Crisis of Communism - Czechoslovakia

A Level AQA History

Leadership of Novotný (4)

Hard-line Stalinist, full backing of Soviet leadership

Meant he could resist pressures of reform

Involved in show trials and purges

Rigid and authoritarian leadership

What was Cz’s party called?

CPCz

Political organisation (4)

Long, turbulent history between Czechs and Slovaks

Separate Slovak Communist Party

CPCz shares power with five other parties (National Front Organisation) like in Poland, but they were completely submissive

Political organisation — reformists (4)

Not an influential faction of Party

‘Deviationists’ had been purged in 1952

11 reformists in party executed including the General Secretary

Widespread arrests and interrogations, arrested and imprisoned

Political organisation — reputation

Characterised by repression and fear

Catholic church severely restricted

Economic organisation (3)

Pre-war economy highly dependent on exports (metalwork, machinery, consumer products) — one of world’s largest manufacturing economies (low natural resources)

Industries were nationalised, management replaced, centrally planned

Trade with USSR and SS’s, (former for lower prices), Western Trade cut

Collectivisation (3)

Quick to adopt (43% by 1953)

Fully achieved by 1960

Long history of collectives, already geared up to supply fertilisers.

Centrally planned economy (5)Sec

Initially promising growth (7%)

Stagnation by 1950s, national income declined

Previous success had depended on foreign trade, specialisation, skilled workers

No incentive to innovate, quantity over quality

No access to Western markets, so fell behind technologically

What was the Secret Police called?

StB

Secret Police (4)

Very influential in Party’s rise to power

Worked in both regions, supervised by each’s Ministry of the Interior

Citizens surveilled daily (today, archive should 280 million pages, after many were destroyed)

Agents and informers themselves were spied on

Church (4)

Overwhelmingly Catholic

CPCz launched campaign to discredit church as a foreign institution

Church property seized, religious education removed from schools

Attendance stayed high

What happened to church leaders? (2)

StB arrested 1000s of priests, monks and nuns

Elaborate show trials tortured leaders into confessing to imperialist plots to overthrow the state

Novotný taken over by Dubček (2)

Party reformers forced Novotny to resign, too associated with purges to be able to fit in with de-Stalinisation

Dubcek was leader of anti-Novotny faction

When and why did the Prague Spring happen? (3)

1968

Reform came from within party

Dubcek wanted to move away from Soviet model and strengthen socialism by making it democratic (‘socialism with a human face’)

Why did Dubcek have an ‘Action Programme’ and what did it do? (2)

Wanted to reform economy’s inefficiencies, ‘Action Programme’ increased investment in consumer goods, decentralised the planned economy, share power with other parties, rehabilitate purge victims.

Censorship abandoned, intellectuals challenged authority

What happened after the ‘Action Programme’? (2)

Student demonstrations wanted more change

June, intellectuals released The Two Thousand Words document, calling for more reform (seen as a manifesto for a counter-revolution)

How did Brezhnev respond to criticism before the Prague Spring in 1968? (3)

Concerned him and other SS leaders

How it began in Hungary, may rise up in sympathy in Poland

Warsaw Pact Five sent Dubcek a letter warning him of their concerns, ‘common concern of all Communists’

How did Dubcek respond to Warsaw Pact Five’s letter? (3)

Said Czechoslovakia remained a loyal member of the Warsaw Pact

Took steps to reimpose censorship, but events were beyond his control

Huge demonstration dispersed by police violence, national strikes calledH

How did Warsaw Pact Five deal with threats in Czechoslovakia? (2)

20 August, sent in 120,000 Soviet troops, 80,000 from Warsaw countries, invaded and suppressed uprising

Shock to everyone, including Dubcek

Outcome of Prague Spring (5)

Martial Law declared

Reforms reversed, agreed to let Soviet troops remain in Czechoslovakia

Met with demonstrations, now including workers

CPCz purged of reformers, Dubcek replaced with Husák

Brezhnev Doctrine announced, last of open resistance in SS until 1980s.

