The importance of revolts and unrest in the Eastern Bloc for the Cold War 1956-81: Poland and Hungary

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  • Created by: Lizz2002
  • Created on: 24-02-21 07:53
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  • The Importance of the Poland and Hungary revolts for the Cold War
    • Poland
      • The death of Stalin in 1953 meant there were hopes for reforms
      • There was a lot of social unrest due to the low wages and poor conditions
      • After the death of the current leader, the liberals asserted themselves in government and refused to accept the USSR's replacement
        • In October 1956, support went to reformer Gomulka who had been arrested from 1949-54 for being anti-communist
          • Khrushchev eventually accepted Gomulka as long as his reforms remained limited
            • Gomulka proceeded with economic reforms but remained loyal to the USSR and the Warsaw Pact
    • Hungary
      • The condemnation of Stalin in Russia and the success in Poland lead to political rallies in Hungary
        • 23rd Oct 1956, police fired into a crowd of students and workers then joined the protests
          • Reformer Nagy took power - he allowed non-communists in government and spoke about leaving the Warsaw Pact
            • USSR invaded: 20,000 died, 200,000 fled, and Nagy was executed
              • Despite being asked by Nagy, the West didn't intervene
    • Why did the revolts have a limited impact of the Cold War?
      • International attention was on the 1956 Suez crisis
        • The West was also divided by this as the USA didn't like Britain and France's imperialism
      • The USSR had allowed change in Poland
      • The West had already accepted the brutal control in the Eastern Bloc

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