USSR and Dissent in Eastern Europe

Soviet treatment of dissent in eastern Europe 1953-1981

1. Hungary 1956

   • Protests against repression turned into full-scale revolution
   • Soviet tanks and soldiers crush the revolution
   • Thousands were killed, and many Hungarians fled the country

2. Poland 1980

   • Solidarity (a trade union), which called for greater pay and freedom, turned into a national movement
   • Soviet tanks and troops seize the border, making it clear they would intervene if necessary
   • Polish army seized power, imposed martial law and imprisoned all Solidarity's leaders

3. Czechoslovakia 1968

   • The Prague Spring - Czech leaders introduced reforms to end censorship and increase freedom
   • Czech leaders wanted other political parties to exist
   • USSR sent in tanks and troops to remove the leaders and crush the government

4. East Germany 1953

   • People have poor living standards, availability of consumer goods and a lack freedom
   • Mass protests in towns and cities in East Germany
   • Main protest in Berlin is crushed by East German police and Soviet troops

5. Poland 1953

   • Mass protests for freedom and economic improvements
   • The premier, Gomulka, promised reforms
   • Khrushchev threatened Soviet military intervention
   • Responding to Khrushchev, Gomulka abandons reforms and clamped down on dissent