Democratization of Eastern Europe

Real Existing Socialism

 

De-Stalinization: what did this entail

 

Flashpoints –
    1956
    1968
    economic hardships of the 1970s

 

"Real Existing Socialism”

 

Social Contract

 

What was the “social contract” that existed between party elites and the masses during “real existing socialism?”

 

 

Real Existing Socialism

     Characteristics of daily life

     Work/Career

     Housing

     Consumption

Family Life

Travel

Community – Civil Society

Religion

 

Role of Intellectuals

 

Economic Underperformance

 

Other Problems:

     Environmental Pollution

Aral Sea – drained to irrigate fields; raised concentrations of pesticides, defoliants and fertilizers even higher;

Turned rivers that feed it into sewers spreading infection and disease

 

Chernobyl, Ukraine

        April 26, 1986 – meltdown of reactor
         World’s worst civil nuclear disaster
 
        Radioactive cloud drifted hundreds of miles N and W
     
        Result of flaws in construction of the reactor
 
          Radiation levels 2,500x greater than normal
 
          Evacuated 92,000 people
 
          Clean-up?  Health effects?
 

Interethnic Tensions

 

     Russian dominance of Party leadership  

 

Russification policies

    


Religious Practice

 Originally, Soviet regime hostile to religion

Orthodox Church as corrupt colluder of the Czar

 Religion as a threat to party orthodoxy

 
Ambivalent policies toward Orthodox Church:    

 Official atheism; anti-religious propaganda in text books; harassed and discriminated against believers; turned many churches into museums; let others fall into disrepair;

Yet the regime tolerated the church, paid to maintain it and provided its seminaries; controlled its administration;

Effects:  60% atheists in Rus Fed, yet ardent believers, esp in rural areas

 

Islam – Second largest faith in Soviet Union

 

Made practice difficult and discouraged study; 200 mosques for 200 mln Muslims in Central Asia!

 

Limited printing of the Koran, only in Arabic; made it difficult to go on Hadj

 

Muslim soldiers wouldn’t fight in Afghanistan

 

Judaism

Allowed synagogues to fall into disrepair

Restricted rabbinical training, Hebrew publications and kosher food

Jews allowed to emigrate

 

 

Alcoholism

     Multiple causes: genetic, cultural, social

 

Effects:   disorder and crime, absenteeism, passivity

 

     Why not just make booze illegal?

     Tax revenues, part of culture

 

 

Juvenile Delinquency and Crime

Hooliganism, parasitism, economic crimes

 

Healthcare

     In theory, available to all

 

     Definitely not true in rural areas

 

Overall rate of infant mortality for Soviet Union was 25 per 1000, but was as high as 60 per 1000 in underdeveloped regions of Central Asia