To what extent did the emergence of new political and social movements in Eastern Europe contribu...

1. Revolutions in Soviet countries.

1.1. Czechoslovakia

1.1.1. Czechoslovakia had a favorable view of the Russians after World War II since they had freed them. Communists had a substantial presence in the Czechoslovak administration by 1946.

1.1.1.1. However, USSR intervention prevented Czechoslovakia from receiving Marshall Aid from the USA in 1947.

1.1.1.1.1. This became a source of protests for the democratic ministers.

1.1.1.1.2. The people of Czechoslovakia urged the Party to stop making political attacks. However, the Communists resisted.

1.2. Hungary

1.2.1. Hungary's issues began in October 1956, when tens of thousands of protesters came to the streets seeking a system of democracy and independence from Soviet domination.

1.2.1.1. In response, Communist Party authorities appointed Imre Nagy, a former minister expelled from the party for criticizing Stalinist tactics, as the new minister.

1.2.1.2. Nagy attempted to restore peace by requesting that the Soviets remove their soldiers.

1.2.1.3. The Soviets did so, but Nagy then attempted to accelerate the Hungarian rebellion by removing one-party control. He also announced Hungary's withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact .

1.2.1.3.1. On November 4, 1956, Soviet tanks pushed into Budapest, crushing the national rebellion once and for all. Violent street fighting erupted, but the Soviets' overwhelming power insured their triumph

1.3. Poland

1.3.1. In Poland, it took nine years of nonviolent protests under the name of Solidarity, to achieve the country's first autonomous union. The origins of the Solidarity movement began in Gdańsk at the Lenin shipyard, where it was founded.

1.3.1.1. The shipyard strike in 1980 caught the attention of the local public, and many came out in support. After weeks of strikes and discussions, the government agreed to the workers' demands, and Solidarity became Poland's first legally independent trade union on August 31, 1980.

1.3.1.2. Over 10 million People joined the campaign in the first few weeks.

1.3.1.3. This was the first successful strike and it showed how after the movements in Czechoslovakia and Hungary, the people in Poland were even more united and powerfull.

1.3.1.3.1. However, the government proclaimed martial law in 1981 and stepped down on Solidarity, driving its members underground.

1.3.1.3.2. Solidarity was extremely strong and fought against the Soviets

2. Through revolutions in countries under Soviet influence and control, the Soviet Union was weakened by a loss in support, and a need to spend valuable resources in containing the movements and keeping control over the country. With every revolution, the Soviet Union lost power and the revolutions became more frequent and powerful. The solidarity movement in Poland was finally able to defeat the Soviet Union and won the battle for control over Poland. This marks a very important defeat for the Soviet Union since falling to the power of non-violent violent strikes and protests showed weakness and marked the beginning of the fall of the Eastern block and the eventual fall of The Berlin Wall