Brezhnev Questions

BREZHNEV/CZECHOSLOVAKIA;

1. In 1968 Czechoslovakia was similar to Hungary in the following ways;
i. Both were brought on by policies carried out by incompetent, arrogant native leaders.
ii. Both sought to introduce a humane, progressive element into the Communist way of life.
iii. Both were repressed by the might of Soviet military while the rest of the world ceased to help.
iiii. Both were forced to accept Soviet-appointed satraps (Kadar in Hungary, Husak in Czechoslovakia.


2. The three commands that the Czechs made of Dubcek were;

i. The abolishment of the ‘central model of society’.
ii. Elimination of ‘administrative and undemocratic interference in all spheres of social and cultural life’
iii. The removal of Novotny as president of the republic.


3. The Soviets responded to the Czech judicial reform in that they became alarmed and they ordered extensive troop movement along Czechoslovakia’s eastern frontiers.


4. The alleged defenestration of Jan Masaryk became an issue again because in 1948, he died mysteriously and then this led to an interrogation and because the Czechoslovaks refused to participate in the inquisition, their Eastern European clients sent them a letter of unparalleled insult.


5. The Czech and Soviet perspectives on the ‘broad statement of principles’ differed. The Czechs considered their signature of the document as compliance and adherence to all Soviet demands, while the Soviets considered it carte blanche for intervention in Czechoslovakia to maintain their style of Socialism there.

6. The Czech response to the Soviet invasion was that they were stunned, because they for years entertained pan-Slav sentiments as well as pan-Soviet sentiments.

7. Two of Dubcek’s new policies were; censorship of press, and appointed pro-Soviet sympathizers to highr positions in the government.


8. The ultimate outcome of the invasion for Czechoslovakia was that it became the most oppressive Communist state of Eastern Europe, as Brezhev and his government became increasingly entangled wit Czechoslovak politics.


BREZHNEV/AFGHANISTAN;

1. What two justifications did the Soviets publicly offer for their Afghan invasion?

One was that Babrak had requested their military presence in Afghanistan to preserve his country for socialism, which was threatened by the United States and China. The other was that the threat to Afghanistan was also a threat to the USSR.


2. Other factors that may have motivated the USSR are that they had been friendly with Afghanistan and had made substantial financial investments in the country, as well as that the Soviets had signed a twenty-year treaty of friendship with the Taraki government, which had introduced many Soviet political, economical, social, and cultural institutions in the country.


3. The international reaction to Soviet policies in Afghanistan was condemnation of Soviet behavior and activity. Efforts to solve the problem (for example, efforts of the United Nations) were fruitless because of Soviet intransigence.



BREZHNEV/POLAND;


1. The six areas of conflict between the Soviets and the Poles were;

i. Religion - Poles are largely Catholic while Soviets are largely Russian Orthodox.
ii. "ideological deviation" - Poles withdrew from Soviet labor unions.
iii. Resistance to Soviet control of the Polish economy and exploitation of their resources.
iv. The security of the USSR and to its interests in central and eastern Europe.
v. It was a historic challenge.
vi. It was a protest against corruption of top Polish officials loyal to the USSR.



2. The six events that precipitated the '80-'81 Polish crisis;

i. The growing nationwide disillusionment with the government's policies.
ii. The government's failure to introduce desperately needed economic reforms that would improve the low living standard.
iii. The growing tension between religious and political leaders, which culminated the government's refusal to allow Pope John Paul VI to visit Poland in 1966 to commemorate the milennium of Polish Catholicism.
iv. The arrest and trial of several young party intellectuals who were critical of the official establishment and its policies.
v. The government's stoppage of a theatre production of a poetic drama (Dziady) because of its anti-Russian lines.
vi. The nationwide student unrest in March 1968 which was put down with excessive force.


3. Of the six areas of conflict, the most destructive one to Soviet-Polish relations definitely related to the Polish withdrawal from Soviet trade unions and the results of this. Steep price increases caused demonstrations, protests, and work stoppages. Poland came close to a working-class insurrection, and attempts to fix the economy were difficult as officials did not know how to handle them, and strikers' demands such as family allowances, early retirement, etc. and the appearance of an independent trade union alarmed the Soviets, and the defiance of the Polish to Soviet authority in these areas caused the Soviets to act again in 1980.


4. The least significant hindrance to the Polish-Soviet relations was their difference in religion. While the Pope's visit to Poland did put pressure on both sides, it did not yield destructive results and there were no outbreaks of anti-Polish or anti-Soviet sentiments. On the other hand the other five areas of conflict (historical reasons, economical reasons, Polish withdrawal from Soviet trade unions, etc.) seemed to have a more direct impact on events to come, while religious differences did somewhat hinder relations but were not one of the core reasons for worsening of Polish-Soviet relations.