CIE IGCSE History Past Paper PDF - How Secure was the USSR's Control over Eastern Europe, 1948-c.1989

Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History Your notes How Secure was the USSR’s Control over Eastern Europe, 1948–c.1989? Contents Motivations & Consequences of the USSR’s Control o...

Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History Your notes How Secure was the USSR’s Control over Eastern Europe, 1948–c.1989? Contents Motivations & Consequences of the USSR’s Control of Eastern Europe Opposition to Soviet Control in Hungary & Czechoslovakia Why was the Berlin Wall Built in 1961? Solidarity in Poland & the Decline of Soviet Influence Gorbachev & the Collapse of Soviet Control over Eastern Europe Page 1 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Motivations & Consequences of the USSR’s Control of Eastern Europe Your notes Motivations & Consequences of the USSR’s Control of Eastern Europe - Summary & Timeline Page 2 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes Page 3 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes The USSR experienced a significant amount of damage due to the Second World War. The country experienced around 27,000,000 civilian and military casualties, 60 times more than the USA. Operation Barbarossa also destroyed 3,000 Soviet towns and cities. The leader of the USSR, Joseph Stalin, was motivated to rebuild and expand the country. The defeat of Nazi Germany had left a power vacuum in Eastern Europe. Hitler’s concept of Lebensraum meant that he had expanded Germany eastwards. By 1941, Germany occupied much of Eastern Europe. The Russian Empire of the 19th and early 20th centuries included many of these countries. Stalin believed that this was the ideal opportunity to claim them back for himself. The Soviet Army pushed back the Germans in 1943, liberating Eastern Europe as they went. Stalin used this excuse to continue stationing the Red Army in Eastern Europe after 1945. When challenged on this at the Yalta Conference, Stalin assured the Allies that he would allow free elections in these countries. Stalin used intimidation and propaganda to establish satellite states of the USSR. Stalin believed that the Eastern Bloc was essential for the USSR’s safety. Truman’s secrecy around the atomic bomb made Stalin distrust the West. The Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid attempted to ‘contain’ communism. As a result, Stalin viewed Eastern Europe as a ‘buffer zone’. If the West intended to fight communism in the USSR, they would have to defeat the satellite states. This section of the course examines how secure the USSR’s control over Eastern Europe was. Life in the Eastern Bloc was challenging. The communist economy set Five Year Plans for each satellite state of the USSR. Each satellite state provided the USSR with a valuable product. Five Year targets were often unattainable. The local communist governments still expected workers to strive to meet the planned economic output. The USSR treated and paid their workers poorly, resulting in discontentment and poor health. Eastern Europeans had no human rights to protest or to vote. Hungary, East Berlin, Czechoslovakia and Poland all attempted to protest or reform their countries. The USSR met all four with violence and repression. These methods were only effective in the short term. Pressure outside of and within the USSR meant that the USSR’s control could not last forever. The end of control in Eastern Europe also led to the end of the USSR. Page 4 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Causes & Consequences of the USSR’s Control of Eastern Europe Your notes A flow diagram showing the causes and consequences of the USSR’s expansion into Eastern Europe Page 5 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Opposition to Soviet Control in Hungary & Czechoslovakia Your notes Nagy's Reforms in Hungary Soviet leader: Nikita Khrushchev Page 6 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A photograph of Nikita Khrushchev Page 7 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources The USSR's dictator Joseph Stalin died on 5th March 1953. After a three-year power struggle, Khrushchev took the position of General Secretary of the USSR in 1956. To the world, Khrushchev Your notes marked a change in the leadership style of the USSR. At the 20th Party Congress in 1956, Khrushchev denounced Stalin's leadership The three-hour 'Secret Speech' accused Stalin of abusing his power Khrushchev stated the need for 'peaceful co-existence' with the West Khrushchev began a process called 'De-Stalinisation' He released a large number of political prisoners He lifted some censorship of information He increased the number of consumer goods in the USSR In reality, Khrushchev could not implement too much capitalism and democracy into a communist dictatorship. Examiner Tips and Tricks Students often struggle to spell 'Khrushchev.' Try to remember that his name contains three h's and that the root of the word spells 'rush'. Hungary's communist leader, Mátyás Rákosi, harshly controlled the country He stated he wanted Hungary to become a 'country of iron and