How serious a threat to Soviet Power were the Hungarian uprising of 1956 and the Prague Spring of 1968
How serious a threat to Soviet power were the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 and the Prague Spring of 1968?
There were two serious threats to Soviet power during the period 1956 to 1968. Between the Hungarian Uprising and Prague Spring the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 was a greater threat because it took place at the start of the weakening of Communism in Eastern Europe. The Soviet retreat from Cuba, the growing atmosphere of detente and the Sino-soviet split all combined to weaken soviet control over Eastern Europe. When Khrushchev came to power in 1953 after Stalin’s death in 1950 he began a policy of Destalinisation in Eastern Europe and even denounced Stalin in a secret speech in 1954. This all made communism seem weaker and people began to revolt against the USSR’s influence in Hungary believing that with Stalin gone it would be easier to achieve independence. The Hungarian Uprising of 1956 posed the greatest threat to Soviet power because protests in Budapest showed an increased dislike for Soviet control and Khrushchev felt Hungary was drifting away from the USSR’s control. The Uprising in Hungary lead to the election of Imre Nagy who intended to withdraw Hungary from the Warsaw Pact and began introducing a range of political reforms such as free speech and free elections including non-communist parties. This was a huge threat to Soviet Power because Khrushchev knew that if one of the Soviet satellites left the Warsaw Pact it would acts as a catalyst for other Eastern European countries to revolt against Communism and the Soviet Union would weaken. The Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia in 1968 was less serious a threat than Hungary was in 1956 because revolts against Soviet control were not uncommon by 1968 whilst in 1956 the uprising in Hungary had been a shock to Moscow. Dubcek as First Secretary of the Czech communist party abolished censorship which led to a flow of anti-Soviet propaganda causing a national urge to abolish Soviet power in Czechoslovakia.
There were two serious threats to Soviet power during the period 1956 to 1968. Between the Hungarian Uprising and Prague Spring the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 was a greater threat because it took place at the start of the weakening of Communism in Eastern Europe. The Soviet retreat from Cuba, the growing atmosphere of detente and the Sino-soviet split all combined to weaken soviet control over Eastern Europe. When Khrushchev came to power in 1953 after Stalin’s death in 1950 he began a policy of Destalinisation in Eastern Europe and even denounced Stalin in a secret speech in 1954. This all made communism seem weaker and people began to revolt against the USSR’s influence in Hungary believing that with Stalin gone it would be easier to achieve independence. The Hungarian Uprising of 1956 posed the greatest threat to Soviet power because protests in Budapest showed an increased dislike for Soviet control and Khrushchev felt Hungary was drifting away from the USSR’s control. The Uprising in Hungary lead to the election of Imre Nagy who intended to withdraw Hungary from the Warsaw Pact and began introducing a range of political reforms such as free speech and free elections including non-communist parties. This was a huge threat to Soviet Power because Khrushchev knew that if one of the Soviet satellites left the Warsaw Pact it would acts as a catalyst for other Eastern European countries to revolt against Communism and the Soviet Union would weaken. The Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia in 1968 was less serious a threat than Hungary was in 1956 because revolts against Soviet control were not uncommon by 1968 whilst in 1956 the uprising in Hungary had been a shock to Moscow. Dubcek as First Secretary of the Czech communist party abolished censorship which led to a flow of anti-Soviet propaganda causing a national urge to abolish Soviet power in Czechoslovakia.