3 - The Cold War intensifies

Arms Race: What happens to USA military spending in 1949?

US military spending rose to 18% of the country’s gross income.

Arms Race: What did the USA and USSR both have in 1953?

The H-bomb (as it was officially test by the USSR in 1953, a few months after the USA.)

Arms Race: What bomb development did the USA make in 1954?

March 1 1954 - USA tested world’s biggest ever hydrogen bomb. Its explosive power was equivalent to 15 million tons of TNT.

When did the USA test its first atomic bomb?

July 16, 1945

When did the USSR test its first atomic bomb?

August 29, 1949

By 1961, what weaponary did the USA vs USSR have?

USSR had 428 submarines, USA had 174.

USA had 21 nuclear submarines, USSR had 2.

USA had 24 aircraft carriers, USSR had 2.

USA had 600 long range bombers, USSR had 190.

What is Sputnik - how did this influence the arms race?

There was some hope of the superpowers slowing down arms development.

In 1957, the situation changed completely when a Soviet rocket launched Sputnik.

Sputnik was a satellite that could orbit the eart in one and a half hours.

The USA saw this launch as a military threat.

During the years 1957-59, and Eisenhower founded NASA (National Aeronoutics and Space Administration.)

Americans feared the soviets were overtaking in arms development.

When was the Warsaw Pact formed?

May 1955.

What was the Warsaw Pact?

When the communist states of eastern Europe came together to form a military alliance with similar security aims to NATO.

Was so if one member was attacked, the other members were obligated to support it.

Original members were USSR, East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania.

What were consequences of the Warsaw Pact?

The creation of 2 rival alliance systems in the cold war (Warsaw pact and NATO) increased rivalry between the USSR and USA and intensified the arms race.

NATO adopted the doctrine of ‘massive retaliation’ meaning if the Soviet Union attacked, they would respond with nuclear weapons.

Summarise the state of Hungary following WW2.

Hungary and eastern Europe were occupied by the USSR.

Hungarians suffered greatly under the regime, largely due to thousands of Soviet troops and hundreds of soviet tanks.

Soviet leader Stalin put Rakosi in power in Hungary.

Despite Hungarian hope for freedom, Soviet rule continued following Stalin’s death in 1953.

Describe the provisional government set up in Hungary near the end of WW2.

It was set up to pay reparations of $300 million to the Soviet Union.

Elections in November 1945 won the independent smallholder’s party 57% of the vote. The Hungarian communist party only secured 17%.

The head of occupying Soviet forces, Marshal Voroshilov refused to allow the smallholders party to establish a government.

Instead, he established a coalition that contained members of the Hungarian communist party.

When did Khrushchev become Soviet leader, and how did this affect hungary?

In February 1956, Khrushchev becomes Soviet leader and forces Rakosi to resign due to Soviet policy changes - ‘de-stalinisation’.

How did Soviet control impact Hungary’s communist party?

In February 1947, some leaders of the smallholder party and national peasant party were arrested, and othes fled Hungary as a result of Soviet pressure and control.

In the elections, the communist party therefore gained the most votes, but not enough to get a majority.

A new constitution based on the Soviet Union system was drawn up, making hungary a ‘republic of workers and working peasants.’

Rakosi emerged fom the communist party to lead Hungary and began to impose dictatorial rule, calling himself a follower of Stalin.

Hungary became a member of cominform (1947).

After Rakosi became leader in 1947, how did he rule?

He used terror and brutality to keep control, killing an estimated 2,000 people in the purges and imprisoning 200,000 political oponents.

The secret police (AVH) became a hated and readed part of Hungarian life.

After Rakosi came into power, how did Hungary’s relationship with the Soviet Union change?

The Hungarian economy was controlled by the Soviet Union through comecon.

This prevented Hungary trading with Western Europe and receiving marshall aid.

As a result, Hungary was forced to trade on unequal terms with the Soviet Union, which also meant it didn't always receive a fair price for its exports.

