Term
| What is the meaning of the term East-Central Europe (ECE)? What countries are part of ECE? |
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Definition
-a term used after the fall of the Communist regimes in 1989
-ECE = countries formerly in Soviet sphere of influence
-Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Albania |
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Term
| What ECE countries split or united after communism? What new countries emerged? |
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Definition
-East + West Germany = Germany
-Czechoslovakia --> The Czech Republic, Slovakia
-Yugoslavia --> Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia--Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo |
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Term
| Name the three large groups of Slavic people, and the countries in which each group lives. |
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Definition
-Easter Slavs- Russia, ukraine, Belarus
-Western Slavs- (North ECE) Poland, Czechoslovakia, Slovakia
-Souther Slavs
Catholics- Slovenia, Croatia
Eastern Orthodox- Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia
Muslim- Albania |
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Term
| Name the main non-Slavic ethnic groups living in East-Central Europe. |
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Definition
| Romanians, Magyars, Germans, Albanians, Jews, Gypsies/Roma |
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Term
| Name the multi-ethnic empires of Eastern Europe and write three important facts about each that affected the populations they ruled. |
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Definition
-Ottoman Empire
*Ottoman rule based on Muslim religion and Eastern culture
*Millet-administrative districts based on religion
*Bureaucracy:
--relativity of all things
--negotiation of prices
--compromise
-Habsburg Empire- turned into Austro Hungarian empire
*Baronial family
*intermarriages- dynastic control of Europe from Spain to Austria
*1867- formation of dual monarchy in Austria-Hungarian Empire
-Russia
*expansion west in the 17th century
*increase power over Ottomans in 19th century
*1877-78 waged war against Ottoman Empire-helped Romania gain independence, and Bulgaria gain autonomy |
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Term
| What were the decisions of the Peace Settlements at the end of World War I? |
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Definition
-Yugoslavia became country as did Romania and Czechoslovakia (mesh with Transylvania), Croatia and Slovenia- Kingdom of Serbs
-Independence of countries from Austro-Hungarian (reshaped Europe)
-Basically turned former provinces into independent countries |
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Term
| Describe the interwar social structure in East-Central Europe (1918-39). |
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Definition
-Czechoslovakia
well-developed bourgeoisie
strong urban proletariat
landed peasantry
-Poland & Hungary
powerful large landowners & aristocracy
peasants were majority of population
extreme rural poverty
urban unemployment
jews – influential in industry, trade, banking
anti-Semitism against lower-class Jews
-Balkan countries
slow growth of middle class
limited aristocracy
new urban–oriented middle class
majority population was agrarian
less & less land
rural unemployment
malnutrition, tuberculosis
illiteracy
slow urbanization rate |
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Term
| Describe the features of interwar agricultural development in East-Central Europe. |
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Definition
-more developed than industry (expect in Czechoslovakia)
--everything else was rural
-Poland and Hungary had big rich estates
--many poor peasants working and dissatisfied
-Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia had more landowners but smaller land
--farms produced only enough for self (no trouble) |
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Term
| Describe the features of interwar industrial development in East-Central Europe. |
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Definition
growth in industrial development but little development in heavy machine industry
lack of regional cooperation
stagnation in developing agrarian technology
under mechanization
labor intensive production
worldwide depression
widespread poverty |
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Term
| Describe the main stages in the unfolding of World War Two (WWII). |
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Definition
-Hitler played nations against each other
-Germany invaded Poland 1st- then Czechoslovakia (puppet-regime)
-then Yugoslavia-1941 (Serbs were most powerful-Croats wanted power however)
-then Hungary, and Bulgaria (Hitler promised land back lost in WWI)
-than Romania (half Soviet occupied) |
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Term
| Describe the decisions regarding ECE countries in the Yalta war agreement. |
