Opposition to Soviet Control in Hungary & Czechoslovakia (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Nagy's Reforms in Hungary
Soviet leader: Nikita Khrushchev
The USSR's dictator Joseph Stalin died on 5th March 1953. After a three-year power struggle, Khrushchev took the position of General Secretary of the USSR in 1956. To the world, Khrushchev marked a change in the leadership style of the USSR.
In reality, Khrushchev could not implement too much capitalism and democracy into a communist dictatorship. |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Students often struggle to spell 'Khrushchev.' Try to remember that his name contains three h's and that the root of the word spells 'rush'.
Hungary's communist leader, Mátyás Rákosi, harshly controlled the country
He stated he wanted Hungary to become a 'country of iron and steel'
This was despite the fact that Hungary had no iron ore
Hungary suffered from fuel shortages and poor harvests
In October 1956, there were violent protests in Hungary's capital, Budapest
Hungarian students led a peaceful demonstration asking for more political and personal freedom
Hungary's secret police arrested protestors and used tear gas to end the march
When the students attempted to free the arrested, the police shot at the protestors
Soldiers joined the student protestors
The Hungarian Communist government requested military support from the USSR
By 24th October, the USSR had restored order in Budapest
Khrushchev decided to change the leadership of Hungary
He replaced Rákosi with Imre Nagy
Khrushchev believed that Nagy would resolve the unrest in Hungary
The people liked Nagy
Limited reforms would stop Hungarians from protesting
What Reforms Did Nagy Propose for Hungary?
Khrushchev allowed Nagy some freedom to reform
The protests in Hungary made Communism look bad to the West
Khrushchev could not accept Hungary’s withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact
The USSR needed Hungary to remain in the Warsaw Pact
Khrushchev may have needed Hungarian troops to suppress uprisings in other satellite states
Hungary's withdrawal may have prompted other satellite states to do the same
The USSR relied upon the collective security of pro-Communist states. The satellite states would not protect the USSR if they did not have to
Khrushchev did not want any more independent Communist states in Eastern Europe
Yugoslavia, under the leadership of Tito, broke away from the USSR's influence in 1948
Yugoslavia became closer to the West by accepting military support from NATO. Tito explored different versions of Communism that undermined the USSR
Khrushchev did not want other satellite states to form alliances with Yugoslavia
Khrushchev's Reaction to the Uprising
Causes and Consequences of the Hungarian Uprising
Worked Example
Study Source A.
What is the cartoonist’s message? Explain your answer using details of the source and your knowledge
7 marks
Source A: A cartoon published in Hungary in 1956. The words on the coat covering the horse say, ‘Democracy, freedom, independence, our own way’. The words at the bottom say, ‘And what’s beneath it’. The figure on the right is a Soviet soldier
Partial answer:
I believe that the people organising the Hungarian Uprising should not be trusted (1). The cartoon shows the revolutionaries hiding under the banners of ’‘Democracy, freedom, independence’ (1). This shows that the cartoonist believes that the revolutionaries do not want to change Hungary but want power for themselves. As the cartoon is from Hungary, it is surprising that it is not more supportive of the uprising. However, the cartoonist may be a Communist and support the USSR’s control of Hungary (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This style of question in Paper Two needs you to consider:
What the message of the source is. Identify the event it is referring to and if it is presenting the event positively or negatively. In this example, the cartoonist has drawn about the Hungarian Uprising in a negative way
Knowledge of the event. This cartoon assumes that the reader knows about Imre Nagy’s reforms and the protests in Hungary. Add relevant own knowledge of these events to support your answer
The purpose of the cartoon. The cartoon was published in Hungary in 1946 by an unknown cartoonist. This makes it harder to understand the purpose of the source. Considering it is against the uprising, it could be inferred that the cartoonist is pro-Soviet or does not believe in the causes of the uprising.
The Prague Spring Reforms
Soviet leader: Leonid Brezhnev
In July 1964, Brezhnev became the Second Secretary. This role essentially placed Brezhnev as Khrushchev's successor. Brezhnev was next in line for the leadership of the USSR. In October 1964, Brezhnev led a coalition against Khrushchev to become the First Secretary of the USSR. Brezhnev believed that Khrushchev had weakened the USSR
Brezhnev marked a change in leadership style. No longer would the USSR allow any type of reform |
There was a growing desire for change in Czechoslovakia
Life in Czechoslovakia was hard. People had limited freedoms and low living standards
The Czech government under Gottwald was unpopular with the Czech public
In 1968, the Czech Communist Party elected Alexander Dubcek as First Secretary
This title gave Dubcek the responsibility of leading the Czech government
The USSR approved the appointment of Dubcek
Dubcek was a devout Communist. He believed in:
The upholding of the Warsaw Pact
'Socialism with a human face’. People in a communist state should be able to:
Express their opinion about communism
Raise concerns about their government without facing punishment
Gain access to a better quality of life
In April 1968, the Czech government released a series of reforms. This period of reform is known as the Prague Spring
Prague was the capital of Czechoslovakia
A 'spring' refers to a period of new beginnings and political reform
Brezhnev's Reaction to the Prague Spring
Brezhnev demanded that Dubcek reverse the Prague Spring reforms
Dubcek ignored his request
Dubcek invited Ceausescu and Tito, the leaders of Romania and Yugoslavia, for talks
This appeared to be an aggressive action against the USSR
Brezhnev could not allow Czechoslovakia to unify with non-Soviet Communist states
Brezhnev believed that he needed to take urgent action against Dubcek and the Prague Spring reforms
Brezhnev ensured that Czechoslovakia remained under Soviet control for the next 20 years
Husak remained loyal to the USSR
The Czech government punished any signs of dissent
Causes and Consequences of the Soviet Reaction to the Prague Spring
The Brezhnev Doctrine
The Prague Spring reinforced Brezhnev's beliefs
Satellite states should not attempt to reform Communism
The Brezhnev Doctrine:
Became public knowledge when it was published in the Communist newspaper, Pravda, on 26th September 1968
Listed Brezhnev's expectations for the satellite states
Worked Example
What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?
4 marks
Answers:
The Brezhnev Doctrine was a policy introduced by Brezhnev, who was the leader of the USSR (1). It stated that the USSR would intervene in countries where Communist rule was under threat (1). This reinforced the Warsaw Pact (1). The doctrine was a response to the Prague Spring (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This question in Paper One requires you to state information you know about the Brezhnev Doctrine. The Cambridge IGCSE gives you a point for each relevant piece of information that you write. Therefore, do not spend any additional time trying to describe or explain each reason.
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