Aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis Direct communications
Aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis • Direct communications (phone) established • Kennedy’s ‘Pax Americana’ • What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war…. I speak of peace because of the new face of war. Total war makes no sense in an age when great powers can maintain large and relatively invulnerable nuclear forces and refuse to surrender without resort to those forces. • Nuclear Diplomacy • Test Ban Treaty (1963) • Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968) • Kruschev is dismissed as the Leader of the USSR (1964) • Why? • Cuba Missile Crisis? • ‘De-Stalinization’ • Poland (56), Hungary (56) • …immovable regime, repressive, inflexible…. • Agricultural policies (Virgin Lands) • failure of agricultural reforms…. illicit capitalism? • An immovable, repressive and inflexible regime? • Sino-Soviet Split End of Peaceful Coexistence?
Cracks in the Cold War Order? Détente…. the easing of strained relations, especially in politics Ostpolitik (Détente in the East? ) • Willy Brandt, mayor of W. Berlin (later foreign minister, 1966) • pursues economic and diplomatic relations with E. Germany and Eastern Europe 0 • Leonid Brezhnev, USSR (from 1964 to 1982) • respect for each other’s sphere of influence • informal ‘economic détente? ’ • demand for consumer goods behind the wall…. • but, a system built on a network of ‘power and patronage’ • SALT I (1972) & SALT II (1979) (b/w USA and USSR) • “Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty’ • 1972 - Nixon travels to Russia and China (UN…) • 1973 – East and West Germany enter UN • 1975 – Helsinki Conference • recognizes Europe’s postwar boundaries • USSR pledges support for greater freedoms/rights • increased co-operation in trade, science & technology
Challenges to Soviet System Prague Spring, 1968 (Czechoslovakia) • PM Alexander Dubcek. . reform-minded communist • ‘Socialism with a Human Face’ • more social and political openness…‘an orgy of free expression’ • E. German, Polish and Soviet regimes fear reforms spilling over… • August, 1968 – Dubcek refuses to attend Warsaw Pact meetings • Soviet invasion follows…. • protests…. . graffiti on tanks, removed street signs, illegal radio • Brezhnev Doctrine • “When forces that are hostile to socialism try to turn the development of some socialist country towards capitalism, it becomes not only a problem of the country concerned, but a common problem and concern of all socialist countries. ” • return to Stalinist ideals? • Samizdat • dissident activity, reproduced gov’t suppressed publications (hand written, usually)…. • Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn expelled, 1974
‘Morning in America Before Reagan…. • Nixon resigns, 1974 – Watergate Scandal • economic malaise in USA • OPEC oil embargo…. . problems in the Middle East • foreign policy blunders? • Iranian Revolution, 1979 • American hostages in Iran • USSR • Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, 1979 -1989 • Imperialistic? • Reagan…. . ’the Great Communicator’ • Republican Ronald Reagan elected, 1980 • hardline conservative agenda…. • ‘hawkish’…. . increases military spending • ‘trickle down’ economics …. cut taxes to the wealthiest • reasserting American prestige…. “Let us be aware that, while [the Soviet leaders] preach the supremacy of the state, declare its omnipotence over individual man, and predict its eventual domination of all peoples on the earth, they are the focus of all evil in the modern world. ” Ronald Reagan US President Ronald Reagan, 1980 -88
End of Détente • Ideological rhetoric…. . a time of heightened tension near the end of the Cold War • Korean Airlines Flight 007 • NY to Anchorage to Seoul…. shot down after ‘deviating’ from flightpath into Soviet airspace • 269 passengers killed. . . USSR initially denies, but then blames USA. . . ’military preparedness’ • military industrial complex • Arms Race • ‘cruise missiles’ • sophisticated ‘guidance systems’ (read: computer programs…. ) • ‘smart weapons’ • again, with little human guidance…. • Strategic Defense Initiative • a nuclear ‘shield’ • “Star Wars’ The defence policy of the United States is based on a simple premise: The United States does not start fights. We will never be an aggressor. We maintain our strength in order to deter and defend against aggression -- to preserve freedom and peace. ’ Ronald Reagan
Turmoil within the Soviet System/CCCP Old Communists…. Leonid Brezhnev, 1964 -82 Yuri Andropov, 1982 -84 Konstantin Chernenko, 1984 -85 • • • Bureaucratic Malaise Decay from within CCCP Old ways of thinking…. • Soviet-Afghan War, 1979 -1989 • New imperialism? • Becomes USSR’s ‘Vietnam’…. . The Reformer…. . Mikhael Gorbachev, 1985 – 1991 • ‘Developed Socialism’ • Perestroika • ‘Restructuring’ • Economic & Political reforms…. • Glasnost • ‘Openness’ • Chernobyl Incident, 1986 http: //abcnews. go. com/Archives/video/chernobyl-disaster-nuclear-plant-soviet-1986 -9843882 Predictions? What happens when one opens the flood gates?
