Russia - Stalin and Khrushchev

Stalin

• After WWII a political vacuum (new countries coming in, conquering the land, and getting rid of the leaders) happened in many countries.

• Most Eastern European countries had begun the war with dictators.

• Stalin helped the communist parties win power and they had USSR policies (Comintern)

  • One party states

  • Communist party became the only legal party in each state

  • Secret police arrest opponents

• Economies destroyed, follow Soviet economic policies :

  • Government takes over industry

  • Workers and farmers told what to produce

  • Trade controlled through the Comecon, only trade with the USSR and each other.

  • Stalin promises to aid countries that cooperate with the Soviet Union.

• When the policies and the Soviet Union were threatened, Stalin, was ready to use force to stop opposition.

Comintern

• Communist Information Bureau

• Set up to control the governments in Eastern Europe.

• Originally based in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

• Later to Bucharest because Yugoslavia was expelled because Tito would not follow the rules.

• Ran meetings.

• Sent out information to Communist Governments about what the USSR wanted them to do.

  
  

  
  

Comecon

• Council for Mutual Economic Assistance

• Set up in 1949

• Coordinated industries and trade of Eastern European countries

• Members traded with one another, not the West

• Favored the USSR more than other members

  • A market in which the USSR could sell its goods

  • Cheap supply of raw materials for the USSR

• Creates a bank for socialist countries in 1964

  
  

Eastern European opinions about Soviet control

• Some were hopeful :

• • Believed they could achieve industrial growth

  • Communism also offered a…