1. By Samantha Upperman and Shilpa Narayanan

2. Causes
 USSR had strong control over the Eastern European
countries
 Many of the Eastern European countries were “puppet
states”
 Nationalistic feelings were suppressed by the Soviets

3. Motivations
Communists Nationalists
 Maintain control of Eastern  Remove USSR influence and
European countries as a control
shield from Western  Spread Nationalism through
invasions Eastern Europe to combat the
 Spread communism spread of communism
 Extend Soviet power

4. Hungarian Revolt of 1956
 Background:
 Summer of 1953 - Hungarian
economy was in deep crisis
 Imre Nagy replaces Matyas
Rakosi as Prime Minister and
begins reform program
 Nikita Khrushchev, head of
the Communist Party of the
Soviet Union, was concerned
by the reforms and forced
Nagy to resign in 1955 Statue of Stalin, pulled over and surrounded by
people.

5. Hungarian Revolt of 1956, cont.
 Hungarian students begin a youth
group that creates a list of demands
for the government
 They held a demonstration on Oct.
23, 1955. It began peacefully but
turned violent.
 Soviets appoint Nagy as the Prime
Minister until Nov. 4 to appease
protesters
 Soviets invade Hungary on Nov. 4
 Severe repressive measures were
instituted
 Executed hundreds, including Nagy
 Imprisoned thousands
Hungarian refugees leave Budapest
following the failed revolution

6. Prague Spring of 1968
 Brief era of political, cultural, and
economic liberalization
 Began when Czech Communist
Party announced “Action Plan”
 Reforms worried Soviets
 They sent a letter to the Czech
government demanding that they
stop the reforms
 Czechs refused to stop reforms
 Aug. 20–21, 1968 – 500,000 Soviet
troops invade Czechoslovakia and
the reforms were ended

7. Solidarity Movement
 1980 – Communist government announced
price increases
 Factories stopped production and went
on strike
 Created a list of demands
 Aug. 1980 – Government agrees to demands
and workers begin to form unions
 founding committees decided to erect
one central general labor union called
Solidarity
 Formed one large union (54% of all
workers)
 Dec. 1981 – Government declares Solidarity
illegal
 1982 – Underground Solidarity movement
created
 June 1989 – Solidarity formed the first non-
communist government in post-World War II
Poland

8. Yugoslavia
 After World War II, Yugoslavia was proclaimed a republic
and they started a government based on the Soviet Union
 The new government was highly influenced by Soviet leaders
 1948 – Yugoslavia splits from the international communist
movement due to refusal to accept Moscow as central
power
 Yugoslavia establishes a more liberal socialist movement
with two political parties

9. Effects
 Hungarian Revolt:
 Soviet control over Central Europe strengthened
They suppress all opposition

 Many Hungarians leave the country
 Prague Spring of 1968:
 Reform ended in Czechoslovakia
 The old political and economical systems were restored
 Solidarity Movement:
 First non-communist government in post-World War II Poland.
 The union activism by Lech Walesa brought down the communist
government of Poland, resulting in free elections in 1989

10. Quiz!
1. Who replaced Matyas Rakosi as Prime Minister in
Hungary?
2. What was the Prague Spring?
3. What was one of the demands made by the
members of the Solidarity Movement?
4. Why did the Soviet Union have a lesser influence
on Yugoslavia?