The Global War (1955-63)

Question 1

• What was De-Stalinisation?
• What was the aim of this?
• What speech announced this? When?

Answer 1

• when Khrushchev denounced Stalin as leader of the USSR
• achieve long term political stability, economic growth with Eastern Bloc
• Feb. 1956: ‘Secret Speech’

Question 2

• What was the purposes of the ‘Secret Speech’?
• Why was there unrest in Poland and Hungary?

Answer 2

• highlight Stalin’s cruelty, modernise the USSR and promote peaceful coexistence
• De-Stalinisation was unpopular - leaders reject this ideology

Question 3

• What was the catalyst in causing an Uprising in Poland? What did this result in? When was it?
• What were the worker’s demands? (provide 3)

Answer 3

• Universal wage cuts led to Polish workers to strike; June 1956
• Improved working conditions
  Higher wages (for industrial workers)
  Greater freedom for Catholic Church
  End to collectivisation of agriculture (independent farms merging with larger farms forcing workers to work in larger farms)

Question 4

• How did Khrushchev deal with the Poland Uprising: (mention when)

1) What did he threaten?
2) Who is elected in Poland? What’s the significance?
3) What is the outcome?

• What does this show about Khrushchev?

Answer 4

1) Khrushchev threatens violence with Soviet intervention (Oct 19)

2) Gomulka is elected as First Secretary of the Polish Communist Party (Oct 21) - Khrushchev accepts 2 days later; Gomulka agrees Poland remains communist and in the Warsaw Pact

3) No military action taken by Khrushchev - Polish Communist Party is supported by China = loyal to USSR

• willing to allow the satellite states to some measure of autonomy if the regimes were led by trustworthy men

Question 5

• Why was there instability in Hungary?
• What were the demands of the rebels? How many? (provide 3)

Answer 5

• Rakosi arrested 400 communist opponents who wanted reform = radical behavior
• 16 demands:
  Appointment of Nagy as PM
  free elections and free press
  withdrawal of Soviet troops

Question 6

• When is Nagy appointed as Prime Minister? What’s the significance?What does this lead to?
• What does Nagy announce 3 days later? How does Khrushchev respond to this? (how many killed)
• What is the outcome of the Hungarian Uprising?

Answer 6

• Oct 24; Nagy meets with Soviet officials to pledge loyalty and believes that military intervention isn’t necessary; Oct 28: Khrushchev withdraws Soviet troops from Budapest
• Hungary’s withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact; the Red Army surrounds Budapest = 4000 Hungarians killed
• Nov 4: Rebellion is crushed and the Soviets install a new govt (Kadar)

Question 7

• What was the Austrian State Treaty? When was it?
• What were the key outcomes of the Austrian State Treaty? (provide 3)

Answer 7

• May 1955: an agreement granting Austria’s independence as a sovereign state (between the 4 occupying powers (of Germany) - USSR, USA, Britain, France)
• All occupying powers agreed to withdraw from Austria
  Austria ruled by a democratic govt (free elections)
  Oct 1955 - Austria adopted a policy of neutrality (no military alliance)

Question 8

• What were the 2 objectives of peaceful coexistence for Khrushchev? Why did he believe in this?
• Despite this, what were the USSR committed to? (provide 2)

Answer 8

• diffuse tensions and direct confrontation with capitalist states through collaboration AND strengthen Soviet economy ; the use of nuclear war would be a severe threat to humanity
• expanding nuclear capacity
  maintaining control over the Eastern Bloc satellite states

Question 9

• What was the purpose of the Geneva Summit? When was it?
• What issue did it aim to resolve? What were the leaders hopeful to make progress towards?
• What did Eisenhower propose? How did the other powers respond?
• What was the significance of Geneva Summit?

Answer 9

• Sept. 1955: a 4 power summit (USSR, USA, Britain, France) in which representatives met to resolve disputes through direct negotiation
• Open skies proposal; disarmament
• each side provides details of military installation and aerial military reconnaissance; Britain and France were open to the proposal - Khrushchev rejected it calling it an espionage plot
• Marked the start of dialogue between the superpowers, despite nothing being agreed

Question 10

• What was the purpose of the Camp David Talks? When was it?
• What was agreed? How did this affect relations between superpowers?
• How did this affect relations between superpowers? What did it result in?

