The Brezhnev Doctrine, 1968 (Edexcel GCSE History)

How did the Brezhnev Doctrine fit into Brezhnev's Leadership Style? - Summary

What was the Brezhnev Doctrine and why was it Introduced?

• By September 1968, the Soviet Union had faced a number of challenges in its influence in Eastern Europe

  • In 1955, the Soviet Union introduced the Warsaw Pact

    • The Warsaw Pact was a direct competitor to NATO

    • The Pact tied the Soviet satellite states into providing military support to protect communism

  • In 1956, the Soviet Union repressed Hungary

    • Imre Nagy, the leader of Hungary, attempted to remove the country from the Warsaw Pact

    • Khrushchev reacted by sending 1,000 tanks and killing 20,000 Hungarians

  • During the 1960s, some communist countries in Eastern Europe fought against Soviet influence

    • Yugoslavia broke away from the Soviet Union's influence in 1948

      • Its leader, Tito, considered a closer relationship with the Soviet Union in 1956

      • The events of the Hungarian Uprising changed Tito's mind. Khrushchev accused Yugoslavia of inspiring the Hungarians to revolt

    • Romania refused to attend Warsaw Pact meetings

• The Prague Spring forced Brezhnev to reassert his power over the satellite states in Eastern Europe

  • Brezhnev discovered that Czechoslovakia's leader, Dubcek, invited Ceausescu and Tito, the leaders of Romania and Yugoslavia, to Prague for talks

    • Brezhnev could not allow Czechoslovakia to form an alliance with Romania and Yugoslavia

  • On 20th August 1968, Brezhnev sent 500,000 Warsaw Pact soldiers to enforce Soviet control in Czechoslovakia

    • The invasion was successful for the Soviet Union

  • The Prague Spring had reinforced Brezhnev's beliefs. Satellite states should not attempt to reform communism

    • The Brezhnev Doctrine listed Brezhnev's expectations for the Warsaw Pact. It stated how the satellite states should behave

The Aims of the Brezhnev Doctrine

• Brezhnev published his doctrine in the communist newspaper, Pravda, on 26th September 1968

• The Brezhnev Doctrine aimed to bring the satellite states under more direct Soviet control

A diagram explaining the rationale behind the Brezhnev Doctrine in 1968

Reactions to the Brezhnev Doctrine

•  Pro-Soviet leaders in Eastern Europe welcomed the doctrine

  • Governments like East Germany and Poland faced resistance from protestors within their countries

  • The Brezhnev Doctrine suppressed protest within these states. The doctrine set extreme consequences for dissent

• Some communists pushed further away from the Soviet Union

  • Yugoslavia and Romania condemned the actions of the Soviet Union

    • The relationship between these countries and the Soviet Union remained strained throughout the Cold War

  • The communist parties in France and Italy cut all links to the Soviet Union

• Internationally, the Brezhnev Doctrine concerned Western powers

  • It reinforced the Soviet Union's supremacy in Eastern Europe

    • The Brezhnev Doctrine tightened the Warsaw Pact

    • This increased the threat and the power of the Soviet Union

  • The USA did not want to fight against the Soviet Union

    • The Brezhnev Doctrine stated the extent of force that Brezhnev would use to keep his influence over Eastern Europe. The power of the Soviet Union scared the USA

    • The US government became more determined to pursue friendly relations with the Soviet Union. The process is often referred to as Détente