17 October 1981 Military Coup

1
17 October 1981 Military Coup

• General Jaruzelski as General Secretary Head of
  Army
• Did Moscow invade by proxy since General
  Kulikov made various trips to Poland in October
  1981

2
Reasons For Soviet Action

• Polish industry important for CMEA
• Buffer state
• Provided bridge to GDR
• Precedent rest Eastern Europe
• But
• Tension with West over Afghanistan
• Could Moscow cope with 2 simultaneous invasions?
  Soviet economy slowing down
• 1980 Olympics
• 1970s China rapprochement with West so could not
  completely fall out with the West

3
Conclusions

• Less adventurous no repeat of Khrushchevs time
• Still global player but done in more cautious way
• Bold action taken 1968/1979
• Brezhenv Doctrine ideology or balance of power
  or colonial power?

4
Conclusions

• Détente
• The 2nd Cold War still believed victory of
  communism
• Legacy Brezhnev Doctrine Afghanistan
• If not contradictory then zig/zagging belief
  in communism underpins whole era