Dissidence Synoptic Question

Synoptic Question: Dissidence

Stalin

During the war, 1 million Soviets defected to fight with the Germans, as well as the Germans being welcomed in Ukraine as liberators

In 1944, 400,000 Volga Germans were deported after being labelled as traitors and “enemies of the State”. The same fate was met by the Crimean Tartars

After the war, under High Stalinism, any feared dissidence was crushed. His policy of Anti-Cosmopolitanism banned western influence, and any feared opposition like the Leningrad Party was purged (200 officials)

Khrushchev

Through the legal code introduced in December 1958, vague crimes like “enemy of the people” could no longer be reason for conviction.

Through the Khrushchev Thaw, there was a relaxation of restrictions over culture, i.e. Solzhenitsyn was published

However, this was limited to if such works served the purpose of destalinisation. Works like Doctor Zhivago were still banned, Pasternak was called “a weed on Soviet soil” and he couldn’t collect his Nobel Prize.

Dissident writers were still harassed and imprisoned by the KGB, although Khrushchev said there were no political periods during this time

5 million gulag prisoners were released, including thousands of political prisoners

There was an anti-religious campaign resurrected from the 1920s and30s. Between 1960-64, over ½ of churches were closed. Priests were imprisoned, or killed. Church-going was condemned.

Overall the Party still had authority over creative intellectuals

Brezhnev

Sinyavsky and Daniel 1966

First public show trial since Stalin

Punished with 5 and 7 years of hard labour for distributing “anti-Soviet propaganda”

Received Western press attention from New York Times and La Monde – trial behind closed doors

KGB unit set up in 1967 against ideological diversions

Czechoslovakia 1968

Dubcek proposed reforms under “Socialism with a human face”, specified not leaving Warsaw Pact

Warsaw Pact forces sent in, crushing Prague Spring and restoring order

Brezhnev Doctrine issued after saying Soviet forces could invade where Communism was being threatened

Red Square Protests followed in Moscow

Helsinki Groups

Helsinki Accords adopted by regime in 1975, promising to uphold fundamental freedoms and human rights

Helsinki groups set up to make sure regime was following this

These groups were harassed by the KGB, threatened with imprisonment, or even being put in psychiatric hospitals

By 1978, 20 members of the groups were imprisoned

By 1982, the groups had disbanded after 60 out of 80 of the members were tried or jailed

Jewish Emigration

Religious practice was dissidence by not devoting one’s self to socialism

Jewish community sought to emigrate, while there were refuseniks who demonstrated in Red Square

In the 1970s, many were allowed to emigrate (had to pay a tax), 250,000 emigrated in the 1970s. In 1979 alone, 51,000 emigrated. But emigration was soon restricted again in 1982.

They were used as pawns in the Cold War, emigration controls were relaxed when relations with the West were good, and tightened when they worsened

Andropov

There were strict limits on expression of opinions

The harassment of dissidents continued, and Jewish emigration was halted

Gorbachev

Under Glasnost, people were able to voice discontent and opinions more freely

Baltic States able to question legality of annexation

More religious tolerance

Hard to say what was dissidence because the regime’s policy was so incoherent
Hard-line Communists opposed Gorbachev's economic policies, and mounted the August 1991 coup against him

To be honest, I feel that if they ask a question on dissidence, it will be from Stalin to Brezhnev rather than to Gorbachev because there’s little to say for him.