The Early Post-Stalin Succession Struggle and Upheavals in East-Central Europe: Internal-Extrenal Linkages in Soviet Policy Making (Part 1)

The death of Josif Stalin was followed by momentous changes in the Soviet bloc. Part 1 of this two-part article considers how and why these changes came about, looking at the interaction between domestic and external events. It explores the nature of Soviet decision making, the impact of events in East-Central Europe, the implementation of Moscow's new policy, and the use of Soviet troops to put down a large-scale uprising in East Germany.