practice Flashcards
(2 cards)
narrative account of truman doctrine
President Truman, who was severely anti-communist and suspicious of Stalin’s intent responded to Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe with the Truman Doctrine. The Soviets had been invading countries throughout Eastern Europe, and most of them were occupied with the Red Army. Stalin’s key aim post-World War Two was to create a buffer zone between the East and the West, and protect communist interests, however this was received as aggression by the West, with Churchill’s famous speech labelling the division as an Iron Curtain, preventing world peace. The Truman Doctrine expanded on this idea, viewing communism as a threat to world peace, and an evil force, which the US would make their responsibility to contain and prevent from spreading further. This came to be known as Truman’s containment policy, and would go on to shape Western politics towards the East for years to come. As a result of the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan was created, which sought to provide financial support to war-torn or impoverished countries, which could turn to communism. They supported them with what was called Marshall Aid, and gained their support for capitalism and the US, through this. This led to an increase in tensions, as Stalin called the US’s actions, ‘dollar imperialism’ accusing the USA of using their money to take control of countries rather than through just means. In response to the Marshall Plan, the Soviet Union initiated Cominform and Comecom, both campaigns which sought after a similar success to the Marshall Plan. Cominform, suggested by the name, acted as a network of propaganda, informing citizens of Satellite States of the glory and power of communism, whilst keeping them up to date with news. It was, naturally, a biased source of information, and worked to embolden the Soviet Union’s control through indoctrinating their citizens. Conversely, similarly to the Marshall Plan, Comecon established trade agreements and gave financial aid to satellite states, further gaining their support and attempting to build a stronger economy amongst Eastern Europe. As a result of these policies, the divide between the west and the east of europe grew starker, and US-Soviet relations worsened, as both began actively working against each other and rivaling.
narrative account of czechoslovakia
Previously to the election of Dubcek, life under Soviet rule was difficult for the Czech, with widespread poverty, and limited autonomy. The Czech economy and trade was run for the benefit of the Soviet Union, leaving the commmunist, one-party state extremely unpopular. In order to make communism more effective and popular, Dubcek was placed in power in Czechslovakia. Not only was he trusted and loyal to the Warsaw pact and communism, he also brought a new perspective to the table. Dubcek believed in an ideology called ‘socialism with a human face’, a form of left wing politics that would offer more freedom, and power to the public, whilst retaining similar policies. Dubcek brought to Czechoslovakia a number of reforms, which came to be known as the Prague Spring: he gave more power to trade unions, and emphasised workers’ rights, he decreased censorship and promoted freedom of speech, and the public were given more power to travel abroad. Whilst the Prague Spring was met with enthusiasm by the Czech people, Brezhnev and the Soviet government felt that it was a threat to communism, recalling the Hungarian Uprising, and fearing that other Warsaw Pact countries could follow in the same footsteps, decreasing their power. Once Dubcek began meeting with other leaders of Warsaw Pact countries, Brezhnev grew suspicious and ordered for an invasion. 500,000 Soviet troops were sent to Czechoslovakia, brutally crushing opposition and removing Dubcek from power. The troops swiftly took control of a number of cities, transport lines and communication lines. Dubcek was arrested and sent to Moscow, and was demanded to reverse his reforms. As a result, Husak replaced Dubcek, who restored communism, with severity and discipline, as expected of Soviet rule. As a result of the invasion, Brezhnev introduced the Brezhnev Doctrine, which emboldened his control over the satellite states, and secured his powerful position as dictator in the Warsaw Pact. The Doctrine established that the Soviet Union reserved the right to invade any country that threatened communist interests in the Eastern Bloc. Moreover, since Eastern Europe saw that the US was prepared to publically condemn the actions of the Soviet Union, but not physically interfere, they were deterred from attempting a similar reformation as it was salient that nothing would stand in the way of the Soviets