steel' This was despite the fact that Hungary had no iron ore Hungary suffered from fuel shortages and poor harvests In October 1956, there were violent protests in Hungary's capital, Budapest Hungarian students led a peaceful demonstration asking for more political and personal freedom Hungary's secret police arrested protestors and used tear gas to end the march When the students attempted to free the arrested, the police shot at the protestors Soldiers joined the student protestors The Hungarian Communist government requested military support from the USSR Page 8 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources By 24th October, the USSR had restored order in Budapest Khrushchev decided to change the leadership of Hungary Your notes He replaced Rákosi with Imre Nagy Khrushchev believed that Nagy would resolve the unrest in Hungary The people liked Nagy Limited reforms would stop Hungarians from protesting What Reforms Did Nagy Propose for Hungary? Page 9 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources A concept map showing the areas of reform that Nagy attempted to introduce in October-November 1956 Your notes Khrushchev allowed Nagy some freedom to reform The protests in Hungary made Communism look bad to the West Khrushchev could not accept Hungary’s withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact The USSR needed Hungary to remain in the Warsaw Pact Khrushchev may have needed Hungarian troops to suppress uprisings in other satellite states Hungary's withdrawal may have prompted other satellite states to do the same The USSR relied upon the collective security of pro-Communist states. The satellite states would not protect the USSR if they did not have to Khrushchev did not want any more independent Communist states in Eastern Europe Yugoslavia, under the leadership of Tito, broke away from the USSR's influence in 1948 Yugoslavia became closer to the West by accepting military support from NATO. Tito explored different versions of Communism that undermined the USSR Khrushchev did not want other satellite states to form alliances with Yugoslavia Khrushchev's Reaction to the Uprising Page 10 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A flow diagram explaining Khrushchev's reaction and punishment of the Hungarian Uprising Causes and Consequences of the Hungarian Uprising Page 11 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A flow diagram showing the causes and consequences of the Hungarian Uprising on the USA and the USSR Worked Example Study Source A. What is the cartoonist’s message? Explain your answer using details of the source and your knowledge 7 marks Source A: A cartoon published in Hungary in 1956. The words on the coat covering the horse say, ‘Democracy, freedom, independence, our own way’. The words at the bottom say, ‘And what’s beneath it’. The figure on the right is a Soviet soldier Page 12 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes Partial answer: I believe that the people organising the Hungarian Uprising should not be trusted (1). The cartoon shows the revolutionaries hiding under the banners of ’‘Democracy, freedom, independence’ (1). This shows that the cartoonist believes that the revolutionaries do not want to change Hungary but want power for themselves. As the cartoon is from Hungary, it is surprising that it is not more supportive of the uprising. However, the cartoonist may be a Communist and support the USSR’s control of Hungary (1). Examiner Tips and Tricks This style of question in Paper Two needs you to consider: What the message of the source is. Identify the event it is referring to and if it is presenting the event positively or negatively. In this example, the cartoonist has drawn about the Hungarian Uprising in a negative way Knowledge of the event. This cartoon assumes that the reader knows about Imre Nagy’s reforms and the protests in Hungary. Add relevant own knowledge of these events to support your answer Page 13 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources The purpose of the cartoon. The cartoon was published in Hungary in 1946 by an unknown cartoonist. This makes it harder to understand the purpose of the source. Considering it is against the uprising, it could be inferred that the cartoonist is pro-Soviet or does not believe in Your notes the causes of the uprising. The Prague Spring Reforms Soviet leader: Leonid Brezhnev Page 14 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A photograph of Leonid Brezhnev Page 15 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources In July 1964, Brezhnev became the Second Secretary. This role essentially placed Brezhnev as Khrushchev's successor. Brezhnev was next in line for the leadership of the USSR. In October 1964, Your notes Brezhnev led a coalition against Khrushchev to become the First Secretary of the USSR. Brezhnev believed that Khrushchev had weakened the USSR Unlike Khrushchev, Brezhnev discussed important decisions with his colleagues Brezhnev had an authoritarian style of rule, similar to Stalin Brezhnev marked a change in leadership style. No longer would the USSR allow any type of reform There was a