russia and eastern europe in the cold war, 1945-1963
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Russia and Eastern Europe in the Cold War, 1945-1963. Russia and Eastern Europe in the Cold War, 1945-1963. 1. Russia under Stalin Stalin reintroduces oppressive policies Struggles with the US justified rigid measures Over 12 million deaths of Soviet citizens (1946-53), mostly in gulags. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Russia and Eastern Europe in the Cold War, 1945-1963
Russia and Eastern Europe in the Cold War, 1945-1963
• 1. Russia under Stalin– Stalin reintroduces oppressive policies• Struggles with the US justified rigid measures• Over 12 million deaths of Soviet citizens (1946-53),
mostly in gulags.• 5-Year Plans reintroduced to deal with massive
reconstruction• Culture and art that was considered anti-Soviet, anti-
Stalin, anti-communist were purged
Russia and Eastern Europe in the Cold War, 1945-1963
• 2. Eastern Europe– Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, E. Germany,
Bulgaria, Romania, and Albania– Single-party, communist states established.– Only Yugoslavia resisted Soviet domination• It had freed itself of Nazi rule and had a mixed economy.
– 500K Czechs purged. 200K arrested in Hungary, 180K arrested in Romania
– Uprising in E. Germany crushed by Soviets
Russia and Eastern Europe in the Cold War, 1945-1963
• Eastern European economies were modeled on Soviet system (5-Year Plans and forced collectivization
• Emphasis on heavy industry. Little investment in consumer products
• Czechoslovakia may be the economic exception. – Well-industrialized, strong middle class, large
working class
Russia and Eastern Europe in the Cold War, 1945-1963
• Russia under Khrushchev – De-Stalinization in Russia after 20th Party Congress
Speech • gradual closing of gulags• Poor grain production; agriculture in bad shape• Shortages of consumer goods led to investment• Arts/Literature flourish - Boris Pasternak (Dr. Zhivago);
Aleksandr Solzenitsyn (One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich)
Russia andEastern Europe in the Cold War, 1945-1963
• Eastern Europe under Khrushchev – Poland • Wladyslaw Gomulka wins greater autonomy for Poland.
He had previously been purged.– Hungarian Uprising 1956• Imre Nagy – Liberal communist reformer• Hungarian nationalists rebel against Soviet domination• US does nothing after uprising is crushed by USSR
– Berlin Wall constructed 1961
Russia and Eastern Europe in the Cold War, 1945-1963
• Russia’s relations with the US under Khrushchev– “peaceful coexistence” w/ West– Austrian independence 1955– Sputnik launch
• Great victory for USSR; “Space race” begins– 1958, Khrushchev issues ultimatum for US to get out of
Berlin– U2 spy plane shot down over USSR; Eisenhower
refuses to apologize for spying– Cuban Missile Crisis