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The development of Soviet Foreign Policy. Part I 1917-1958. Geography Natural Resources Industrial capacity Military preparedness Population. National character National morale Quality of Diplomacy Quality of Government. Morgenthau’s original points. Goals conflict.
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The development of Soviet Foreign Policy Part I 1917-1958
Geography Natural Resources Industrial capacity Military preparedness Population National character National morale Quality of Diplomacy Quality of Government Morgenthau’s original points
Goals conflict • Continuation of Tsarist tradition or World Revolution? • Sometimes called “Ideology v National Interest” • Some commentators argue that the two are not irreconcileable: World revolutionary movement became a foreign policy tool
Geography Natural Resources Industrial capacity Military preparedness Population National character National morale Quality of Diplomacy Quality of Government Morgenthau’s original points
Timeline 1 Lenin, Trotsky and Zinoviev • October 1917 Revolution • March 1918 Brest-Litovsk • 1917-21 “War of Foreign Intervention” • 1919-43 Comintern • 16.4.1922 Rapallo • 1924 Death of Lenin
Timeline 2 [Stalin] • Need for investment: 100,000 tractors • 17th Party Congress 1934 • Spanish Civil War 1936 • 18th Party Congress 1938 • Ribbentrop-Molotov non-aggression Pact Sept 28th 1939 • Division of Poland Sept 17th 1939 • War with Finland Nov 1939-March 1940 • June 1940 Baltic States and Bessarabia
Timeline 3 Second World War • April 1941 Non-Aggression pact with Japan • June 22nd 1941 German Invasion • Stalingrad Feb 1943 • Kursk July-Aug 1943 • Tehran, Yalta, Potsdam Conferences • Invasion of Manchuria two days after Hiroshima Aug 8th 1945
Timeline 4 After 2nd World War • Stalin purged and later closed down the Comintern • After German invasion, Communist parties revived as resistance groups • Where Red Army liberated territory, Communists effectively given power according to percentages of influence decided at Yalta and Potsdam Conferences • Remember Yugoslavia and Albania effectively self-liberated
More after WW II • Important to realise many democratic parties in eastern Europe discredited by pre-war politics [Brzezinski] • Nevertheless after Czech coup in 1948, Stalinisation became the order of the day • China liberated itself 1949 • Vietnamese fighting French • Communists in coalitions in France and Italy • Civil war in Greece • Finally Korean War
After Stalin’s death • Korean War ended • De-stalinisation agenda of Khrushchev • Secret speech of 1956 • Poland and Hungary 1956 • Anti-party group crisis 1957 • Peaceful coexistence • K and B’s overseas visits
The significance and impact of Sov FP in this period? • Creation of anti-capitalist revolutionary socialist movement world-wide • Strengthening of anti-colonial forces • In Europe, mostly concerned with regaining territory lost after 1917 • In Asia, won the unknown war with Japan and very involved with China • Supportive of Nasser, Nehru, Nkrumah and “progressive forces” generally