growing desire for change in Czechoslovakia Life in Czechoslovakia was hard. People had limited freedoms and low living standards The Czech government under Gottwald was unpopular with the Czech public In 1968, the Czech Communist Party elected Alexander Dubcek as First Secretary This title gave Dubcek the responsibility of leading the Czech government The USSR approved the appointment of Dubcek Dubcek was a devout Communist. He believed in: The upholding of the Warsaw Pact 'Socialism with a human face’. People in a communist state should be able to: Express their opinion about communism Raise concerns about their government without facing punishment Gain access to a better quality of life In April 1968, the Czech government released a series of reforms. This period of reform is known as the Prague Spring Prague was the capital of Czechoslovakia A 'spring' refers to a period of new beginnings and political reform Page 16 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A concept map showing the reforms suggested by Dubcek in the Prague Spring, April 1968 Brezhnev's Reaction to the Prague Spring Brezhnev demanded that Dubcek reverse the Prague Spring reforms Dubcek ignored his request Dubcek invited Ceausescu and Tito, the leaders of Romania and Yugoslavia, for talks This appeared to be an aggressive action against the USSR Brezhnev could not allow Czechoslovakia to unify with non-Soviet Communist states Brezhnev believed that he needed to take urgent action against Dubcek and the Prague Spring reforms Page 17 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A flow diagram depicting how the USSR suppressed the Prague Spring Brezhnev ensured that Czechoslovakia remained under Soviet control for the next 20 years Husak remained loyal to the USSR The Czech government punished any signs of dissent Causes and Consequences of the Soviet Reaction to the Prague Spring Page 18 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A flow diagram showing the causes and consequences of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 The Brezhnev Doctrine The Prague Spring reinforced Brezhnev's beliefs Satellite states should not attempt to reform Communism The Brezhnev Doctrine: Became public knowledge when it was published in the Communist newspaper, Pravda, on 26th September 1968 Listed Brezhnev's expectations for the satellite states Page 19 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A flow diagram showing the Brezhnev Doctrine Worked Example What was the Brezhnev Doctrine? 4 marks Answers: The Brezhnev Doctrine was a policy introduced by Brezhnev, who was the leader of the USSR (1). It stated that the USSR would intervene in countries where Communist rule was under threat (1). This reinforced the Warsaw Pact (1). The doctrine was a response to the Prague Spring (1). Examiner Tips and Tricks This question in Paper One requires you to state information you know about the Brezhnev Doctrine. The Cambridge IGCSE gives you a point for each relevant piece of information that you write. Therefore, do not spend any additional time trying to describe or explain each reason. Page 20 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Why was the Berlin Wall Built in 1961? Your notes The Refugee Crisis in Berlin by 1958 A flow diagram summarising the changes to Berlin from 1945 to 1950 Page 21 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources The more formal division between East and West Germany had consequences for Berliners The FRG gave access to more rights and freedom Your notes The FRG's economy was strong in the 1950s The Western powers governed West Berlin as a democracy The GDR had many issues East Germans experienced food shortages The USSR's economic policies had not improved the East German economy Many East Berliners lived in poor-quality houses and did not have freedom of speech or protest The secret police, the Stasi, monitored dissent. They arrested many East Germans, subjecting them to torture and imprisonment By the 1950s, many East Germans did not want to live under Soviet rule On 16th June 1953, East Berlin construction workers protested against the East German government The protest spread across East Berlin and multiple towns across the GDR The USSR suppressed the revolt on 18th June 1953 Many East Germans began to leave There was free movement between East and West Berlin East Germans needed to reach East Berlin and travel to West Berlin From West Berlin, East Germans could fly to the FRG Fleeing East Germans created a refugee crisis This means that there were too many people leaving East Germany. West Germany struggled to house these new citizens East Germany had a significant decline in its population. There were not enough people to perform high-skilled jobs in the country How Serious was the Refugee Crisis? The number of people escaping the GDR through East Berlin became an increasing issue by the end of the 1950s By 1958, approximately three million Germans had left the GDR Page 22 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources This was a sixth of the population of East Germany at this time Your notes A graph and table showing the number of