Soviet
Intervention
during the Cold
War
Over the next couple days, we are going to
address some common needs in writing.
You will be expected to implement these
changes in your essay due on Wed.
•
•
•
Thesis statements
Paragraph structure
Audience
Thesis Statements
 Must
directly answer the prompt
 Must express an argument (an agreed
upon fact is not a thesis statement)
 Must provide a roadmap to the to the rest
of the essay
Argument
 Definition:
a reason or set of reasons given with
the aim of persuading others that an idea is right
or wrong.
 Simple Definition: Expressing an opinion or point of
view with logical reasoning
 NOT a commonly held fact… must be debatable
 Which of the following is an argument?


During WWII, Adolph Hitler ruled Germany and
controlled the Nazi Party.
The leaders of Germany and the Soviet Union used
propaganda and other methods in order to
maintain total control over the societies they ruled.
Road Map


Besides just stating an argument, the thesis also lets the
reader know what specific points the essay will discuss.
Thesis with a road map:


Germany and the Soviet Union had a number of similarities
and differences. Both countries were led by totalitarian
regimes that used propaganda in an attempt to achieve
total control over society. Common characteristics among
both countries included the suppression of dissent and
absence of individual rights as well as the creation of a cult
of personality behind each leader. One key difference
was that Germany had a fascist system of government,
whereas the Soviet Union had a communist system of
government.
As a reader, I know the author will discuss the following
points: suppression of dissent and the absence of individual
rights, creation of a cult of personality, and the difference
between communism and fascism.
Essay Question due WED
 In
1946, both the United States and the Soviet
Union were convinced that the opposition was
set upon world domination. Evaluate these two
perspectives using evidence we’ve discussed
from the book and in the class PowerPoints.
Which interpretation do you find more
convincing, if either? Why? Be sure to discuss
important policies and events from each country
during this time period.
 Typed preferred, 450-550 words.
The thesis statement for your essay is due
tomorrow. It must contain and specific
argument as well as a road map.
Soviet Foreign Policy


Stalin was
determined to control
a buffer zone
between Russia and
the west. He was
paranoid that the
Soviets would be
invaded by the west.
Thus he tried to
preserve Soviet
influence throughout
the Eastern bloc and
in Germany
Soviet Foreign Intervention
during Cold War (up to 1970)
 1946
Stalin reneges on promise to allow free
elections in Poland
 1948 Berlin Blockade
 1953 Crushing of East German uprising
 1956 Crushing of Hungarian uprising
 1961 Berlin Wall
 1968 – Crushing of “Prague Spring” in
Czechoslovakia and declaration of Brezhnev
doctrine
Berlin Blockade

Origins


Berlin was divided as a result of Yalta agreement
between Soviet zone and the British/American zone.
British/American zone relied on food imports via railway
through the Soviet Zone.
Berlin Blockade
• As Cold War tensions became
more intense, the Soviets
blockaded these routes to put
pressure on the British &
Americans to withdraw so they
could take full control of Berlin.
• However, instead of
withdrawing or attacking the
Soviets, the Americans and
British decided to airlift food
and supplies into West
Germany through unarmed
aircraft.
Soviet Leaders until 1970
 Vladimir
Lenin (1917 - 1922)
 Joseph Stalin (1922 -1953)
 Nikita Khrushchev (1953 – 1964)
 Leonid Brezhnev (1964 – 1982)
Crushing of East German
Uprising




Hopeful after Stalin’s death,
uprising began with a workers
strike in Berlin and crowds
soon reached up to 25k
people
Radio free Europe reported
on strikes and over 1 million
people across entirety of East
Germany participated in the
uprising
Crowds began chants such as
“death to communism”
Soviets sent in troops and
crushed the uprising, resulting
in over 5000 arrests and 503
deaths (including later deaths
from military execution)
Crushing of Hungarian
Revolution
http://www.tubechop.c
om/watch/2385792
Soviets crush uprising in
Hungary
The Berlin Wall

Context


Throughout the 1950s, millions of East Germans were
emigrating to West Germany.
West Germany had a higher standard of living, a better
economy, free elections and other individual freedoms,
whereas Eastern Germany was ruled under a Soviet
puppet regime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szjFKADu69U
Berlin Wall

The “Brain Drain”



A great many of the most skilled workers (Doctors, Lawyers,
Scientists, Teachers, Engineers) had been fleeing to West Germany,
which inflicted a heavy cost on the East German economy.
As a result, the Soviets built a wall between the two zones so
that East Germans could not emigrate from East Berlin
Wall became a symbol of Soviet repression.
Prague Spring & Czech
uprising
 Refers
to period of liberalization
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVIp5
lUJhCs
 Led to declaration of Brezhnev Doctrine

Soviet forces would intervene if any country
within the eastern bloc moved away from
communism and towards capitalism
Other Key Concepts/Events
 Nuclear
Arms Race
 Launch of Sputnik & the space race
 U2 Spy plane incident
 The Bay of Pigs
 The Cuban Missile Crisis