Leadership of Husák — movements (4)

Implemented crackdown on dissent

Purged hundreds of thousands of reformers, censorship reimposed, surveillance powers of StB reimposed, travel restricted, planned economy reintroduced

Kept Czechoslovakia out of foreign debt, maintained reasonable prosperity

Stayed away from Western involvement/investment, didn’t introduced real economic reform either

Leadership of Husák — personality (3)

Defensive, dogmatic and resistant to change, firmly believed in control through the party

Reluctant to share power within the party

Deeply conservative

Policy changes/ extent of reform under Husák (4)

‘Normalising’ Czechoslovakia

Rising living standards coupled with subtly everyday repression

Political reform almost completely stifled, StB activity intensified against suspected political opponents

Stagnated

Slovakian political power under Husák (3)

Increased as part of a federal Czechoslovakia

Discontent over Prague’s dominance and more investment going to Czechs

Split into two ‘equal fraternal nations’ was a demand of the Prague Spring

Economic reforms under Husák — aims (2)

Dismantling Dubcek’s reforms and reimposing central control

Obligatory central planning targets reintroduced, price reform squashed

Economic reforms under Husák — Early 1970s (3)

Focus on improving central planning efficiency, driving up quality to improve exports and effective investment to ensure workers were well payed, without shortages

Worked well for first half on the 1970, good economic growth (5.7% between 71 and 75), higher wages with a wider range of consumer goods

Agriculture improved, almost self-sufficient for key food products

Economic reforms under Husák — 1976-80 (4)

Poor weather meant agriculture faltered, big grain imports needed

Oil crisis hit exports very badly, USSR raised prices

Shortages in shops due to increased exports, Western imports reduced meaning less raw materials

Prices rose higher than wages, so people bought less

Economic reforms under Husák — 5YP, 1981 (3)

Low-key reintroduction of Dubček’s reforms

Some decentralisation, but same level of central planned control

Modest improvements in economy in early 1980s, but still had outdated technology, low worker productivity and inefficiencies in industry and agriculture

Western influence (2)

Environmental movement popular from 1970s, particularly among students

Less directly confrontational way of criticising heavy industry and central planning

Radio Free Europe broadcasted WP5’s invasion, shut down quickly but journalists sent their reports to be broadcast

Political activism — Charter 77 (5)

Small group of well-educated people expelled from party

Human rights pressure group of artists, writers and musicians

Issued a proclamation of human rights infringement examples (STB harassments and spying etc.), intercepted by security forces but publicised by RFE

Leaders arrested and imprisoned key spokesperson, Václav Havel and began a smear campaign to discredit them

Went underground and published many samizdat articles

Pressure groups (4)

Main = Charter 77, representing many of those ousted from the Party since 1968.

Church put pressure on government, petition for religion freedom received more than ½ million signatures (highly risky). Candlelight vigil for the same cause was violently broken up by the StB.

Environmental groups after Chernobyl

Public meetings and demonstrations linked to human rights, environmental and religious issues increased from 88 to 89, mostly in Prague. The security forces tolerated some, disrupted others, culminated in ‘Velvet Revolution’ of 1989.

Husák resigning, state of Party (3)

Husak reigned in 1987, replaced by Jakeš

Party was predominantly conservative and lacked reformist groups

When the SU collapsed, most of the new leaders came from Charter 77

Collapse of Communism (5)

Throughout 1989, security forces notably reduced attempts to break up dissent demonstrations, Church organisations and student protestors

However, a demonstration for International Student’s Day turned to a show of opposition for the government, police reaction was a turning point

Havel formed the Civic Forum (combining Czech opposition) and an equivalent was formed in Slovakia (People Against Violence). CF put forward its demands to the CPCz and a general strike showed protests spreading from dissidents to students and workers

CPCz renoucned its leading role and announced free elections. This is known as the 'Velvet Revolution’.