Cold War - C Flashcards
(24 cards)
Impact of Stalins death on CW + superpower relations
New leaders of Soviet Union = gave hope to western governments for accommodation
exemplified by cease fire in Korea, and Austrian state treaty 1955
Malenkovs new course - more focus on consumer + living standards than armament – adopted by Khrushchev
Impact of Khrushchev’s secret speech
February 1956
critical of Stalins purges and executions + policy in WW2
beginning of de-stalinization + highlighted idea of many roads to socialism
lead to dissidence in EE - Poland riots for changed leadership were recognised, Nagy Hungarian uprising + reforms crushed
how successful was de-stalinization and peaceful co-existence?
Austrian state treaty 1955
Soviet withdrawal from Finland in 1956
but also tenser due to crushing of Hungarian uprising - USSR not de stalinised in this sense
west’s outward appearance of massive retaliation (1954) combined with covert operations to crush communism in other countries - no peaceful coexistence
Hungarian uprising - causes + consequences
1956 - caused by Khrushchev’s many roads to socialism + anti Stalin leader who wanted democratic reforms + withdrawal from Warsaw
Khrushchev sent tanks to Budapest + replaced Nagy with Kadar - 35000 arrested + 300 executed
exposed failures of Khrushchevs approach
Polish uprising 1956 - causes + results
Death of stalinist communist leader Beriut -> increased calls for freedom
Anti government protests
Khrushchev backed down and allowed Gomulka to become party leader, and some economic reforms (within Warsaw pact) were permitted
Resulted in a sense of division within the communist sphere of influence which had not been present under Stalin
Causes of Berlin crisis 1958 - 61
Brain drain
12,000 westerners worked in eastern sector, however 50,000 easterners worked in west
People left east Germany through berlin – due to freedom of movement into the west
By 1961, 2.5 million had left GDR – 1/6 of population
Higher living standards in west Germany due to Marshall plan + western funding
Lower living standards in the east due to exploitation of west German resources for the USSRe
why was Berlin Wall built 1961?
East german leadership under Ulbricht was desparate to stop people leaving, but could not use military force in berlin
Ulbricht had more influence over DGR due to geographical location, strategic importance, soviet – sino conflict etc
Increase of arms race with the development of ICBMs in 1958
Impact of wall in Germany
Lack of resistance
Strength of stasi and secret police
Political apathy
No encouragement to resist from politicians
DDR could establish stronger political, social and economic control over the people
Division of families in berlin – human impact
Guarenteed labour supply in DDR allowed government to plan and manage economic system -> eventually ended with the harder line taken by USSR after prague spring + brezhnev doc
impact of wall on CW
Increased military presence in both sides of berlin
USA sent 40,000 soldiers to FDR
Forced adherence to communism within the DDR – made state repression much easier
Propaganda value for both east and west
Used to demonstrate repression of communism
The fact that pensioners who could holiday in west returned, and noted greed of capitalism
consequence of cuban missile crisis 1962
PR victory for Kenedy and loss for Khrushchev
Kennedys concession that missiles would be withdrawn from turkey was kept secret
Khrushchev’s defeat was met with criticism from communist leaders Castro and Mao, and weakened his position within the USSR
The visible US superiority in nuclear weapons pushed USSR leaders to develop ICBMs and a large navy to achieve parity
Awareness of MAD – both camps
Establishment of a hotline for direct contact to rapidly defuse future incidents
Prague spring - causes and consequences
1968
Proposed economic reforms due to failure of socialist economic systems governed by large commissions
Introduction of a democratic system to enhance the execution of policy
Dubsek began to stop consulting USSR on policy changes and appointment, and lifted censorship – began influencing dissidence in other countries eg Poland
Warsaw pact troops began to manoeuvre near czechoslovakian border – fears of contagion
How far did Brezhnev doctrine impact life in EE
Prague spring initially encouraged dissidence in other eastern European countries
Spearheaded a period of stagnation and hopelessness within EE but also the beginnings of intellectual dissidence against communist regimes
Brezhnev doc -> justified intervention in EE states when communist rule is threatened – threat to all
Husak’s policy of normalisation
