Jacob Schulman
AP Euro
April 30, 2007
Mr. Mumma
Day 4: Soviet Eastern Europe, 1945-1968
I. Soviet Eastern Europe:
A. Soviet Union tightened its grip on the “liberated” nations of EE
- EE economic recovery occurred along Soviet lines
Stalin’s Last Years:
A. WWII made Russian nationalism and a relaxation of dictatorial terror
- Unity between Soviet rulers and Russian people
B. Stalin was moving back to rigid dictatorship:
- 1944: “The war on Capitalism begins”
- Used Capitalism as the reason for the harsh dictatorship
Purged soldiers and citizens in 1945; 1946- revived the forced-labor camps
C. Purged art and cultureSergei Prokofiev and Dimitri Shostakovich (composers); Sergei
Eisenstein (director)
- 1949: Attack on Soviet Jews (“pro western and antisocialist”)
D. Stalin reasserted Communist party complete control and his absolute power
E. Wanted to spread the Stalinist system to other EE countries
- Red army and Secret Police established one-party states by 1949
Harsh doctrination, attacked religions, nationalized industryForced industrialization
F. Josip Broz Tito: Comm chief of YugoslaviaResisted Soviet domination
- 1948: Stood up to Stalin and able to win because of lack of army
- 1980s: Declared indepndenceStalin angered
Reform and De-Stalinization, 1953-1964:
A. 1953: Stalin diedSuccessors realized that reforms were necessary because of the fear
- Curbed power of secret police, closed forced-labor camps
- Strong Western alliance isolated the Soviet Union
B. Conservatives: Want to make as few changes as possible
C. Reformers: Led by Nikita Khrushchev- wanted major innovations
D. 1955: Khruschev emerged as the new leader
- Launched attack on Stalin and his crimes in 1956Said how Stalin murdered thousands
E. De-Stalinization: Comm party maintained its monopoly on political power, but Khruschev
brought in new members
- Shifted from heavy industry/military goods to consumer goods; starts to improve
standard of living in the 60s
F. De-Stalinization brought back the writers:
- Poet Boris Pasternak: Doctor Zhivago- challenge to Communism- sees the brutality of
the Stalinist years; man triumphs due to power of humanity and Christian spirit
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich- grim life of Stalinist
concentration camp
G. “Peaceful Coexistence” with Capitalism:
1955: Grant independence to Austria after 10 years of occupation
H. De-Stalinization stimulated rebelliousness in EE satellites:
- People were quickly wanted more liberty and independence
- Poland: 1956- rioting brought a new government with more independence
I. Hungary: People of Budapest installed a liberal communist reformer in October 1956
- Russian leaders ordered an invasion and crushed the revolution
US did not come to their aid; Europeans realize that all they can do is be obedient
The End of Reform:
A. 1964: Khruschev fell in a bloodless revolution
B. Leonid Brezhnev: limited “re-Stalinization”
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Growing campaign of De-Stalinization posed a major threat
C. Khruschev’s Western politics were erratic and unsuccessful:
- 1958: Ordered Western allies to evacuate W. BerlinThey said no, he backed down
- 1961: Ordered building of a wall b/w E. and W. Berlinviolating existing agreements
D. Khruschev ordered missiles into Fidel Castro’s Communist Cuba in 1962
JFK blockaded CubaKhruschev backed down if US promised not to violate Cuba
E. 1964: Brezhnev and supporters took overPointed out his good points and not his flaws
- Launched a large arms buildup to try and forget about Khruschev’s humiliation
F. January 1968: Czech Comm party gained a majority and voted out the old Stalinist leader
for Alexander DubcekMajor reforms
- Reconcile genuine socialism with personal freedom and internal democracy
- Local decision making by unions, managers, and consumers replaced rigid dicatatorial
- “Socialism with a human face”Soviet Union feared that a liberal Czech would be drawn
to neutrality or even to the democratic West
August 1968- Russian and Allied EE troops occupied Czech; didn’t resist militarily
G. Brezhnev Doctrine: Soviet Union and its allies had the right to intervene in any socialist
country whenever they saw the need
H. 1985: Emergence of Mikhail Gorbachev
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