The Cold War Thaws
Noah, Chandler, Maddie, Curtashia
Setting the Stage
Post war Soviet Union kept a tight grip on satellite countries. The countries included were Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and East Germany. Soviets insisted that satellite countries developed industries to meet Soviet needs.
Revolt in Czechoslovakia
In 1964, Khrushchev was voted out of that position and he lost his power (989).
The ‘Secret Police’, arrested the Nobel Prize for literature winner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. They then expelled him from the Soviet Union (989). Breznev said he would not tolerate dissent in Eastern Europe (989). On August 20, 1968 armed forces from the Warsaw Pact nations invaded Czechoslovakia.The Soviet-Chinese Split
China was absolutely committed to Communism by this point, and Mao and Stalin signed a 30 year friendship treaty, which did not last. China then stopped following under Moscow’s shadow, and began to gain their own confidence in rule.
China spread their own “brand” of communism in Africa and parts of Asia (989-990).
After growing apart so much and fighting, the Soviets and Chinese finally regained their peace, that remained fragile.
Brinksmanship Breaks Down
Brinksmanship followed the presidencies of Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson (990). The idea then lead to the fear of Nuclear War. What ended up preventing the Soviets and the U.S. from meeting was U-2.
In the early 1960’s the Cuban Missile Crisis made the superpowers’ use of nuclear weapons a real possibility. (990)The Collapse of Detente
Relations improved under the US President Nixon and Gerald Ford with China and the Soviet Union. President Carter was concerned about treatment of Soviet protesters with threatened to prevent another round of SALT negotiations.
Nixon Visits Communist Powers
Nixons rise to politics was credited to his strong anti-Communist position. He became the first president to visit Communist China. Also, he wanted to negotiate with Russian with the presence of China. After multiple meetings, Nixon and Brezhnez finally sighned the Strategic Arms Limitations Talk, which limited the amount of missles each country could have.
Regan Takes an Anti-Communist Stance
Regan came to officce in 1981 and continues to move away from the détente. He also increased defense spending which was putting economic and military pressures on the Soviets. He created the SDI to protect against enemy missiles. Also, the new leadership of the Soviet Union which brought a new policy to the U.S that ended the Cold War
Soviet Policy in Eastern Europe
There was more moderate leaders that came after Stalin's death that offered satellite states more independence. Also, protest movements threatened Soviet Eastern Europe.
De Stalinization and Rumblings of Protest
Nikita Khrushchev became the dominate Soviet leader. He began destalinization in 1956 purging his memory, but it did not change that satillite states' outlook. In October 1956, the Hungarian joined with rebels to overthrow the soviet let government.