Soviet Union After WWII

Berlin Airlift

Berlin Airlift Propaganda Video

Zhdanovshchina

Doctrine of the communist party in Russia created in 1946 by Andrei Zhdanov

Divided world culture into the “imperial” or “democratic” categories

- U.S. was “imperial”

- Soviet Union was “democratic” All artwork, literature, and scholarship had to

avoid anything connected to “imperial” ideas

- What might this include?

Economic Recovery

¼ of Russia's capital resources had been destroyed

Industrial and Agricultural output far short of pre-war levels

- Why else aside from the capital destruction? Took some economic aid from Sweden and

Britian but rejected all else Focused on heavy industry rather than food or

consumer goods

Marshal Plan

United States gave 13 billion (equal to 135 billion now) to rebuild Western Europe

Mutual security plan continued some of this spending later

Helped erase trade barriers Set up institutions to help the greater European

economy Focused on modernizing Europe Soviets forced all Eastern-Bloc nations to reject

Marshall plan aid

Exploitative Trade

Soviet Union forced satellite states into unequal trade agreements

- kind of like mercantilism Used them to help Soviet Industry recover

- Satellite states supplied machinery and raw materials

- Exchanged for items that the Soviet Union could afford to lose

Nuclear Weapons and Ballistic Missiles

Nuclear program started during WWII and accelerated after Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Relied heavily on the “atomic spy ring” First test was Aug. 1949 (successful) Important to maintain equal footing Most powerful weapon was 50 megatons

(capable of 100 megatons)

- Fat Man was only 21 kilotons First intercontinental ballistic missile 1957

From 99 miles away

Space Race

Part of proving Soviet science superior Firsts:

- Satellite in space- Sputnik I (1957)

- Animal in space (dog)

- Human in space (Yuri Gagarin)

- Woman in space

- Space Walk

- Moon impact

- Interplanetary probe

Space Race

Until 1955 it was heavily aided by captured German scientists

Several groups in competition Kept failures a secret (why?) Came up with early plans to reach Mars

KGB

In 1953 the NKGB and the MGB merged their functions

In 1954 they were changed to the KGB Functions:

- Intelligence

- Counter- Intelligence

- Search for state criminals

- Internal and border armies

KGB

After WWII many newer or more moderate members were purged from the party

KGB known for using violence and imprisonment

- Euphemism “wetwork” teams

Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, is former KGB