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