HIST 0200 Lecture 9: Soviets through 1991
Document Summary
Soviet union and warsaw pact states scarred by war, psychologically and physically. Initial hardships followed by rapid economic progress: concentration on heavy industry, industrial infrastructure development. Baltic states, parts of poland forcibly reintegrated into soviet union. East germany established (1949): industry pirated by ussr, high standard of living. Flight of exiles and refugees westward: iron curtain descends, berlin divided, airlift (1948-9) Space race (1960s): non-military avenue of competition, both sides use nazi scientists. Kruschev"s secret speech (1956): relaxes control of society. Mad mean sanity, in a way: stalemate produces general global stability, balance of. Intelligence wars ( cold ) and guerilla wars ( hot ): vietnam (1965-73), afghanistan (1979-89) Political subordination through soviet military, bases, threat of invasion. All roads lead to moscow: power from the center, soviet hegemony more complete, brutal than american counterpart in western europe. Eventually moscow comes to subsidize these regimes quite heavily, oil is most viable product on world market.
