in which the US and Soviet Union supported different sides, had come to an end in 1953.
• The USA and the Soviet Union were spending large sums on their armed forces. Both sides knew that reducing spending would be good for their economies.

Question 4

When was the Hungarian Uprising?

Answer 4

1956

Question 5

Describe the events leading up to the Hungarian Uprising.

Answer 5

• The people of Hungary began to protest about their lack of political freedoms and problems created by fuel shortages and poor harvests which led on to riots in the capital, Budapest.
• This led to Khrushchev replacing Rakosi with Nagy who belived that within a communist regime, there should still be personal freedoms.
• Nagy announced a set of proposed reforms which included : including members of non-communist parties in the Hungarian government (ending the one-state party in Hungary), authorised the release of many political prisoners and persuaded Krushchev to withdraw Soviet troops.

Question 6

What was the last straw which Nagy announced?

Answer 6

On 1 November 1956, Nagy announced that Hungary would leave the Warsaw Pact.

Question 7

What was Khrushchev’s response to Nagy’s announcement?

Answer 7

• Khrushchev could not allow Hungary to leave the Warsaw Pact as other Eastern European countries may follow; Khrushchev therefore ordered a Soviet invasion of Hungary.
• On 4 November, 1000 tanks rolled into Budapest where they acted with great brutality and it is believed that up to 20000 Hungarians were killed as Soviet forces re-established control.
• A new pro-Communist government was set up under Janos Kadar.

Question 8

What was the international reaction to the Soviet invasion of Hungary?

Answer 8

• Eisenhower was sympathetic to the Hungarians, and some NATO nations in Europe did take in Hungarian refugees, however no military support was offered during the uprising.
• If the US took military action it may end up in nuclear war and Eisenhower did not want to take that risk.

Question 9

What was the impact of the Hungarian Uprising on international relations?

Answer 9

• The Hungarian Uprising made Khrushchev’s position in the Soviet Union much more secure and gave him a stronger position in the Warsaw Pact.
• The failure of the uprising reflected badly on the West. The USA and its allies had encouraged communist countries to stand up to the Soviet Union, but were not prepared to back up their words with military support.
• Overall, soured relations between the two superpowers once more.