Week 3: Restoration, Reconstruction and Revolution Flashcards
(20 cards)
The formation of NATO by the Western countries under Marshall-plan made the USSR create a similar organization, called the ______
Warsaw Treaty Organization aka the WARSAW PACT
Members of the Warsaw Treaty Organization
eastern bloc countries.
Why was the Warsaw Treaty Organization seen as a threat to the west?
because although it was supposed to be a soviet mimic of NATO, the policies outlined a desire to build more destructive weapons.
the ____ project was led by Leslie Groves and Robert Oppenheimer, and conducted nuclear missile tests in the Marshall islands prior to dropping an atomic bomb on Japan in 1945
The Manhattan Project
What was the Soviets response to the Manhattan project?
it built the Arzamas-16: a fat man replica
What was the US’s response to the Soviets building Arzamas 16?
Began to develop hydrogen bombs
Why was the soviets first hydrogen bomb better than US’s?
It was militarily operational: it could be transferred and dropped from a plane
What was the “Red Scare” in the USA
conducted by Joseph McCarthy, he went around accusing celebrities and influential people in the United States of being communist.
What was the USSR’s more extreme version of the “Red Scare”?
They were purging eastern Europe: killed and conducted scripted show trials of innocent individuals accused of being left winged or not ardent supporters of the communist campaign, such as Jews, Catholics, people who favored democracy, etc.
Who replaced Stalin when he died in 1953
Georgi Malenkov- he was still apart of the communist party
What did Georgi Malenkov do for the Russian people?
raised standard of living, promoted agriculture, new housing, wage increases, gave more freedoms
- was still communist and thus was still held back from implementing a lot of change.
Who replaced Georgi Malenkov in Russia?
Nikita Khrushchev
T/F Nikita Khrushchev denounced stalin and promoted “The Thaw”
True: Russia underwent de-stalinization at the time of Nikita Khrushchev’s power. He wanted reforms of the SU
What policy did Nikita Khruschev advocate for?
Decentralized decision making: not everything will be decided by Moscow. Released political prisoners and relaxed censorship.
Why was the West dissappointed with Nikita Khrushchev’s campaigns?
because he did not try to form alliances with the West, and wanted to kick out the Allies from Austria.
What was the Warsaw Pact?
an agreement between Khrushchev’s russia and the Western countries that the allies would remove their troops and civilians from Austria in order for Austria to become a buffer state between the East and West.
- Also was kind of like the USSR’s version of NATO
What happened to the Eastern bloc countries once Austria became independent?
USSR resumed heavy restrictions, leading to revolutions.
outline the events of the General Strike in Poznan Poland
it was a protest conducted by industrial workers that seeking better wages, lower food prices and reasonable production quotas in response to the Khrushchev and USSR “going back on their promises” about decentralized decision making and imposing heavy restrictions.
At first, the central committee of the Polish United Workers Party was organized for the benefit of workers, which the USSR was OPPOSED to, however they quickly reconsidered because they did not want another uprising.
Secretary Gomulka, which was the leader of the Polish Workers party, then backed out and started advocating for Poland to stop the resistance and to stop their demonstrations, essentially turning against the unhappy workers that originally had elected him.
Gomulka started to support censorship, and compromised with the USSR, who wanted Poland to remain in the Wasaw Pact (WTO).
Gomulka then outlawed the right to strike.
Although he outlawed the right to strike and kept Poland in the Warsaw pact, he compromised with the USSR to hald collectivization and for poland to keep control of their own government.
Outline the events of the Hungarian Revolution
Hungarian revolution was inspired by the General strike in Poland, and also called for reform. Hungarians demanded that IMRE NAGY should lead a new government that was more democratic, and advocated for removal of soviet troops from hungary.
- revolution resulted in Imre Nagy taking power, and Nagy declares Hungary’s withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact
- Soviets think this is a threat to the communist party, and swoop in to Hungary called “operation whirlwind,” destroying Budapest.
- Nagy escaped during the revolution but was captured in Yugoslavia and sentenced to death by hanging.
- the soviets put a new leader in power who was loyal to Moscow.
Who replaced Imre Nagy?
Joseph Kadar, a Moscow-communist loyal who put down the Hungarian revolution and kept Hungary part of the Warsaw pact and eastern bloc.
