Cold War Revision

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  • Created by: zoerobins
  • Created on: 22-04-17 15:25

Hungarian Uprising (1956) - causes:

1. Resentment over Soviet control / hopes raised:

  • new leader Khrushchev had more liberal approach, gave a 'secret speech' (not secret for long) in 1956 promising an end to Stalinism

2. Rakosi:

  • Hungary's dictator from 1949-56
  • developed what were known as 'salami tactics' for dealing with his opponents 'slice by slice'
  • oppressive regime imprisoned 387,000 and responsible for more than 2,000 deaths

3. Death of Stalin - 1953 / economic problems:

  • turning point in the Cold War
  • estimated that Stalin was responsible for deaths of around 20 million people
  • had been lots of economic issues in Hungary
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Hungarian Uprising (1956) - events:

  • 1953 death of Stalin = protests, demands for greater freedom in Eastern Europe
  • Rakosi replaced by Imre Nagy (more moderate)
  • Nagy carried out reforms, USSR not happy about this, sacked and Rakosi returned as leader
  • 25th Feb. 1956 = Khrushchev 'secret' speech raised hopes of reform
  • July 1956 = Rakosi sacked again, life didn't change
  • 23rd Oct. = student demonstration in Budapest demanding free speech, free elections, and for Sivuets to leave, protestors went to radio in evening, few allowed in and secret police fired shots inside
  • over next few days people got guns from various places, workers went on strike, munitions factories raided and disarmed secret police for weapons, uprising spread, Nagy now PM again and people firing Soviet tanks
  • 27th Oct. = 300 unarmed people shot down, bodies found when stormed secret police HQ (from 23rd)
  • 29th Oct. = Soviets left
  • 31st Oct. = Nagy announced free elections
  • 1st Nov. = Soviet tanks return
  • 4th Nov. = Nagy fled, and later executed
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Hungarian Uprising (1956) - consequences:

  • 2,500 people killed, 20,000 wounded as result of Soviet crack-down, 200,000 became refugees
  • Nagy arrested & executed, replaced by Kadar (will do what Soviet Union tells him)
  • America did nothing to help, sent $120 million of aid to Hungary as food and medical supplies
  • UN makes statement and condemns Soviet actions
  • Spain, Netherlands & Sweden boycott 1856 Olympics in protest
  • Soviet Union has more power and confidence
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Berlin Wall (1961) - causes:

  • 1949 to 61 = 2.7 million East German refugees (one sixth of the population) escaped to West Germany, including many that were hilly skilled as East German gov. was unpopular
  • Nov. 1958 = Khrushchev declared that whole of Berlin belonged to East Germany and gave American troops 6 months to withdraw (as propaganda issue as people preferred capitalist West)
  • May 1959 = Khrushchev & Eisenhower met in Geneva but unable to agree on solution, met again for second summit at Camp David (Eisenhower's presidential retreat) in Sep. 1959 but still no agreement
  • May 1960 = Paris conference between Khrushchev & Eisenhower was disaster, Khrushchev walked out in protest as USA spy plane shot down by USSR
  • June 1961 = Vienna conference, Khrushchev challenged Kennedy to remove troops within 6 months or he would declare war
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Berlin Wall (1961) - events:

  • 12th-13th Aug. 1961 = East German troops secretly put up barbed wire fence around whole of West Berlin, fence later re-inforced and became a heavily guarded wall
  • Soviet tanks deployed to block further Western access to the East, causing day-long stand-off with US tanks on 27th Oct., tanks finally began to pull back one by one after 18 hours
  • flashpoint = crisis
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Berlin Wall (1961) - consequences:

  • stopped East Germans escaping to West and ended refugee crisis
  • allowed Khrushchev to avoid war with America while still appearing strong
  • became powerful symbol of the division of Germany and Europe
  • 1963 = Kennedy toured West Berlin expressing feelings of Solidarity
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Cuba (1962) - causes:

1. The Cuban Revolution:

  • Cuba only 145km from USA and under their sphere of influence, revolution in 1959 overthrew pro-American government, new regime led by Castro wanted independence
  • Castro's new gov. took over all American property in Cuba and America banned import of Cuban sugar (threatened to bankrupt Cuban economy), Cuba turned to USSR for help, Khrushchev happy to have ally in USA sphere of influence and agreed to give economic aid to Cuba to help industrialise

