1950s

freed from Japanese control 1945, divided on 38th parallel, both recieved aid and military equipment from their liberator, both claimed to be rulers of whole country

domino effect if South Korea became communist

25 June 1950

met at request of USA, USSR not attending, North told to withdraw - ignored, UN force from 16 nations put together

UN troops mostly American, commander was General Douglas MacArthur

UN forces pushed North back to near Chinese border, Mao Zedong not prepared to see US-led forces defeat communist North

dismissed April 1951 - disagreed with Truman on how the war should be fought

spent est $67 billion, lost over 30,000

South Korea - 1 million civilian deaths

US defence budget tripled after war, 2.8 million Red Army soldiers 1950 - almost doubled by 1955

USA encouraged Greece and Turkey to join NATO, Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) formed 1954, Warsaw Pact when West Germany joined NATO 1955

USA developed 1945, Stalin instructed scientists to put all their energy into it - achieved 1949

USA developed 1952, USSR 1953, 1,000 times more powerful than atomic

inter-continental ballistic missile, could fire at target 5,000 km away, USA developed 1957, USSR testing a few months later

took office 1953, he and secretary of state John Foster Dulles strongly anti-communist, would block any attempt at expansion, aware of nuclear dangers - prepared to listen to Soviet proposals and have negotiations

effective ruler 1956, came to power after 3 year leadership struggle - Stalin hadn't named a successor

based on growing Soviet belief that communism was so superior that capitalism would collapse - meant little point in war

Iron Curtain an agreed boundary - new map of Europe accepted, reducing military spending would help both economies, 1955 agreement on how Austria should be governed, summit meeting Geneva 1955 - no agreement over disarmament and future of Germany but atmosphere of cooperation, end of Korean war 1953 - less opposition

short-lived - May 1955 West Germany joined NATO and USSR responded with Warsaw Pact

Western Germany on border with Soviet-controlled land

known as the 'Eastern Bloc'

liberated by Red Army 1945, non-communist parties banned, key police gov and army officials chosen by Stalin

Matyas Rakosi, firm supporter of Stalin and dealt strongly with communist opposition, 1949-56 over 300,000 Hungarians imprisoned and over 2,000 executed

1956 speech criticised Stalin's regime - de-stalinisation, let satellite states push for relaxation of Soviet control

new leader Wladyslaw Gomulka introduced series of moderate reforms - encouraged Hungarians to push for change

1956 - started to protest about lack of political freedom, fuel shortages and poor harvests, Oct riots in Budapest - police fought alongside protestors

Khrushchev sent Red Army to restore order and stabilise Warsaw Pact, agreed to replace Rakosi with Imre Nagy - former PM thrown out after arguing with Rakosi

thought there could be more personal freedoms in communism

Oct 1956, Hungary leave Warsaw Pact, become neutral, power sharing with non-communist groups

ordered tanks into Budapest Nov 1956, supporters fought and begged West for support, around 20,000 Hungarians killed

new pro-communist gov under Janos Kader, Nagy executed - 'a lesson to the leaders of all socialist countries'

Radio Free Europe - US-funded station broadcast messages encouraging rebellion, Marshal aid had been offered

Eisenhower sympathetic, some European NATO nations took refugees, no military support, containment meant stopping spread but not interfering in satellite states

USSR seemed strong, Satellite states scared, Khrushchev more confident dealing with USA - they had done nothing