Causes of Solidarity crisis in Poland 1980 - 82
1970s – 40% increase in food prices announced by Gomulka -> lead to protests
Negative economic growth by the 1980s
Develoment of indipendent unions such as solidarity lead by Lec Walesea
Workers at gdansk went on strike and were supported by pope JP2
Gdansk agreement signed which provided right to organise in free trade unions, right to strike, access to mass media, release of political prisoners
Moscow threatened to invade using pact troops but general strikes prevented polish leadership from conceding to moscow, and moscow decided that the economic burden of an invation would be too great
Socio economic conditions of Poland
Foreign debt had risen to 20.5 billion by 1980
40% increase in food prices announced by Gomulka
negative economic growth
Soviet empire under Brezhnev - political
Gerintocracy – average age of politburo workers rose to over 70
Mature socialism
All that was needed was for the states to continue the status quo and consolidate their gains
1977 brezhnev constitution -> kosygin tinkering reforms did nothing to alleviate the failing economy
Loss of moral authority
Soviet empire under Brezhnev - socio-economic
Poor conditions of those living on kolkhoz farms
Alcoholism
Consumption doubled in Brezhnev years
1/3 of kolkhoz workers income spent on vodka
Life expectancy declined to 62 by 1989
Lack of consumer goods – only 11% of what was supposed to be produced were available
Normalization -
Deconstruction of the liberating reforms made during the prague spring
A consolidation of soviet style communism in the eastern bloc
development of arms race 1955-79
Use of atomic bombs in august 1945 to destroy hiroshima and nagasaki
September 1949 – russia successfully tests atomic weapons -> MAD
Hydrogen bombs developed in 1954
Espionage
Massive retaliation – truman
Doctrine that nuclear wepons would be used against USSR
Intensified the cold war and lead to further MAD
Second arms race
Missisle technological parity by 1957
Development of USSR ICBM 1957
arms agreements 1963+1979
1963 – limited test ban treaty
1968 – nuclear non proliferation treaty
Salt 1 + 2 – salt 2 eventually not ratified due to new cold war
impact of Ostpolitik
New approach of FDR from around 1966 lead by wili brandt -
Reversal of hallstein doc 1954 which prohibited relations with countries who recognised DDR – basic treaty
Opened a dialogue with DDR with the goal of unification
Treaties and agreements with soviet countries surrounding borders – moscow treaty 1970, warsaw treaty 1970, prague 1973
Representative of the de-polarisation, and an assertion that european countries have their own place on the world stage, and autonomy separate from USA or USSR
Helsinki conference - how significant, contribution to dissidence
Official acknowledgment of borders, trade agreements, human rights
Lead to campaigns for further freedoms in EE
Human rights watch groups eg charter 77 in czechoslovakia, Haval
Economic debt in eastern bloc from western loans
Backlash in US due to financial support to USSR whilst the USSR continues to violate human rights
causes of detente
Cuban missisle crisis 1962, fear of war
Continuation of khrushchevs peaceful co-existance into the brezhnev era -> peace prioritised over ideological expansion
USSR could gain legitimacy through detente over its EE borders
USSR. Could gain access to technology
Decline in support for foreign intervention left USA turning to diplomacy
CRM in america lead to cries to prioritize human rights over military
why did detente slow after 1976
mitigation of OPEC crisis lead to less of a desire for cooperation in the US gov.
failure of USSR to uphold human rights agreements lead to western criticism of giving them economic aid - Jackson - Vandik amendment 1974
Sakharov + Meaney argued that detente was basically appeasement and that USSR violations of human rights shouldn’t be overlooked
why did detente end in 1979?
soviet influence in 3rd world - Neo conservative backlash to detente
violations of human rights agreements lead to criticism
salt 2 opposition
loss of strong soviet leadership made it easier for US to take a hard line
Tehran hostage crisis 1979 - Carters refusal to negotiate became representative of US incompetence in world affairs
soviet invasion of Afghanistan 1979
Carter doctrine - defending us interests in Persian gulf
USSR employment of SS-20 missiles in Europe
rhetoric and policies of Reagan
Reagans militarised counter revolution - increased military spending by 13% in 82, then 8% each year
development of stealth bomber and trident submarines
1983 SDI
Reagan doctrine - sending assistance of anti communist insurgents + governments
