1956 1.8: The Star Pupil

1956 1.8: The Star Pupil

We continue our story from last time, as the Polish situation is connected to other fascinating questions.


Perhaps the most significant aspect of this chapter in Soviet-Polish relations was the notable involvement of China. The Chinese, it emerged, were very interested in seeing that other peoples travelled their own ‘road to socialism’ as they had done. A Polish road to socialism would validate the unique Chinese experience of struggle over the last few decades, and it would also confirm that Moscow didn’t have the authority to dictate how a communist satellite would feel.


Under the Chinese direction and approval, Poland’s limited revolution and Gomulka’s leadership would be safe, but only because, as we’ll see, Gomulka had zero intentions of truly changing any status quos. Unfortunately, Gomulka’s tenure in office was not destined to be a completely wholesome one. His behaviour over the 1960s would confirm that he was far more loyal and far less independently minded than his initial behaviour may have initially suggested, yet in 1956, Gomulka was the right man for the Polish leadership, and so long as the Polish people agreed, Poland was to be kept within the Soviet orbit, and Gomulka was to be the star pupil of the tumultuous year of 1956, especially in comparison to his Hungarian counterpart Imre Nagy, who we’ll meet in the next few episodes.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(744)

Versailles #62: A Wild Soviet Bavaria Appears

Versailles #62: A Wild Soviet Bavaria Appears

The German delegation had arrived in Paris, but despite the confident exterior, Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau would have known full well that all was not well back home. Germany was tottering on the e...

3 Touko 201931min

Versailles #61: The Last Day of April

Versailles #61: The Last Day of April

The 30th April was a strange day. It was barely a microcosm in the grand scheme of the Paris Peace Conference, and it was wedged awkwardly between the Italian walkout and the German arrival, not to me...

30 Huhti 201931min

Versailles #60: The Germans Arrive

Versailles #60: The Germans Arrive

At long last, the German delegation has arrived in Paris, and resides in the exact same hotel where in 1871, the French government was forced to kowtow to Bismarck. What a coincidence! Leading the del...

29 Huhti 201924min

Versailles #59: OTD 28th April 1919 - A League Come True

Versailles #59: OTD 28th April 1919 - A League Come True

OTD 100 years ago, perhaps the most infamous international organisation in history was officially blessed by the plenary conference of the Paris Peace Conference. This made it essentially impossible t...

28 Huhti 201930min

Delegation Game #13: Foch's Five Pillars

Delegation Game #13: Foch's Five Pillars

As the Conference at London works towards several compromises, we tune in to some new arrivals, some storm conference scenes, and a weighted meeting between the President Marshal, Ferdinand Foch, and ...

28 Huhti 201952min

Versailles #58: Reparations and War Guilt

Versailles #58: Reparations and War Guilt

It's time we cleared the air about reparations and war guilt, arguably the two most controversial elements of the Treaty of Versailles. Here, making use of studies long since ignored or forgotten, we ...

27 Huhti 201943min

Versailles #57: Danzig and the Rhine

Versailles #57: Danzig and the Rhine

Here we take stock of the situation by the last week of April 1919 by focusing our microscope on two apparently unrelated, but hugely important issues – specifically the future of the Rhine, and the s...

26 Huhti 201935min

Versailles #56: OTD 24th April 1919 - The Italians Walk Out!

Versailles #56: OTD 24th April 1919 - The Italians Walk Out!

On 24th April 1919, Italy left the Paris Peace Conference. This stunning development was a long time coming, and was a natural result of the behaviour of the big three. Notwithstanding the justness of...

24 Huhti 201956min

Suosittua kategoriassa Historia

olipa-kerran-otsikko
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
mayday-fi
huijarit
mystista
rss-ikiuni
konginkangas
tsunami
totuus-vai-salaliitto
rouva-diktaattori
rss-subjektiivinen-todistaja
rss-i-dont-like-mondays-2
historiaa-suomeksi
rss-sattuu-sita-suomessakin
maailmanpuu
rss-kirkon-ihmeellisimmat-tarinat
rss-peter-peter
sotaa-ja-historiaa-podi
historian-nurkkapoyta
hippokrateen-vastaanotolla