- after events in Czechoslovakia 1968 → Soviet Leader Brezhnev → introduced policy known as Brezhnev doctrine
All eastern Bloc countries would be one party states → led by comm party
Any attempt in these states to reverse comm (e.g. reforms to allow greater freedom of speech) → would be seen as threat for all comm states.
- if such threat emerged → then other comm states would intervene by sending in troops.
all communist states in EE were expected to be members of Warsaw Pact, 1955
Brezhnev → less flexible comm leader → but not as rigid as some of the leaders of EE.
- e.g. East German leader Erich Honecker.
- Honecker → lifelong communist → imprisoned by Nazis for his beliefs.
- utterly committed to communist rule → saw even smallest criticism or opposition as a US inspired plot.
- East Germany’s secret police → Stasi → known and feared for harshness and efficiency.
- Honecker would not hesitate to use troops against protestors
therefore Honecker and other comm leaders → pleased with soviet actions resulting from Brezhnev doctrine
these actions → strengthened their position in their own countries.
However everyone could see now that these communist govts depended on USSR to prop them up. Opp and resentment increased among civilians, particularly in Poland
Though movements against comm rule in EE were crushed → significance was clear.
- they highlighted the failure of communism to provide good living standards → undermined the claim that communism benefitted ordinary people.
- showed that communist govts → could be threatened by people power and be resisted by organisations
the movements → highlighted → nature of communist control in EE. Main way that kept communists in power → was force or threat of force → backed by USSR. if soviet policy were to change → communist regimes would not survive.