2. The Bay of Pigs:

  • new President Kennedy made CIA-backed revolution to overthrow Cuba's communist gov. as thought Castro was unpopular and assumed Cubans would join revolution, instructed CIA to train and equip group of Cuban refugees
  • invaded Bay of Pigs in April 1961, Cuban people supported Castro's gov., American-backed force defeated in 2 days - USSR had helped Cuba with weapons against USA

3. Mission bases:

  • Castro still felt vulnerable, feared USA attack, asked Khrushchev to help defend Cuba
  • Aug. 1961 = Khrushchev decided to station some Russian nuclear weapons in Cuba to deter USA attacking and Russian nuclear missives closes to USA, solved both problems and saved money
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Cuba (1962) - events:

1. Discovery of missiles:

  • 16th Oct. 1962 = Kennedy informed of Khrushchev's plans to put nuclear missiles on Cuba

2. Kennedy's response:

  • 20th Oct. = decides to impose naval blockade around Cuba to prevent further missiles reaching Cuba, 21st Oct. = gives public address officially declaring the blockade and calling on Khrushchev to remove his ships

3. End of crisis:

  • 23rd Oct. = letter from Khrushchev to Kennedy, Soviet ships will break through blockade
  • 24th Oct. = Khrushchev statement, USSR prepared to launch nuclear weapons if goes to war
  • 25th Oct. = USA & USSR forces on highest level of alert, told to prepare for war, letter from Kennedy to Khrushchev asking to withdraw missiles from Cuba
  • 26th Oct. = Khrushchev responds to letter, will withdraw missiles if USA promise not to invade Cuba
  • 27th Oct. = Khrushchev receives intelligence - USA planning to invade Cuba in 24hrs, says USSR will withdraw missiles from Cuba if USA agree never to invade and withdraw missiles from Turkey, American spy plane shot down over Cuba, Robert Kennedy approaches Russian ambassador accepting desk but demands it be kept quiet, 28th Oct. = Khrushchev accepts secret deal
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Cuba (1962) - consequences:

  • both superpowers realised how close they had come to nuclear war, telephone hotline set up in June 1963, test-ban treaty signed in Aug. 1963 (ban on testing nuclear weapons at sea, above ground or in space, only allowed underground)
  • Cold War never became as serious again, major change in attitude
  • Khrushchev came out of crisis badly - criticised for trying to place missiles on Cuba and for giving in to the USA, sacked in 1964 & replaced by Brezhnev
  • Kennedy appeared to have stood up to communism, Turkey missile deal remained secret, massive public opinion boost
  • détente = lessening of tensions from 1963 to 79
  • MAD = Mutually Agreed Destruction, if both have same power with same nuclear weapons then neither will use them as both could destroy each other
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Czechoslovakia (1968) - causes:

  • secret police spied on Czech people
  • economy struggling and most Czechs had lower standard of living in 1960s
  • all political opposition crushed by secret police, little democracy
  • Novotny (communist party leader) was blamed for economic problems and highly unpopular, sacked and replaced by Dubcek on 5th Jan. 1968, Dubcek friendly with USSR leader Brezhnev - wanted 'socialism with a human face' (nicer communism)
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Czechoslovakia (1968) - events:

  • 'Prague Spring' = phrase used to describe liberal changes Dubcek made from April 1968
    -> relaxation of press censorship; legislation of political opposition groups, official government toleration of political criticism, more power to regional governments and Czech Parliament, 'market socialism' (reintroduction of capitalist elements into Czech economy)
    -> reforms pleased students, intellectuals, workers and young people
    -> reforms were not popular with older Czech communists and Brezhnev
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Czechoslovakia (1968) - consequences:

  • USSR's reaction:
    -> April - July 1968 = Brezhnev tried to persuade Dubcek reforms had gone too far
    -> Brezhnev Doctrine - August 1968 = USSR had right to invade any country whose actions appeared to threaten the whole Eastern Bloc, Dubcek against this, USSR had to invade
    -> 20th Aug. 1968 = Soviet tanks invaded Czechoslovakia, Dubcek ordered Czechs not to respond with violence but there was civil disobedience (some stood in front of tanks, Dubcek arrested and taken to Moscow and forced to sign the Moscow Protocol (committed Czech government to 'protect socialism' by reintroducing censorship and removing opposition)
  • America's reaction
    -> publicly condemned invasion, offered no military support, too busy in Vietnam
  • Western Europe's reaction
    -> condemned invasion with no military help, communist parties in France and Italy declared themselves independent from Soviet communists
  • Eastern Europe's reaction
    -> Yugoslavia and Albania formed alliances with China in 1968 to distance from USSR
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