6 communism and cold war

Communism and the Cold War : Communism and the Cold War


Early Soviet Union under communism : Early Soviet Union under communism Lenin comes to power by means of a disciplined hierarchical party, soon including what would become the KGB. First four years, civil war with Czar supporters, aided by U.S. 1921 Introduced the New Economic Policy 1924 Lenin dies


The General Secretary emerges : The General Secretary emerges Lenin’s testament By 1927 Stalin emerges as most powerful figure 1929 rejects NEP, begins forced industrialization in the countryside, collectivization millions starve 1930s, purges and show trials 100,000s executed, maybe 5 million died in gulag


Trotsky and Kamenev disappear : Trotsky and Kamenev disappear


Great Patriotic War : Great Patriotic War USSR was probably most responsible for Allied victory also suffered the most--over 20 million died


(Relative) thaw : (Relative) thaw 1953 Stalin dies 1956 Krushchev gives “secret speech” denouncing Stalin and the cult of personality reorients economy more towards consumer goods, housing


COLD WAR : COLD WAR


Post war period : Post war period expanded soviet sphere--in defiance of Yalta Accord --buffer or expansionism?


iron curtain : iron curtain


US response : US response 1947 Truman announces that US will aid any country resisting “outside pressures” lesson learned from appeasing Hitler Marshall Plan US provides 13 billion to western Europe (then Japan, Korea, and Taiwan) to rebuild


Cold War intensifies : Cold War intensifies 1948 Berlin blockade and airlift 1949 Soviets test the atomic bomb China “goes communist” America “goes McCarthyite”


China--since 1949 : China--since 1949 1958-60 “Great Leap Forward” Mao orders collectivization, backyard foundaries 20-30 million die through starvation 1962 break with Soviet Union obvious 1966-76 “Cultural Revolution” universities close, Red Guards run amok, “counter-revolutionaries” killed 1978 period of (economic) liberalization begins under Deng Xiaoping


Proxy wars : Proxy wars “minor conflicts” around the world http://www.learner.org/channel/courses/worldhistory/unit_video_22-2.html Major troop deployments: 1950-53 Korea 1965-73 Vietnam 1979-89 Afghanistan


Close call for World War III : Close call for World War III Cuban missile crisis 1962


The big surprise : The big surprise The end of European communism 1970s and 80s religious and cultural dissent failing economies Reagan’s role?


New blood at the Kremlin : New blood at the Kremlin 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev becomes General Secretary initiates reforms--glasnost and perestroika 1988 allows contested elections within the Communist Party


Movement in Eastern Europe : Movement in Eastern Europe 1980s rise of “Solidarity”--suppressed 1988 illegal “Solidarity” shipworkers, with encouragement from the Pope, go on strike 1989 Polish Communist party (and Gorbachev) allows Solidarity to compete in national elections Solidarity victory


East Germany : East Germany Very little reform--the Stasi Gorbachev calls for change in East Germany East German tourists go through Hungary to Austria--at first a few, then 10,000s Berlin Wall is torn down 1990 Germany reunified


Back in USSR : Back in USSR 1991 hardliners in the military wage a coup against Gorbachev, coup fails Communist Party is abolished in Russia Soviet Union is dissolved by decree CIS is formed


12 new nation states : 12 new nation states


Russia--backsliding under Putin since 2000? : Russia--backsliding under Putin since 2000? nostalgia for “good old days”, and Chinese model increasing control over media--especially TV arrest of oligarchs on trumped up charges--Khodorkovsky using Chechen war to make governorships appointed, not elected


continuing revolutions : continuing revolutions “color revolutions” in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgistan http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4459224.stm#


Who is left among Communists? : Who is left among Communists? 5 countries: China, Vietnam, Laos, North Korea, Cuba And several post Communist societies have changed little


In China . . . : In China . . . 1989--crackdown at Tiananmen Square in 1990s, some signs of loosening up local contested elections more freedom to criticize local governments 1000s of NGOs allowed to organize on the other hand, since 1999 Falun Gong outlawed, etc.