East Germans leaving the GDR between 1949 and 1961. Data sourced from www.statista.com Khrushchev's Ultimatum, November 1958 What is an Ultimatum? An ultimatum is when a person or country warns another that, if they do not do or stop a certain action, an unpleasant consequence will happen The consequence is usually a threat of physical violence or war An ultimatum is usually delivered as a last resort Before delivering an ultimatum, a series of issues have to occur between the two countries It indicates a breakdown of effective communication between two people or countries An ultimatum gives a time limit for a decision before the consequence occurs The time limit is usually short to pressure the person or country to react Page 23 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources What Did Khrushchev's Ultimatum Threaten? In October 1958, Khrushchev demanded that the West recognise the GDR as an independent country Your notes of the USSR Since 1949, many Western countries refused to acknowledge that Germany had formerly split into two nations The USA hoped that Germany would become one country soon. It refused to accept Khrushchev's demand On 27th October 1958, Khrushchev issued his ultimatum to the West A diagram showing the demands and consequences Khrushchev threatened with his ultimatum on 27th October 1958 Khrushchev's ultimatum put the USA in an awkward position Asking for Berlin to become a 'free city' showed the USSR as a peaceful nation If the USA refused, it would make them look power-hungry In reality, Khrushchev had no intention to make Berlin independent. He wanted to incorporate the whole of Berlin into the USSR Giving control of Berlin's transport network to the GDR played a clever political tactic To secure access to West Berlin, the West would have to enter into negotiations with the GDR This would force the USA to acknowledge that the GDR was an independent country and Germany was not ruled as one nation Building the Berlin Wall, 1961 Page 24 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A flow diagram explaining the steps taken by the USA and the Soviet Union towards the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 The situation in Berlin required Khrushchev to act quickly The failure of the Vienna Summit in June created fear among East Germans Over 40,000 East Germans escaped the GDR through Berlin in one day in August Walter Ulbricht, the leader of the GDR, urged Khrushchev to act quickly to prevent more East Germans from leaving On 12th August 1961, under nightfall, the East German government placed barbed wire between East and West Berlin. They stationed guards near the divide The Berlin Wall developed from barbed wire to a concrete structure during the 1960s Page 25 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes An illustration showing how the Berlin Wall had developed by 1983 Worked Example Why was the Berlin Wall built in 1961? 6 marks Partial answer: One reason why the Berlin Wall was built was because of the refugee crisis (1). Many East Germans were unhappy with living conditions and used the free movement between East and West Berlin to migrate to West Germany. By 1958, approximately three million Germans had left the GDR (1). This motivated East Germany to build the wall. They could not allow more people to leave the GDR because it impacted the economy and the reputation of Communism. The wall made it harder for people to leave (1). Page 26 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Examiner Tips and Tricks Your notes In Paper One, ‘explain why’ questions are worth either six or ten marks. For full marks in this question, an examiner is looking for two fully explained reasons as to why the Berlin Wall was built. Use the PEE structure in your answer: P - Make a point about the question E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made E - Explain why this evidence caused East Germany to build the wall. Avoid repeating the point again. Explain how this factor caused the GDR to take the extreme measure of building a physical divide between East and West Berlin. Consequences of the Berlin Wall The construction of the Berlin Wall had devastating consequences for the people of Berlin As there had been free movement between East and West Berlin, many people travelled between the two sectors to visit family and friends or for work. As a result, many people became stuck in East Berlin The wall separated German families and friends for years Many East Germans continued to attempt escape plans to West Berlin The GDR killed over 130 people attempting to go over, around or under the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1989. Escape plans included: In 1962, the failed escape attempt by Peter Fechter caused international outrage The GDR border guards shot Fechter when he attempted to escape Fechter fell into no-man's-land between the GDR and FRG. The FRG border guards could not go and rescue Fechter. The GDR border guards did not attempt to treat Fechter's injuries Fechter died of his injuries 45 minutes after he was shot. After he had died, the East German border guards removed Fechter's body. The nature of