Leadership in the Uprising: Comparison of Different Uprising

1461 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Stalin social policies

After the Second World War, the Soviet Union spread their political ideology among the countries of East Central Europe. Instantly, Josef Stalin spread Stalinization across each of the countries to assert Soviet control. He created totalitarian governments with limited freedoms for its citizens. Following the death of Stalin, the new leader of the Soviet Union, Nika Khrushchev, began changing the repressive policies of Stalin, opening the doors to the countries of East Central Europe to challenge the rule of the Soviets. Using the Soviet Thaw as an opportunity to reform the system of government, many countries including Hungary and Czechoslovakia had uprisings against Soviet Rule. The Hungarian Revolution and the Prague Spring were uprisings against the Soviet Union that both ended in defeat with Soviet Union. However, the outcomes for both countries differed in many ways because of the differences in the motives for the uprising, the loss of life and the differences in the leadership of the uprisings. One difference between the Hungarians and the Czechs was the effects of nationalism on the uprisings. Rooted in their history from 1848 Revolution against the Habsburg Empire, the Hungarians sought independence with the death of Stalin. Matyas Rakoski, a Stalin protégé, came to power as General Secretary of the Hungarian Worker’s Party in 1949. Using his authority as General Secretary, Rakoski oppressed the people of Hungary including purging political dissidents and killing 2,000 people of the total population. He used the State Protection Agency to carry out the purges bringing in an administration of absolute control and fear to the people of Hungary. But, the Hungarians would not completely abandon their nationalist hop... ... middle of paper ... ...e from any opposition, which crippled the country’s economy. The loss of life had profound effects on the aftermaths of the revolutions because it limited any vocal opposition of the Soviet Parties. It was not until the end of Soviet rule that citizens could try to reform the government. The Hungarian Revolution and the Prague Spring were attempted uprisings against the Soviet Union that ultimately ended in defeats. The Hungarians and the Czechs tried to undermine the power of the Soviets when the respective countries were affected with economic downturns and civil oppression. Although these uprisings differed in leadership, nationalism and loss of life, the Soviet managed to continue asserting their control of these countries until the fall of communism in 1989. The two uprisings set the foundation of the collapse of communism within the to respective countries.

Show More
Related

  • Democratic Revolution At The Cold War's End Summary

    1702 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the 20th century, the rise of communism sparked rage in people throughout the world. More towards the end of the 1900's the fall of communism and dictatorships was just the beginning of what would eventually be a large democratic change for several countries. 1989: Democratic Revolutions at the Cold War's End, speaks about the change brought to several different countries from the 1980's-1990's and plans to show "the global transformations that marked the end of the cold war and shaped the era in which we live"(Pg V). During the cold war, communist had power and control over a large area and spread communism throughout several continents. This book specifically hits on six different studies of where communism and dictatorship affected these areas and what they did to stop it. Poland, Philippines, Chile, South Africa, Ukraine, and China throughout the end of the 20th century created revolutionary movements which brought them all one step closer to freeing themselves and creating democratic change.

    Read More

  • The Seizure of Power by the Bolsheviks in 1917

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    This gave the people a lot more rights and a national parliament, the Duma. All seemed well, but there was one. problem. Then there is the problem. The Mensheviks, who were the less radical majority of the Social Democratic Labour Party, argued that the revolution had gone.

    Read More

  • The Long-Term Causes of the Fall of the Soviet Union

    1436 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first underlying cause of the collapse of the Soviet Union was the deterioration of the Soviets regimes moral standing. There was a growth of important dissident movements. For example, many key Soviet people, such as Andrei Sakharov, the father of the Russian nuclear bomb, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who is arguably the greatest writer that Russia produced in the 20th century, both became dissidents. Sakharov was banned to a closed town in the Soviet Union and Solzhenitsyn was expelled from the country. Although, Sakharov and Solzhenitsyn were not the only dissidents in Russia, as there many more prominent Russian figures. For example, the world chess champion, Garry Kasparov, became a dissident. Other prominent figures, such as Svetlana Alliluyeva, Joseph Stalin’s only daughter even became a dissident and left the country. Nikita Khrushchev’s son Sergei even left the country. There were a distressingly large number of people like Solzhenitsyn, Sakharov, Kasparov, Khrushchev and Alliluyeva that were either kicked out or snuck out. All of the dissidents concluded that they could not live in the Soviet society any more. However, this wa...

    Read More

  • The Similarities Between Communism And Communism

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    It also marked the end of cold war between the Soviet Union and United States leading to reformed political, economic and military alliances worldwide. Upon its formation, outcome of Bolshevick Revolution of 1917, Soviet Union adopted Socialism later transforming to Communism. The main objective for Socialism and eventual Communism was to create a unified state based on centralized economic and political system. This ideology later transformed into totalitarian state. The underestimation of resistance from non-Russian ethnic groups (which was more than 50% of total population), and failure of the communism system to meet economic needs of the people were some of the reasons which to led to the decline of the USSR economy and arms competition with United States. Despite the Government’s effort to instill the ideology of communism to its people, it never took firm roots and Government ended up losing the grip of the people. With the political and economic stagnations caused by the communism, there was no choice but to change the way of doing things leading to dissolution of USSR in December 1991. The fifteen newly formed countries had overwhelming tasks of developing the economy, reorganizing the political systems, and settling the territorial disputes created earlier. There has been wars in the boundaries of the former

    Read More

  • Economic, Political and Social Effects of Stalin's Purges

    2363 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...sful from the Second World War, despite its problems. It could not have done this without the achievements and developments of the industrial 1930s. An industrial decade underpinned by the violence of the Great Terror. Without this motivating fear neither the Five Year Plans nor collectivisation could have succeeded to the extent that they did and as a consequence the Soviet Union would have been defeated. Politically, dictatorship and the purging of factions created unity and brought tighter control over the party. This must have been a benefit during the war. It is the social cost that is difficult to justify and indeed it can not be. The huge human and psychological cost to the people could not have helped morale during the war years. However, politically and economically the purges strengthened the Soviet Union despite the undesirable nature of the technique.

