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Domestic & “Family” Issues 1953-65ish

Domestic & “Family” Issues 1953-65ish . What’s Going On Inside Countries and Alliances . Great Britain. Labour Party 1945-51 Victory over Churchill’s Conservatives Creation of the welfare stare in GB Rebuilding effort “Special relationship” with the United States

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Domestic & “Family” Issues 1953-65ish

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  1. Domestic & “Family” Issues1953-65ish What’s Going On Inside Countries and Alliances

  2. Great Britain • Labour Party 1945-51 • Victory over Churchill’s Conservatives • Creation of the welfare stare in GB • Rebuilding effort • “Special relationship” with the United States • Dealing with decolonization & Commonwealth issues • Conservatives 1951-64 • Continue the rebuilding efforts • Preside over a period of initial economic growth, followed by stagnation • Continued welfare state, but promoted economic liberalism and less state involvement • 1959 election “Britain never had it so good”; things go south after that • Not allowed into EEC(1963); declining role in world affairs

  3. Cod Wars (1970’s) • Reoccurring conflict between GB & Iceland over fishing rights • Iceland gunboats destroy Brit gear • GB gives up claims b/c Iceland’s importance to NATO

  4. France • Fourth Republic (1946-1958) • Economic growth and rebuilding • Creation of welfare state • Social Security, Health Care, Unemployment insurance, and disability pensions to ALL citizens • 20 different gov’t coalitions in 10 years • Why the instability??? • Discuss French Reading – 1st half • 5th Republic (1958-today!) • De Gaulle & Fr exercised a disproportionate influence in Euro affairs • GB stagnating under Conservative gov’ts; rising tide of anti-US • Saw France as major power & leader of Euro • Supported Euro unity, but not at expense of sovereignty and not = • EEC led by Fr & Ger • NATO led by Fr, GB, & US • Wanted own nukcear weapons • Franco-German “treaty” (1/1963) Brought two states closer together; supposed to be a check on the power of NATO, EEC, & GB-US relationship • Discuss French reading- 2nd half

  5. West Germany (FRG) • Konrad Adenauer • First Chancellor (1949-1963) • Headed Christian Democrat Union; Centre-right • “In his years in power, Germany achieved prosperity, democracy, stability, and respect.” (Richard Hiscocks, The Adenauer era (1975) p. 290) • Worked for FULL alignment with West, not just neutrality like original plan • Forged close relations with old enemies Fr & US • Fast rebuilding and MASSIVE econ growth • The “German miracle” • 1955- full sovereign state • Allowed to rearm • Limited, and monitored • Joins NATO

  6. Strains Within NATO • De Gaulle & his nationalism • Differences between US & Euro on role of NATO • Role of nuclear deterrent • Conflicts between NATO members over “local” issues • Cod Wars; troops; economic issues

  7. Problems Within Soviet Block • Enthusiasm of Stalin’s 5-Year Plans replaced with exhaustion from war • Economic • Consumer goods given LOW priority in econ • 12.1% (US averages about 25%) • Reassertion of control over private land • By 1952, 1940 ag levels (grain, potatoes, cattle) still not reached • Social • Little social mobility • Status & hierarchy emphasized • Women’s rights reduced • Intellectual • ALL art, lit, music, & film had to promote socialism • Cultural ties to outside world cut • All learning focused on the Party

  8. Problems Within Soviet Block • Political • Increasingly centralized under Stalin • State and Party subordinate to Stalin • Continued & increased use of terror • Decentralization under destalinization • Some increases, but also uncertainty • Cultural conservative- Russian nationalism became more chauvinistic • Dislike of Russian heavy-handedness • Didn’t like loss of state sovereignty • Don’t like their econ used by COMECON to better USSR

  9. Demonstrations of Discontent • East German Workers’ Revolt (1953) • Polish October or Polish Thaw (1956) • Demonstrations & strikes led to some minor liberalizations & autonomy • Hungarian Revolution (1956) A Soviet tank in Berlin, 17 June 1953.

  10. East Germany • Full police state • Elections manipulated • All media, art, and culture censored • Churches harassed • Stasi- secret police • Most effective & repressive secret police in the world • Motto: “The shield and sword of the Party” • Consumer goods still below pre-war levels in 1953 • What was available was LOW quality • Inefficient distribution system • Food supplies always low

  11. Rumania • NicolaeCeaușescu is head of Party • Used nationalist assertiveness to mask & distract from repression & bad econ • Talk about how that works with partner • HUGE foreign debt; shortage of consumer goods; econ dependence on USSR • Used cult of personality

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