Fechter's death damaged the GDR's reputation Impact on US-Soviet relations Negative outcomes of the Berlin Wall Positive outcomes of the Berlin Wall Page 27 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources The USSR authorised the construction of the Berlin West Berlin remained independent of Communist Wall without consulting the US government. It influence. It became a symbol of freedom across Your notes demonstrated that the USSR did not value the Europe West's opinion The possibility of uniting Germany into one The Berlin Wall created a stalemate. Khrushchev country seemed further away than ever after the had failed to incorporate Berlin into the USSR. building of the Berlin Wall Kennedy had shown that Khrushchev could not bully the USA out of Berlin East Germans found it much more difficult to The migration of millions of East Germans was no escape the GDR. The USSR gained a reputation longer an issue between the two countries for repressing its own people The Berlin Wall created a physical divide to match The Berlin Wall meant there was less chance of a the ideological divide between East and West. It nuclear war developing over Berlin. Kennedy became a symbol of the Cold War until 1989 stated: "A wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.” Kennedy's 'Ich Bin Ein Berliner' Speech President Kennedy visited West Berlin in June 1963 Thousands of West Berliners gathered to see Kennedy They placed flowers on his route through West Berlin and chanted his name Kennedy was a symbol of freedom for the West Berliners On 26th June 1963, Kennedy addressed the West Berliners in what is now known as the 'Ich bin ein Berliner' ('I am a Berliner') speech Page 28 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes An image showing the important messages from Kennedy's 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech on 26th June 1963 Page 29 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Worked Example Your notes Study Sources F and G How far does Source F make Source G surprising? Explain your answer using details of the sources and your knowledge 8 marks Source F: Instructions from the Soviet government to Soviet diplomats in East Germany in September 1953 TOP SECRET The proposals for the establishment of border security between East Berlin and West Berlin are politically unacceptable. You should meet with Ulbricht and tactfully explain the following. These measures would place under suspicion the sincerity of the governments of the Soviet Union and East Germany, which consistently speak out for German unification and the conclusion of a peace treaty, and would bring serious harm to our political successes in West Germany. These measures would break down the order in city life, bring disorganisation to the city economy, and would negatively affect the interests of the inhabitants of East and West Berlin, causing anger toward the East German government and the Soviet authorities in Germany. It should also be kept in mind that the establishment of border security along the border of East Berlin would worsen the Soviet Union’s relations with the USA, Britain and France, which would be a definite disadvantage to the countries in the camp of peace and democracy Source G: From Khrushchev’s memoirs, published in 1971 The establishment of border control in 1961 straightened things out at once. Discipline in East Germany increased. Factories began working better. So did collective farms. Comrade Ulbricht informed us that there were immediate improvements in the economy of East Germany. The population of West Berlin had been shopping for food in East Berlin, taking advantage of lower prices there. Thus, the West Berliners had been devaluing the East German mark, placing a heavy burden on the shoulders of East German peasants and workers, and therefore extracting political as well as economic gains from the situation. Once we established border control, we put an end to this. Partial answer: After looking at Source F, it does not make Source G look surprising (1). This is because of the length of time between the production of both sources. Source F was written in 1953. This was when the refugee crisis was worsening but before Khrushchev issued his ultimatum in 1958. It is a secret document (1). In comparison, Source G was written in 1971. This was ten years after the wall was built. Page 30 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Khrushchev’s memoirs were published (1). As a result, it is unsurprising the two sources differ. Source F is a secret discussion expressing concerns about dividing Berlin whereas Source G publicly supports the decision to build the wall, knowing it was effective (1). Your notes Examiner Tips and Tricks To answer this style of question in Paper Two, you should aim to: State how surprising the information in Source F is to Source G. To do this, you need to understand the different outlooks of both sources on a specific event. Ensure you clearly state in a sentence if Source F makes Source G surprising Use quotes from both sources. This is needed to show where the sources differ Compare the two sources, using your own knowledge. In this