P9 - The global War 1955-63

leaders order

Soviet:

• Vladimir Lenin 1917-24

• Joseph Stalin 1924-53

• Nikita Khrushchev 1953-64

USA:

• Harry Truman 1945-53

• Dwight Eisenhower 1953-61

• John F Kennedy 1961-63

De-Stalinisation of the soviet bloc

NK wanted to alter the relations with the satellite states, intending for:

long term political stability, economic growth, improved living

1956 Secret speech

25th Feb 20th party congress - reporting Stalin’s crimes by NK

-aimed to de-idolise him to return to Lenin’s model state, recalling Lenin’s testiment

The result

reached US state dep by June 1956

-suggested that they were looking for extreme stability in Eastern Bloc

-uprisings did occur in Poland + Hungary, after the speech was made

Poland 1956

JUN-OCT events:

JUN 28 - Poznan protests by workers for improved conditions, turned to mega uprising which involved gov forces to stop (had deaths)

JUL 23 - gov promised improvements

AUG 19 - Gomoulka seen as political leader to shift policy

Sept 6 - Ongoing unrest, workers and intellectuals push for reforms withdivisions in Party deepen.

19–21 October 1956 -Gomułka elected First Secretary - tense standoff with Soviets.

October 24 – Gomułka’s speech Announcing a “Polish road to socialism”. Soviet invasion avoided.

Hungary

JUL– NOV:

18 July – Rákosi removed as leader, replaced by Gerő (still Stalinist, no real change).

23 Oct – Student protest in Budapest turns into mass uprising, demanding political reform; Stalin statue toppled, security police fire on crowd.

24 Oct – Imre Nagy returns as Prime Minister; Soviet tanks enter Budapest, fighting begins.

28–30 Oct – Soviets pull back temporarily; Nagy legalizes parties, promises reforms + wants ceasefire.

1 Nov – Nagy declares neutrality, announces Hungary leaving Warsaw Pact.

4 Nov – Massive Soviet invasion (15 red army divisions + 4000 tanks) crushes revolution; thousands killed, Nagy later executed, Kádár installed as leader.

Consequence in Hungary rising

-Lack of intervention from the West showed they didn’t want to interfere

-UN also not interested in dealing with east EU- demoted to a issue of debate

-moves to peaceful co-existence compromised

Peaceful Co-existance

NK was a Marxist-Leninist, preferring slow movements to building a society

-NK believed the possibility for the 2 ideologies to exist, without WW3

-proposed this idea, by instead promoting communist victories without force e.g. sports, arts

• led to Sino-soviet split, with Mao following Stalinist policies, compared to the De-Stalinisation

Austria State Treaty 1955

Austria had been split in 4 zones

-USSR initially focused on taking money from Austria for economic aid

MAY 1955 - withdraw all occupying powers, becoming a neutral state + USSR acknowledge Finland + Yugoslavia also neutral, so won’t join soviet sphere

• agreements show path towards cooperation

• also Western powers removed occupation from West Germany

Geneva Summit 1955 SEP

summit- high level international meeting with leaders

Eisenhower, Anthony Eden (BR PM), Premier Nikolai Bulganin (soviet union) met discussing nuclear disarmament + future of Germany

-the summit hadn’t been fully successful but showed that the idea of steps towards peace was evident

(occurred before Hungary + Poland)

Open skies proposal

Eisenhower presented this idea, calling for each side to provide details of military installations + ariel reconnaissance of each other

NK rejected this

Future of Germany

Eisenhower proposed a reunified GER, and them being apart of NATO

-NK would only consider of a demilitarised + neutral GER

Camp David Talks 1959

At the Camp David Talks SEP 1959, NK and Eisenhower spoke abt disarmament + Berlin issue, showing signs of wanting peace

NK also wanted ban of nuclear weapons in Pacific + ban in GER also

led to Paris summit

-NK agreements cause China to move away, with them announcing they weren’t bound to agreements they had not been involved in

Paris Summit MAY 1960

the summit collapsed, due to A US U-2 spy plane flown by Gary Powers being shot down over the Soviet Union

John F Kennedy

elected as new Democratic President, in office in JAN 1961

-reverted back to Truman Doctrine, stating US would do anything to support liberty and freedom

-damned idea of peaceful co-existence

he increased defence budget and more conventional forces + expansion of nuclear arms + Polarised Missile Submarine force

Vienna JUNE 1961

NK met Kennedy for first time

-NK believed he could manipulate him easily as he was young + politically vulnerable

-key points of GER future, and Ken unwillingness to accommodate NK view led to another stalemate

-after Vienna Kennedy increased defence spending :

• reactivated ships + called army reservists

• 25 July he called for a increased NATO force

highlights relations had now collapsed again by 1960.