Answer 10

• Sept 1959: to discuss disarmament and the crisis in Berlin (Berlin Crisis)
• the settlement of international issues through diplomacy (peaceful negotiation); deterioration in Soviet relations - China concerned over disarmament = unwilling to limit nuclear capacity
• Leaders agreed to at the Paris Summit in May 1960

Question 11

• How were relations between superpowers before the Paris Summit? What idea remained? And so, what was the purpose of the Paris Summit?
• What was the purpose of U-2 spy planes? How did they impact the Paris Summit?
• Why was this significant?

Answer 11

• soured relations due to: Soviet repression in Hungary, Berlin Crisis; peaceful coexistence remained; an opportunity to restore relations between superpowers
• designed for reconnaissance (spies); Soviets found out and shot down the plane (near Sverolovsk over the Ural Mountains) - Khrushchev announces the USSR won’t be attending the Paris Summit
• Huge barrier to peaceful coexistence

Question 12

• What did the USSR launch which meant they took the lead in the ‘space race’? When was this? Why was this worrying for the USA?
• What did this mean for Eisenhower? How did he respond in Jan 1958?
• What did Eisenhower introduce in Oct 1958? Why was this significant?

Answer 12

Oct 4 1957: Sputnik 1; worrying step towards the USSR being able to launch nuclear attacks from space

• Eisenhower was criticized for underfunding the American space exploration (and falling behind to the USSR); Explorer I created in Jan 31st 1958
• NASA introduced; demonstrated the US government’s belief that a successful programme was key to US security

Question 13

• Which side launched the first satellite into space? When?
• What was this followed up by in April 1961? How did this impact the USA?
• By 1962, how many successful space missions were launched between the USA and USSR?

Answer 13

• USSR; October 1959
• First human in space - USSR (Gagarin); decided not to play catch up and focused on the first man on the moon (Neil Armstrong: July 1969)
• USA: 63
  USSR: 15

Question 14

• In the years 1955 and 57 respectively, what developments had the USSR made in nuclear weapons? What was developed during the space race by this time?
• What did Eisenhower commission as a response to Sputnik 1? What did it focus on?
• What did the report suggest? How did this change?

Answer 14

• powerful hydrogen bombs and Soviet Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs); Sputnik 1
• Gaither Report; focused on difference in nuclear strength and the ‘military gap’
• report suggested that the USSR had superior missile technology; US U-2 spy planes gathered intelligence from the USSR’s military bases

Question 15

• What were the main causes the Berlin Crisis? When was it? (provide 3 + statistical data)
• What does Khrushchev respond with? When?
• How do the Western powers respond to this? What is the outcome momentarily?

Answer 15

• Causes: (1958)
  
  • Western Powers invested heavily into West Berlin (capitalism was thriving) - Khrushchev wanted to minimise US influence
  • Many East Germans fled to the West - 1953 and 1956 respectively, 300,000 and 150,000 people fled
  • East Germans were losing workers - between 1949 and 61, 2.8m Germans crossed to the West (1/6 of population)
  • USSR feared West Germany’s NATO membership would lead to the placement of nuclear weapons
• Nov 27: USSR issue a 6 month ultimatum to withdraw Western troops in West Berlin - declare Berlin ‘a free city’
• Dec 31: ultimatum rejected - Sept 1959: talks were held between USA and USSR but they were inconclusive and status quo continued (next opportunity to renew talks was in Paris Summit - May 1960)

Question 16

• What was the consequences of the events of the Berlin Crisis? How was USA and USSR relations impacted?
• Why was the Berlin Wall introduced in 1961?
• How did Kennedy respond to the Berlin Wall? What was the significance of this?

Answer 16

• May 1960: Paris Summit was inconclusive - U-2 spy planes were found in Soviet territory - US and USSR relations dampened
• First half of 1961: 100,000 East Germans migrated to the West - boosting economic growth in the West
• June 193: ‘Ich Bin Ein Berliner’ Speech; Kennedy praised the resilience of Berlin citizens + victory of democracy over communism

Question 17

• What was the impact of the Berlin Wall? (provide short + long term impacts)

Answer 17

• Short term: direct military confrontation with Soviet and Americans tanks facing each other in Berlin
  Long term: achieved its purpose - skilled workers couldnt leave East Germany and their economy improved; West was able to use for propaganda purposes for the rest of the Cold War