Rakosi put forward a 5 year plan to transform hungary’s economy, but it failed to bring real progress. The plan was devoted to heavy industry and production, but Hungary had no iron ore or cooking oil to produce steel from.

How did Rakosi’s 5 year plan actually end up?

Rakosi’s plan was devoted to heavy industry and the production of steel, however Hungary had no iron ore or coking oil to produce steel from.

Therefore, the plan would not work.

Living standards fell, and in 1952, Hungary experienced its lowest agricultural output ever.

Rakosi became increasingly unpopular.

After student protests in october 1956, the USSR saw how unpopular Rakosi was. How did they react?

In October 1956, protests by around 20,000 students in Budapest escalated into a nationwide revolt.

The Soviets initially replaced Rákosi with Imre Nagy, on october 24th hoping he would calm the situation.

Soviet forces pulled out of Budapest Nagy promised reforms, including free elections, freedom of speech, and withdrawing Hungary from the Warsaw Pact.

Under nagy’s liberal rule, different political parties were once again allowed to organize, and critics of the Soviet Union were released from prison.

What occured in Hungary in october 23rd - 24th 1956?

23rd - Political instability, bad harvest, fuel shortages and a poor economy culminated in the start of n October protests by around 20,000 students in Budapest, and escalated into a nationwide revolt.

What occured in Hungary on october 31st, 1956?

Nagy announced Hungary would withdraw from the Warsaw pact and had a list of other demands that went against communist ideology, angering the USSR.

Nagy thought khrushchev would allow this because he had criticized Stalin, but khrushchev couldnt risk losing one of his satellite states.

This would weaken the soviet union and make other satellite states think they could break away.

Nagy wanted to withdraw from the Warsaw pact, what other policies did he promulgate?

Free elections

Hungary to develop trade unions with the West

Freedom of press and speech

How did the Hungarian uprising begin?

With massive student demonstrations in Budapest on october 23rd 1956.

How many troops did Khrushchev order into Hungary and why?

Ordered 200,000 troops and 6,000 tanks into Budapest to suppress the revolt.

He did this for the following reasons:

Stamp out his authority

Set an example to other satellite states

Damage to the Warsaw pact

Pressure from china (another communist party).

When did the Soviet Union invade Hungary?

On novembr 4th, 1956, hundreds of soviet tanks invaded Budapest using immense brutality against Hungarian civilians.

Thousands of people were killed and approximately 200,000 hungarians fled to other countries.

How did the Soviet invasion of Hungary end?

They sent about 200,000 troops and 6,000 tanks into Hungary on 4 November 1956 to crush the uprising.

The fighting left roughly 2,500 Hungarians dead, 20,000 wounded, and 200,000 refugees. Nagy was arrested and later executed in 1958.

November 14th, 1956 - Janos Kadar was put into power as prime minister by the soviets, and Soviet rule was firmly re-established in Hungary.

How did Nagy and his supporters expect the USA to react to nagy’s wish to live the Warsaw pact?

Him and his supporters expected the USA would offer help as the USA had been broadcasting radio messages across eastern Europe telling them to rise up against communism .

The USA had also offered Hungary money in the marshall plan.

The USA didn’t offer help as they didn't want to invade a communist country and fight a war with the USSR, especially as both sides now had nuclear weapons.

How did the Hungarian uprising impact the relationship between the east and west?

It damaged their relationship further.

The USA had encouraged a Warsaw pact country to break away from the Soviet Union, proving to the east they couldn’t be trusted.

The USSR had used force to preserve power in its satellite states, making the West more fearful of their power.

How did the Hungarian uprising demonstrate the soviet’s power?

Khrushchev had shown he was a strong leader.

Members of the Warsaw pact now knew they had to obey Khrushchev and wouldn't get away with anything they weren't allowed to do when Stalin was in charge.

Communist countries knew the USA wouldn't help them leave the Warsaw pact and were under control of the soviet union.