example, you could discuss how it is surprising because Source F states how dividing Berlin would ruin the economy whereas Source G shows how the wall bettered the GDR’s economy Page 31 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Solidarity in Poland & the Decline of Soviet Influence Your notes Reasons Why Poland Resisted Communist Rule A concept map showing why Poland did not accept Communism and Soviet rule Who were Solidarity? By the late 1970s, Poland’s economy was struggling Poland's industry was old-fashioned due to a lack of funding The Polish government hid the extent that the economy was failing Workers’ wages were much higher than the workers’ productivity Page 32 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources In 1980, the government attempted to fix the economy by: Increasing the prices of consumer goods Your notes Decreasing workers’ wages The government’s measures resulted in: Popular protest Widespread strikes The strike at Lenin Gdansk Shipyard on 14th August 1980 led to the creation of Solidarity Solidarity was a trade union that developed into a protest movement An illustration showing the leadership and some of Solidarity’s demands On 30th August 1980, through negotiation, the government agreed to Solidarity’s demands Page 33 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources There were 21 demands in total Your notes A photograph showing Lech Walesa speaking at the Lenin Gdansk Shipyard’s gate during the strike of August 1980 A photograph showing the number of striking workers at the Lenin Gdansk Shipyard in August 1980 Page 34 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Strengths of Solidarity Your notes Strength of Explanation Solidarity Public support By September 1980, Solidarity had three million members. By 1981, over 30% of Polish workers were members, including one million from the Communist Party. The government could not ignore this amount of people Organisation Solidarity had a professional structure. It had a newspaper called Solidarnosc. Walesa was a popular and charismatic leader Type of protest Walesa did not authorise the use of violent protest. This meant that the USSR was less likely to intervene militarily as they had done in Hungary and Czechoslovakia Popularity across Solidarity had members across all areas of Polish industry. If Walesa called for a industries general strike, it could cause significant disruption in Poland Attention from Solidarity’s work was well-reported in the West. This gave widespread support for the West the movement. It also meant that the USSR were cautious about how to deal with Solidarity Martial Law in Poland Page 35 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A flow diagram showing the events that led to martial law in Poland What Helped the Polish Government to Implement Martial Law? Solidarity was fractured The Communist government had encouraged factions to form within Solidarity People began to argue over key policies and aims of the movement The government implemented martial law because they had the support of the USSR Brezhnev could not allow Solidarity to weaken Poland The USSR relied on Poland for its metallurgy Reforms would push Poland away from the USSR Brezhnev needed Poland to conform to the Warsaw Pact A government under Solidarity would want more freedom from the USSR Page 36 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources It may want to withdraw Poland from the Warsaw Pact Your notes A photograph showing the Polish Motorized Reserves of the Citizens' Militia (ZOMO) in action during martial law in Poland A photograph showing disorder in Poland during martial law How Did Solidarity Show the Decline of Soviet Influence? The actions of Solidarity showed that by the 1980s: Millions of people were willing to stand up against the Communist government The people openly expressed their desire for a better standard of living Page 37 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Communist leaders continued to be: Corrupt Your notes Resistant to reform Examiner Tips and Tricks In your revision, it is helpful to consider the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors behind certain events. ‘Push’ factors are events or motivations for someone to act. The Polish government were corrupt and did not want to reform. This ‘pushed’ people to support Solidarity and demand a better quality of life. ‘Pull’ factors are benefits from performing an action. If Solidarity gained power, Polish people hoped that they would improve the economy and introduce more freedoms. This ‘pulled’ millions of people to support Solidarity. Considering the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors will help you to explain why Solidarity showed a decline in Soviet influence. Worked Example Describe the activities of ‘Solidarity’ in Poland during the 1980s 4 marks Answers: It organised strikes at the Gdansk shipyard in 1980 (1). It made 21 demands to improve living and working conditions in Poland (1). It won the support for its demands, having 3 million members (1). It produced its own newspaper called Solidarnosc (1). Examiner Tips and Tricks This question