Khrushchev foreign policy

Beria

• undermined when those accused in drs plot were released
• MVD ( ministry of affairs) accused of extorting false info by torturing and the torturers were arrested
• the army- remembered his role in army purges- finally arrested him
• secretly tried and shot w 6 associates

K key criticisms of Stalin during 20th party congress

• flagrant abuses of power
• personally responsible for mass arrest and purges
• examples of brutality and torture

Why can secret speech be labelled as weak

• no mention of Trotsky
• no mention of WW2
• no mention of failure of communism

Result of secret speech in Poland

• demand for political freedom
• 28th June 1956 uprising- demanded wage increase and better working conditions
• Stalinist leaders removed and communist Gomulka released from prison and made leader of Poland
• 60 wounded and 100s killed
• K RESPONSE: sent troops to Warsaw to threaten - 23 killed and young protestors appeared at show trials
• overall led to soviet control in Poland easing

Result of secret speech Hungary

• Imre Nagy took leader of Hungarian revolution after removal of Stalininst leader Rakosi
• ravosky had been brutal in suppression and caused low standard of living
• initially revulsion —> not worrying, destructive behaviour like toppling monuments, ripping out communist symbol of flags, violence and released political prisoners
• Imre tried to have free elections and end of secret police + end of political prisoners + advocated for Hungarian communists to share power with other parties
• also advocated for Hungary to leave Warsaw pact- too far for Khrushchev

The Hungarian Uprising 1956

• Nov 1956 K ordered soviet forces back into Hungary
• many Hungarian soldiers and people took to streets to resist invasion
• around 6000 were killed as revolt was crushed by soviet tanks and soldiers
• Nagy replaced w pro Soviet leader

Result of Hungarian uprising

• clear message sent to other communist leaders that K was unwilling to relax Soviet control in Satellite States
• also message to west he was willing to use force to maintain Soviet authority

Treatment of Jews

• still banned from practicing religion and culture
• as under S- continued to be encouraged to move to Jewish Autonomous Region in Eastern Siberia
• banned from leaving USSR

Warsaw pact

Created 1955
Made close military cooperation between USSR and the satellite states
Used to help control satellite states
— however 1956 secret speech set new tone- K allowed for slightly more political freedoms than Stalin

On the Rehabilitation of Deported Peoples

Decree issued by K 1957

• allowed many groups who had been deported from homelands in 1941-45 to return
  —— HOWEVER some groups excluded like Volga Germans

Cold War impact- Cuban Missile crisis

• 1962
• K sent Soviet weapons and nuclear missiles to newly communist Cuba for protection from USA
• when Americans found out- blockade of Cuba + threatened to destroy any Soviet ships trying to get to Cuba
• after 13 days of tension K backed agreeing to remove missiles in return for garuntee USA not attack Cuba
  RESULT- seen by many as humiliating failure by K- his supporters in armed forces turned against him

Cuban missile crisis success and failures

SUCCESSES:

• prevented nuclear war and armed conflict by backing down
• secured Castro rule in Cuba which has lasted till now- beneficial ally to USSR on US doorstep
• hotline established between Kremlin and Whitehouse- leading to more stable relationship in 60s and 70s
  FAILURES:
• colleagues not happy w second best- contributed to K downfall
• worsened relations w PRC- china- felt let down as being peaceful to west not part of communism
• USSR had to spend around 4.5 billion a year to support and keep Cuba afloat

Cold War- K at UN

• sept 1960
• k led soviet delegation in UN sept 1960
• provocative: met with Castro and heckled foreign leaders who compared his control of E Europe to western colonisalism
• he banged his shoe on the desk

Successes of K foreign policy

• policy of Peaceful Co Existence helped reduce CW tensions + reduce risk on nuclear
• improved USSR image- through foreign visits, space programme success, offering aid to developing countries
• averted war e.g. Cuban missile crisis
• showed willingness to allow some Satellite states some autonomy - Poland 1956
• maintained Soviet domination in E Europe

Failures of K foreign policy

• provoked dangerous CW crises- Cuban missile crisis 62
• violent suppression of Hungary- damaged credibility to world
• lost Cuban missile crisis
• peaceful Co Existence and failure in Cuba damaged relations w China- split in Communist world
• 1963 signed Test Ban Treaty with USA- heavily criticised for making agreement with capitalist world