1980 s Eastern Europe – ‘Domino Theory’ In what way was Mikhail Gorbachev the key figure in the collapse of the totalitarian regimes in Eastern Europe? Or, was he? Poland • ‘Solidarity’ movement…. . trade unionists led by Lech Walesa Czechoslovakia • Remember the Prague Spring, ‘ 68? • ‘Velvet Revolution’ • led by playwright, Vaclav Havel…. . • Czech Republic & Slovakia, 1993 Hungary • Remember Budapest, 1956? • Gorbachev not going to intervene…. why? Germany • Remember Ostpolitik? • Fall of Berlin Wall • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=snsd. Db 7 KDkg Why so fast? • ‘the medium is the message’…. censorship? • peaceful protests built on mass revolutions • role of nationalist sentiments
Collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Failures of the Soviet system: Major theories revolve around – Economic stagnation Military spending Political corruption Clashes of ideological interpretations Nationalism (50% of USSR pop. was not ethnic Russian) http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=j-2 kx 549 Mf 0
Successes and Failures of the Soviet Union, 1917 -1985 Accomplishments? • Modern Superpower? • Military Power? • Standard of Living? Failures? Economics • Black Market • Food shortages…. . need for grain imports • Rationing returns in the mid 1980 s • Consumer goods? • Effects of Command Economy – • the state sets the prices and decides what consumers should get • Trans-Siberian Oil Pipeline? • Inefficient resource development and environmental degradation ‘Bureaucracy’ • the Party was loathe to reform the system, for all the perks it benefitted from Nationalism • Nationalist desires had been repressed by the imprisonment of leaders, censoring of the press, etc…Nationalism was on the increase and the state’s unwillingness to use force did nothing to impede it
Q. In what ways had Gorbachev raised the expectations of the Soviet people? Q. Why weren’t the Russian people more involved in Gorbachev’s ‘revolution? ’ Q. How does reform differ from revolution? ‘Towards a Humane, Democratic Socialism’ What do Social Democrats in general, and Gorbachev in particular believe? Successes? • Removal of many corrupt and ineffective officials • Relaxation of tensions with western nations Ex: Margaret Thatcher: “I like Mr. Gorbachev. We can do business. ” • Increase in elected officials • Raised expectations among the people (which perhaps later backfired) Failures? • Heavy investment in the machinery and tool industry had very limited returns • More economic freedom encouraged people to horde common goods • High ranking officials were chosen more for loyalty than like-mindedness • War in Afghanistan continued much too long • Increases in net production (1983 -1987) were artificial in a way (a result of getting rid of corrupt officials who were “milking” the system)
Socialist Market Economy In order to reform the communist economy Gorbachev created a semi private system in a classic supply and demand market. However the growth of the economy was skewed, people with capitalist ties began do grow wealthy, but the standard of living for the average Soviet fell drastically as the state run stores ran out of food with the collapse of the communist farming structure. Supply could not keep up with demand ECONOMIC COLLAPSE Soviet quality of life plummets Freedom for a collapse in economics Gorbachev announces a 500 -day plan similar to the reforms FDR imposes during the Depression Russian people are cynical New political voices began to surface As with the New Economic Policy and the 5 – year plans the Socialist Market Economy initially produced hardship and resentment. Unlike the past economic reforms Gorbachev was not going to force the issue on his people.
Boris Yeltsin https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ls. F 4 c 06 tx. HM Boris Yeltsin, the leader of Russian Republic 1991 Yeltsin put forward the idea of a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and demanded self-determination for all ethnic groups in the USSR. August 1991 – Coup D’Etat Gorbachev proposed a Union Treaty between the republics and the Soviet government. This would see the traditional powers shift to the republics, while leaving the old Soviet “security of the collective”. August 19, 1991 Communist hardliners arrest Gorbachev and begin to consolidate the power of the USSR. Soviet tanks surround the Russian parliament with Boris Yeltsin inside. Yeltsin comes out and climbs on a tank. End of Soviet Union…. .
Results of the 1991 Coup Key: Yeltsin had the support of the people - USSR troops refuse to “subdue the people” & coup ends Gorbachev because of his ties to the Communist Party loses credibility at home (remains popular in the West) Yeltsin’s popularity soars…. . Communist Party outlawed in the Republic of Russia December 1, 1991 the republic of Ukraine votes for independence this lead to the creation of C. I. S. (Ukraine was the second most powerful republic) December 25, 1991 Gorbachev signs the paper ending the U. S. S. R and places it ‘in the dustbin of history’ officially on January 1, 1992
https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=lx. MWSm. Kieuc 0 “…the more things change…” Yeltsin proved to be a poor leader… Russian quality of life continued to fall 1994 Yeltsin sends Russian troops to stop Chechnya from breaking away into its own country. This proves to be a very unpopular war and sees Putin (PM) as strong leader. 1999 Yeltsin was replaced by Vladimir Putin Currently – • Constitutional change • 2 term presidency revised… • Putin appoints successor • Runs for President again • Will run again in 2018…. • Cult of Personality? • Desires return of Russian prestige Putin appeals to the west for monetary aid, he argues that the collapse of Russia would not be in the best interest of world peace. Putin estimates with good solid economic reforms and continuous western aid Russia, in 15 years would be the economic equal of Portugal, the poorest of the E. U. countries.
https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=FAh. DQx. PHv. P 0 End of Detente Korean Airlines Flight 007 http: //www. cnn. com/2013/08/31/us/kal-fight-007 -anniversary/ Ronald Reagan http: //www. history. com/topics/us-presidents/ronald-reagan U. S. President Ronald Reagan (R) is elected on a hard-line conservative platform, focusing on the energy crisis at home, and failed Democratic foreign policies, especially towards Iran and the USSR. Reagan focuses his foreign policies on the reemergence of an imperialistic Soviet Union. Q. What event is Reagan speaking to? Reagan increases military spending kicking off a new arms race witch ends the period of detente. “Let us be aware that, while [the Soviet leaders] preach the supremacy of the state, declare its omnipotence over individual man, and predict its eventual domination of all peoples on the earth, they are the focus of all evil in the modern world. ” Ronald Reagan
- Slides: 16
