Tears in the Iron Curtain

Background:

  • By 1956, Kruschev had secured his position as Stalin’s successor.
  • Kruschev condemned Stalin for brutal purges, errors in foreign affairs, police state terror against citizens.

Poland 1956:

  • Polish workers protested against working conditions, people wanted the USSR out of their business.
  • Gomulka (leader) was liberal minded and worked to gain some concessions.
  • The Red Army took up positions outside of Warsaw.
  • Kruschev agreed to limit communism, no forced collectivization, Poland remains and ally to the USSR
  • Every freedom movement needs a start!

Hungarian Revolution 1956:

  • Following the event in Poland, the Hungarians wanted reforms
  • Nagy took over, abolished the one party system and planned to get out of the Warsaw pact.
  • Khruschev decided to teach the Hungarians a lesson and brought in the Red army
  • The world was watching the Suez crisis at this time (1956 Eisenhower Doctrine)
  • Fighting broke out in the streets and the Red Army was just waiting outside of the city and then attacked and completely crushed the revolution - over 20,000 died in the fighting
  • Hungarinas began to flee the country; the Soviets closed the borders.

The Czechoslovakian Revolution 1968

  • For 12 years there was no further insurrection by Soviet Satellites
  • in 1968 Dubcek returned to be leader of the Czech government
  • He began speaking of libereal reforms and freedoms
  • The Warsaw Pact again kicked in, and the Red Army rolled into Prague.
  • But this time there was very little fighting, just a lot of angry people.
  • A sign of things to come?
  • The economies of Eastern Europe were brutal: unemployment and struggle.

Hungary

  • It was declared that in early 1989 other political parties would be tolerated and the communist parties as a result began to fade away.
  • 2, May 1989 - cut the barbwire that sealed its border with Austria (Tearing down the Iron Curtain)
  • 16 June 1989 - Imre Nagy was honored as a hero for dying for his Soviet dfiance in 1956
  • Oct 7, 1989 - communist party formally disbanded, it remade itself as the Hungarian Socialist Party - promising to follow democratic procedures.

East Germany

  • The Berlin wall was constructed in 1961
  • Ertich Honecker, Communist leader of East Germany, was the most repressive of the eastern bloc leaders.
  • Despite the relaxation times, and the economic problems of the USSR. Erich, Czech and Romania did not want to make any concessions to their people or governments
  • Gorvachev desperate for western economic assistance, he visited the West German leader, Chancellor Kohl and discussed German reunification.
  • Following the fall of Hungary’s communist system - Hungary flooded with many East Germans seeking sanctuary in the West German consulate and hoping to move onto West Germany and demand democratic rights in East Germany.
  • This pressure allowed the East German government to allow 30,000 East Germans to emigrate
  • Nov 4, 1989 - 500,000 people demonstrated in East Germany
  • Nov 7, East German Cabinet resigned
  • Nov 9 - Berlin wall opened at midnight by East German border gaurds
  • East and West Berliners celebrated together that night.
  • July 1, 1990 - the economic unity of East and West Germany became a reality. Helmut Kohl was the first Chancellor of a united Germany since Hitler.

Czechoslovakia

  • June 1968 - Alexander Dubcek replaced Antonin Novotny
  • On March 4, he abolished censorship of the press, radio and TV, and tolerated the organization of non-communist parties who had potential in becoming political organizations
  • March 5, the rights were restored for the people’s ability to travel abroad and their freedom of speech
  • Moscow was alarmed at Dubcek dramatically different take on socialism
  • August 26, 1969 - Gustav Husak replaced Dubcek and announced the Brezhnev Doctrine - which gave the Soviet Union the right to preserve socialism and protect against counter-revolutionary movements
  • From this point on, soviet military was permanently positioned in Czechoslovakia
  • Nov 20, 1989 - 20,000 people marched through the streets of Prague demanding free elections
  • Dec 10 1989 - Husak resigned
  • Dec 29 - Free elections - Vaclav Havel became the new President. Premier was Alexander Dubcek
  • In 1992, the Czechs and the Slovaks democratically decided to separate into two new states.

Hungary

  • It was declared that in early 1989 other political parties would be tolerated - and the communist parties as a result began to fade away
  • May 2, 1989 - cut the barb wire that sealed its border with Austria (tearing down of the Iron Curtain)
  • June 16, 1989 - Imre Nagy was honored as a hero for dying for his Soviet defiance in 1956
  • Oct 7, 1989 - communist party formally disbanded and remade itself as the Hungarian Socialist Party - promising to follow democratic procedures.

Romania

  • Nicolae Ceausescu had been dictator since 1965, he was brutal and repressive
  • A government massacre in 1989 sparked protests
  • The people arrested Ceausescu and his wife and executed them both
  • No real democratic tradition, still has political problems to this day

Yugoslavia Disintegrates

  • Yugoslavia was created after WWI
  • It was not a Soviet satellite state, it was ruled by Tito and had 6 republics: Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia.
  • Much ethnic hatred was developed since the creation of this state, mainly between the Serbian’s and the Croatians
  • This stemmed from the collaboration between the Croatians and the Nazi’s
  • After Tito’s death in 1980, ethnic nationalism began to surface
  • In 1988 Slobadan Milosevic became Prime Minister, but used his power to exploit Serbia nationalist feelings to boost his own popularity, he wanted a strong Yugoslavia with the Serbs running the show.
  • The other republics resented the Serbs and wanted their own independence

The Serb-Croat War 1991: 1991 Croatia declared its independence, Slovenia followed, Croatia had Serbs living in it, the Serbian army invaded Croatia, lots of deaths, the UN at the end of 1991 sent peace keeping forces (11,000 troops) and Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina were recognized as independent

War In Bosnia-Herzegovina: the population was Muslim, Croatians and Serbian. The Serbs and the Muslims went to war, the Croatians helped. This is where we get the term ethnic cleansing, trying to rid the territory of Muslims. Basically its genocide. The UN failed to stop the atrocities. A peace was reached in Dayton, Ohio in 1995, but recently in Kosovo, the problems are far from over.