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Cold War: The East

Cold War: The East. Stalin. WW II devastated the Soviet Union 7.5 Million Russian’s died in battle deaths alone To build a new industrial base, Stalin returned to methods used in the 1930’s. Economic Recovery. By 1950, industrial production had surpassed pre-war production by 40%

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Cold War: The East

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  1. Cold War: The East

  2. Stalin • WW II devastated the Soviet Union • 7.5 Million Russian’s died in battle deaths alone • To build a new industrial base, Stalin returned to methods used in the 1930’s

  3. Economic Recovery • By 1950, industrial production had surpassed pre-war production by 40% • Heavy Industry, particularly military industry, increased dramatically • Russia tested their first Hydrogen bombs in 1953 • Launched Sputnik in 1957

  4. Social Costs • The growth rate for heavy industry was three times that for consumer goods • Shortage of housing caused many Russian families to live a one-room apartment

  5. End of Stalin • Stalin became ever more paranoid as he consolidated his power post WW II • Showed little respect for other communist leaders in his later years • More purges were immanate, however Stalin dies March 5, 1953 before those could take place

  6. Nikita Khrushchev • A group of leaders succeeded Stalin, but Khrushchev emerged as the new de-facto leader • Condemned Stalin for his administrative violence, mass repression and terror • Established policies of de-stalinization, to eliminate the more ruthless of Stalin’s policies

  7. Khrushchev • Khrushchev loosened government controls on literary works • Allowed the printing of A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn • Portrayed life in a Siberian forced labor camp • Many Russians identified with Ivan as symbol of their suffering during Stalin’s regime

  8. Khrushchev • Placed more emphasis on agricultural and consumer goods • These proved to be unsuccessful • Military spending was still too much • Cuban Missile crisis • Resulted in Khrushchev being forced into retirement

  9. Behind the Iron Curtain • Between 1945 and 1947 the soviets consolidated there control over the Eastern Bloc • Exceptions: Yugoslavia and Albania, set up their own Stalin-esc dictatorships. • Set up their own 5 Year plans that focused on heavy industry and less on consumer goods

  10. Behind the Iron Curtain • After Stalin’s death in 1953 some eastern bloc nations tried to break free of Soviet control • The soviets came down especially hard on Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary • The Soviets would not allow the satellite nations to become independent

  11. Poland • 1956: protests erupt all over Poland • Polish Communist Party adopted a series of reforms to break free of Soviet control • Poland choose to compromise and stay loyal to the Warsaw Pact to avoid armed conflict with Russia Try it bro! Better!

  12. Hungary • Developments in Poland led to revolts in Hungary in 1956 as well • Freedom! You wanna run that by me again?

  13. Hungary • Russia attacked Budapest, seized their rebellious leader and eventually killed him. • Russia reestablished it’s control soon after

  14. Czechoslovakia NOPE! • When Stalin’s hand picked leader was forced to resign a new, more liberal, leader was elected to power. • Tried to create “socialism with a face” • Russia invades Czechoslovakia to prevent this idea from spreading

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