    Read More

  • Cold War

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    The by-products of these policies brought forth the collapse of the communistic countries(around 89 -90 ). This lead to the establishment of non-communist political parties, free elections, and the development of a new democratic state.

    Read More

  • The Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    886 Words  | 2 Pages

         Following the death of Josef Stalin in 1953, the harsh policies he implemented in not only the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, but also its many satellite nations began to break down. There was a movement to distance all of the socialist nations from Stalin?s sadistic rule. In the Peoples - What? Republic of Hungary, there was much disillusionment with this Stalinist absolutism (Felkay 50). This disillusionment with the Soviet ideal of socialism led the people of the fledgeling socialist state of Hungary to rise up in revolt, but ill-preparedness and the strength of the Soviet Red Army put down the insurrection within several days.

    Read More

  • The Great Terror in Russia

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stalin’s hunger for power and paranoia impacted the Soviet society severely, having devastating effects on the Communist Party, leaving it weak and shattering the framework of the party, the people of Russia, by stunting the growth of technology and progress through the purges of many educated civilians, as well as affecting The Red Army, a powerful military depleted of it’s force. The impact of the purges, ‘show trials’ and the Terror on Soviet society were rigorously negative. By purging all his challengers and opponents, Stalin created a blanket of fear over the whole society, and therefore, was able to stay in power, creating an empire that he could find more dependable.

    Read More

  • Russian Revolution and Social Change

    879 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout history, revolutions have developed in response to a variety of conditions. These revolutions have often resulted in significant political, economic, and social change. As the 1900’s rolled in, European nations were at peace, that is until the darker forces were pushing Europe toward war. Those darker forces included nationalism and alliance systems that would help fuel the Great War or World War I. The effects of World War I were massive including the Treaty of Versailles and the enormous amount of human casualties as well as economic losses. During World War I, another revolution broke out in Russia, removing Russia from the war and transformed the Russian empire into the first Communist state. There were many causes of the Russian Revolution including the weakness of the Czar and World War I. Finally, there were many effects of the Russian Revolution, two of which included the establishment of a communist government as well as a new economic policy.

    Read More

  • Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    1118 Words  | 3 Pages

    Causes such as poverty, Soviet power, and change of Hungarian life ultimately led to the primary uprising known as the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. This event not only portrayed the initial precursor of instability, but also rebellion inside the Soviet Iron Curtain. The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 included effects such as a massive decrease in the global Communist party, an increase of the policy Containment in the Western Hemisphere, and polarization of the Cold War. In the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, The U.S.S.R. principle of peaceful negotiation greatly faltered due to the Soviet practice of intervention and immense destruction of the Hungarian people.

    Read More

  • Stalin DBQ

    1316 Words  | 3 Pages

    Around the early 1920’s, Stalin took power and became leader of Russia. As a result Russians either became fond of Stalin’s policies or absolutely despised them. Stalin’s five-year plans lured many into focusing on the thriving economy rather than the fact that the five year plan hurt the military. The experience of many lives lost, forced labor camps, little supply of food, influenced the Russians negative opinion about Stalin. Having different classes in society, many Russians had different points of views. For the Peasants, times were rough mainly because of the famine, so they were not in favor of Stalin and his policies; where as the upper classes had a more optimistic view of everything that was occurring. Stalin’s policies affected the Russian people and the Soviet Union positively and also had a negative affect causing famine for the Russian people.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Stalin on Russia

    1594 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...change of industrial leadership crippled Russia's mechanization efforts and it is still argued today if the effects are still felt. By removing these people from the Soviet society both the biologist theories of Nature verses Nurture were challenged at best and destroyed at worst. For the argument of nature being the greatest influence on learning ability most of the intellectuals and brightest leaders were removed from the gene pool. In contrast to Nurture these people could not influence society any longer. Through these changes in society Stalin has forever made his mark. His pollicies effected every area in Russian culture.

    Read More

  • The Collapse of the Soviet Union

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    The collapse of communism in the Soviet Union also led to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe as the countries became democratic. Works Cited Holt World History of the Human Journey. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2003.ebookhttp://myhrw.com/tabnav/controller.jsp?isbn=0030667186. Macro History and World Report. Frank E. Smitha, 2000-2011http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch33-5.htm.

    Read More

  • The Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    1136 Words  | 3 Pages

    Janscak, Csaba. The Spark Of Revolution (1956)-The Association Of Hungarian University And College Students. Budapest: University of Szeged. Print.

    Read More

  • Prague Spring

    1440 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1948, communism was the only political party in Czechoslovakia. The communist take-over was a very popular movement. The first reason why it was a popular movement is because Joseph Stalin signed an agreement with Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt that the Red Army, which would then lead to pro-communism, would liberate Czechoslovakia. The second reason why it was a popular movement is because the people of Czechoslovakia remembered what it felt like to be betrayed by the West at the Munich Agreement, where most of Czechoslovakia was surrendered to Nazi Germany in 1938. (www.wikipedia.com).

    Read More

More about Leadership in the Uprising: Comparison of Different Uprising

Open Document