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Definition
-freely elected governments in ECE
-should be democratic and ‘friendly’ to USSR
-USSR gained territory from eastern Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Romania
-Poland gained territory from East Germany
-Germany was divided into four occupation zones, Soviets in charge of Eastern quarter |
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Term
| Describe the stages in the communist takeovers in ECE countries from 1945 to 1952. |
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Definition
45-46:
-Stalin promised democratic elections in Eastern countries (under the rule that they be friends with Russia)
--coalition government- rep of traditional parties including reps of communism
-took control of interior ministries (police)- intimidate
-landowners land divided to peasants
--Communists won over poor
46-47:
-control of media
-attracted more people
-fascists: join party or jail- forced increased part numbers
47-48:
-strongest party ever
-put leaders of countries in prison
-started with measures: society upside down
48-52:
-new constitutions proclaiming the establishment of ‘people’s democracies’
-purges of top non-communists and through show trials
-repression against organized religion
-intensification of class struggles: confiscation of private property in industry and agriculture
-industrialization: shortages of food, goods, tools, raw materials
-peasant’s resistance to collectivization: punitive measures
-inflation |
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Term
| What factors facilitated the communists’ success in ECE after WWII? |
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Definition
-geographical position- neighbors of Soviets
-communist parties already present
-war and military force (division of land)
-local revolutions (Tito-Yugoslavia)
-economic legacy of poverty
-communist propaganda and demagogy |
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Term
| Describe the political features of communism. |
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Definition
-Marxism/Leninism = ideology of perfection; debate or error – intentional, hostile, punishable
-Social utopia- no place for hope or change
-Criticism- possible only if directed by the political authority
-POLICY: Staline wanted to get all resources out of these countries and men- joint countries giving resources to Soviets (lumber, metal, factories, blond hair blue eyed men)
-Political structure- hierarchical, disciplined; at the center- Stalin |
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Term
| Describe the economic features of communism. |
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Definition
-Collective ownership of means of production (industry, farming, transportation, etc.)
-Centrally planned economic development – 5/6-year economic plans
-Autarchy (economic self-reliance)
-Heavy industry (machine building), later petrochemical; mega factories difficult to dismantle after communism
-Economic development of all areas of the country
-Agriculture → secondary in importance, treated as a branch of industry. Developed differently in individual countries (no collectivization in Yugoslavia and Poland). |
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Term
| Describe citizens’ benefits deriving from the egalitarian distribution of national income. |
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Definition
-guaranteed employment and pension
-fixed wages and prices
-subsidized food staples (bread, sugar, oil, rice, etc.), housing, and utilities
-subsidized culture (inexpensive books, theater/museum tickets, etc.)
-free education and health care
-free sports practice and use of sports facilities
-subsidized travel fares and accommodation (in hotels, motels, campgrounds) |
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Term
| Describe the features of education under communism. |
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Definition
-All private schools were abolished with new Education Law around 1948
-Education - free at all levels, including college and graduate schools
-Both theoretical and vocational high schools, the latter needed for industrialization drive
-Late 1940s- 1950s - crash job training of new industrial workers
-Education - only differentiating element in an egalitarian society
--intense competition for admission to limited number of places in higher education
--“internationalist” character in 1940s and 50s – learning about the Soviet Union and its achievements at the expense of national history and culture; national authors not studied in schools; their books removed from public libraries and bookstores
--re-writing of history and other textbooks to give greater role to Soviet Union
--study of Russian language compulsory in schools |
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Term
| What was Socialist Realism? Explain. |
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Definition
-expressing in realist artistic form the belief that the fate of man can be controlled by social effort.
-Individualism is negative, optimism prevails.