in Paper One requires you to state information you know about the Solidarity in Poland. The Cambridge IGCSE gives you a point for each relevant piece of information that you write. Therefore, do not spend any additional time trying to describe or explain each reason. Page 38 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Gorbachev & the Collapse of Soviet Control over Eastern Europe Your notes Who was Mikhail Gorbachev? Page 39 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A photograph of Mikhail Gorbachev On 10th November 1982, Leonid Brezhnev died Page 40 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources His cause of death was a heart attack Brezhnev died in office Your notes Between 1982 and 1985, there was unstable leadership in the USSR Brezhnev's successor, Andropov, died in 1984 Andropov's successor, Chernenko, died in 1985 In March 1985, the Central Committee nominated Mikhail Gorbachev as the new leader of the USSR Gorbachev had risen through the Communist Party and held important roles like the party secretary of agriculture As leader of the USSR, he argued that the country needed to introduce democratic reforms Why was There a Need for 'New Thinking'? By 1985, the USSR had serious economic and social issues Page 41 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes Page 42 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A concept map of the economic and social challenges in the USSR in 1985 When Gorbachev became leader, the USSR was close to economic collapse He believed that reform would: Save the Communist economy Increase the happiness of the citizens in the USSR and its satellite states Perestroika - 'Restructuring' To reform the economy, Gorbachev began the process of perestroika Perestroika is the Russian word for 'restructuring' The policies involved in perestroika were: The reduction of military spending The Red Army to became smaller The ending of the arms race with the USA The introduction of more capitalist elements in the economy Gorbachev allowed the establishment of small, privately-owned businesses The USSR removed the restrictions on foreign trade, allowing businesses to trade more freely with other countries A reduction in the government control of businesses Glasnost - 'Openness' The second aspect of Gorbachev's reforms was glasnost Glasnost is the Russian term for 'openness' The policies involved in glasnost were: Less restrictions on censorship and freedom of speech Page 43 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources The citizens of the USSR could discuss and criticise the government There was less Soviet control of the media Your notes The USSR took responsibility for past repression For example, the Soviet government admitted that the Hungarian Uprising and the Prague Spring were peaceful attempts at reform The USSR would allow opposition to their government In 1988, there were discussions about allowing elections A commitment to tackle corruption within the Soviet government This approach helped to improve relations with the West Between 1985 and 1989, Gorbachev attended a series of summits with Reagan, the president of the USA In 1988, Gorbachev spoke at the UN Gorbachev's speech confirmed the USSR’'s commitment to reforms Gorbachev and Reagan formed a strong diplomatic relationship Examiner Tips and Tricks Students often struggle to remember the definitions of glasnost and perestroika. To help you remember what these two terms mean, break down each word: Perestroika contains 'str' - this can remind you of the word 'structure' Glasnost contains 'Glas' - this can remind you of the word 'glass'. You can see through glass, referring to the transparency of the USSR under glasnost. The End of Communism in Eastern Europe Satellite state When did Events leading to the end of Communism Communism end? Hungary May 1989 The repressive Kadar retired on 22nd May 1988. Hungary opened its border to Austria. Free elections officially ended Communist rule in Hungary in October Page 44 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Poland June 1989 Widespread strikes began in 1988. The government legalised Solidarity and agreed to free elections. Solidarity gained 99 out of Your notes the 100 seats on the Polish Senate East Germany November 1989 East Germans demonstrated in huge numbers in October 1989 against the GDR government. A mistake in implementing a new travel policy between East and West Berlin caused thousands of East Berliners to cross to West Berlin on 9th November. This caused the fall of the Berlin Wall Czechoslovakia December 1989 The ‘Velvet Revolution’ showed the government violently suppressing student protests. By 20th November, there were 500,000 protestors in Prague. On 10th December, President Husák resigned Romania December 1989 After Husák's resignation, Ceausescu was the last repressive communist leader in Eastern Europe. On 21st December 1989, protests began. The government had lost the support of the army by 22nd December. On Christmas Day 1989, Ceaușescu and his family were executed Bulgaria December 1989 After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Petar Mladenov became the leader