-Communist leaders demanded conformity- censorship
-Artists were limited to socialist realism parameters |
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Term
| What were the features of communist literature in the 1960s and 1970s? |
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Definition
1960s- literature became literature again: modern
1960s- criticism was allowed of 1950s system
1970s- government tightened control: but not back to socialist realism
1970s- some authors banned for too much criticism
1970s- post modernism artistic expression |
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Term
| Describe performing arts under communism. |
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Definition
-arts flourished under communism
-movies boomed- important propaganda
-music was also supported: orchestras and folk music
-every large city had its own theater company |
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Term
| What role did sport play in communism? |
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Definition
-competitive sports: compete with the West
-legally provided for by country- ‘safe’ way of spending leisure time
-OWNED in olympics- supreme importance
--ability to travel abroad
--star status |
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Term
| Describe unofficial culture after 1960. |
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Definition
-western art obsession- tourist influenced
-rock/pop music- means for young people to rally
--rejected communism |
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Term
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Definition
| transfer (a major branch of industry or commerce) from private to state ownership or control |
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Term
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Definition
| develop industry in a country on a wide scale |
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Term
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Definition
| a Soviet worker honored and rewarded for exceptional diligence in increasing production |
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Term
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Definition
| organize (something-farms) on a basis of ownership by the people or the state, abolishing private ownership or involvement: agriculture |
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Term
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Definition
| a highly public trial gaining confession through torture and threats agains the defendants families |
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Term
| Central economic planning |
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Definition
| directing or planning of economic activity by the state, in an attempt to achieve specific economic or social outcomes |
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Term
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Definition
| communist economic: bring socialists together to improve trade and modernize development |
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Term
| Describe the characteristic elements of Stalinism (1948-53). |
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Definition
-industry was nationalized (goal was industrialization)
-collectivization of agriculture
-culture: social realism
-politically communist party
-religion was tolerated- not encouraged
-atmosphere of terror
-propaganda success
-made other countries dependent on Russian, national identities suppressed |
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Term
| Describe standards of living during Stalinism. |
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Definition
-Nationalism caused living standards to be extremely low since all money went back into industry
-Huge shortages of goods
-Collectivization led to shortages and chaos |
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Term
| What were the causes of the crisis of socialism in ECE countries in the early 1950s? |
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Definition
-Stalin’s death- Kruschev’s transition into power
-Mass shortages of food and consumer goods
-Strikes against workload vs pay |
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Term
| the specific features of Yugoslav socialism: |
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Definition
Soviets had plundered and raped country- Tito came to power and removed Soviets from country since it wasn’t a border country and the US supported it financially
-developed own version of socialism
--self management (each economic enterprise would manage self)
--no central planning |
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Term
| the crisis in Poland in 1956: |
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Definition
| too many work hours, inflation, shortages of goods and food, extreme lack of agriculture (resistance to collectivization) |
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Term
| the Hungarian revolution of 1956 |
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Definition
most important revolution: against low living standards, and desire for other political parties.
--lead to soviet military invasion |
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Term
| Romania's road away from the Soviet Union under Gheorghiu-Dej (1956-64): |
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Definition
| troops were kicked out of Romania, rehabilitation of pre-war historians and writers, declaration of foreign policy, de-Russification, increased communist pary membership among intellectuals |
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Term
| the impact of 1956 on Eastern Europe |
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Definition
-revolutions weakened uniformity, communist party had to make settlements:
--rehabilitation of political prisoners
--production of consumer goods
--slowing of collectivization
--settlements with industrial workers
--increase of available consumer goods |
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Term
| the stages in Czechoslovakia's Prague Spring (1968) |
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Definition
Novotny replaced by Dubeck: reformed with the “Action Program”
-new model of socialist democracy (multi-party, marked economy, free cultural expression)
-perceived as a threat to socialist system
-Warsaw Pact troops invaded by Czech
-Dubcek replaced by Husak
-intellectuals left country |
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Term
| the features of Ceauşescu’s regime in Romania (1965-89) |
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Definition
| wanted economic independence, borrowed money from West to improve country (interest rates- only country to pay off debt- exporting shoes, sheep, instruments, agricultural goods), balanced all economic structure in all areas, no housing shortages |
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Term
| What was the impact of socialist policies on gender and generation? |
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Definition
-Financial incentives for children, natality leaves, child car facilities
-accommodation to traditional notions of gender
--protective legislation for pregnant women and women with small children
--increase of women workers in factories |
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Term
Describe:
Industrial cities and housing under socialism
The reconstruction and reform of the family during socialism
Pronatalist policies in socialism
Socialist consumerism
The role of the informal economy in socialism. |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the situation of the Roma population in the European Union now? |
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Definition
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Term
| What aspects of socialism do the movies Desert of Forbidden Art, Man of Marble, and the short stories you have read describe and how? |
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Definition
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