of Bulgaria. Mladenov repealed the freedom of speech and assembly. On 17th November, the Communist government was facing mass protests. Mladenov resigned live on national television on 11th December 1989 Yugoslavia 1991-1992 The Yugoslavian leader Tito died in 1980. By the late 1980s, Yugoslavia experienced an increased pressure to reform. In 1990, Slovenia voted to break away from Yugoslavia. Between June 1991 and April 1992, Yugoslavia split into seven separate states The End of the USSR Reform in Eastern Europe affected the Warsaw Pact The USSR no longer had influence over Eastern Europe. By early 1990, the USSR had to stop its military cooperation with Eastern Europe The USSR ended the Warsaw Pact in July 1991 The collapse of the Eastern Bloc placed Gorbachev in a dangerous position in the USSR Page 45 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Devout Communists blamed Gorbachev for weakening the USSR The USSR lost control of the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania throughout 1990 Your notes In August 1991, a group of Communist Party members called the 'Gang of Eight' attempted a coup against Gorbachev The coup demanded complete control of the USSR and the declaration of a state of emergency in the country Gorbachev refused and the 'Gang of Eight' kept him under house arrest The coup against Gorbachev failed because: The coup lacked popular support Prominent Communists like Boris Yeltsin spoke out against the coup Gorbachev was able to continue to govern the USSR The Communist Party no longer respected Gorbachev The coup ruined Gorbachev's reputation across the USSR 12 states of the USSR joined together to create the Commonwealth of Independent States As a result, Gorbachev could no longer rule the USSR On 25th December 1991, Gorbachev resigned as General Secretary of the USSR IMAGE A map showing the dates when communist governments collapsed in Eastern Europe Actions of the USA The USA contributed to the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe US President Reagan took a strong stance against the USSR The Reagan Doctrine gave support to anti-Communist groups attempting to overthrow Communist governments On 8th March 1983, Reagan made a speech calling the USSR an ‘evil empire’ He developed an idea called the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The USA was forcing the USSR to collapse its economy by over-spending on its defence budget After seeing Gorbachev’s attempts at reform, Reagan pursued friendly relations with the USSR Summits from 1985 to 1989 improved relations between the USA and the USSR Page 46 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources In December 1987, the superpowers agreed to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force (INF) treaty. The treaty agreed to abolish all land missiles with a range of between 500km and 5,500km Your notes Events in the USSR By the 1980s, the USSR’s economy was failing The USSR could no longer economically support the satellite states The USSR had invaded Afghanistan in 1979 It was a costly and unsuccessful war The Red Army could not fight against the guerrilla warfare tactics of the Mujahideen Gorbachev signed a treaty to end the war in 1988 Political control began to weaken Gorbachev’s reforms encouraged countries to speak out against their Communist governments Ukraine and Lithuania demanded independence from the USSR The USSR contained politicians who wanted to focus on strengthening Russia rather than Eastern Europe Boris Yeltsin was the president of the Soviet Republic of Russia in May 1990 By 1990, Yeltsin became the most influential political leader in Russia Worked Example ‘Soviet control over Eastern Europe collapsed because of problems in the USSR.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer 10 marks Partial answer: Some people may argue that the problems within the USSR caused the end of Soviet control in Eastern Europe (1). This is because the USSR had severe economic issues (1). Gorbachev knew that the war in Afghanistan had cost a lot of money and harmed Russia’s economy. This encouraged him to pursue perestroika, the restructuring of the USSR’s economy (1). Gorbachev needed to repair the damage that a Communist economy, the arms race and Afghanistan had done to Russia. This meant Page 47 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources that Russia could no longer support the regimes in Eastern Europe. For example, it could not afford to keep the Red Army stationed across Europe (1). Your notes Examiner Tips and Tricks A strong response for this Paper One question needs to examine both sides of the argument. The next paragraph would explain another perspective on the question, for example, the role of an individual satellite state or the actions of the USA. Continue to use a clear PEE structure as shown above. You would then need to write a conclusion explaining if problems within the USSR were the main reason why Soviet control over Eastern Europe collapsed. Remember to use phrases like ‘fully’ or ‘partially’ to proportion the blame for the Cold War. Page 48 of 48 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers