Download File

The Kremlin
Table of Contents
Letter from the Chair ​p. 2
Background to the Committee
Position Paper Format for JCC ​p. 3-4
The Politburo ​p. 4- 5
Background ​p. 5-6
Topic 1: The Crisis in Berlin (East Germany/West
Germany)
Germany After WWII- Background ​p. 7-8
Past Situations: Berlin Blockade and Airlift ​p. 8
Questions to Consider ​p. 8
Topic 2: The Arms Race
Nuclear Technology ​p. 9-10
Bay of Pigs ​p. 11- 12
Questions to Consider ​p. 12-13
Positions ​p.13-16
1
Letter from the Chair
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to Kruschev’s Politburo! During committee, you get to rule the Soviet Union.
As you swiftly maneuver between deploying troops to protect your territory, hastily amending
laws to cater to a demanding population and spreading Communism to the world, remember that
you are rewriting history.
My name is Nadia Bari and I will be your chair at HMUNC this year. I am currently a
junior at Herricks High School, and have been a part of Model UN for over 3 years. I started my
MUN career at Best Delegate camp in 2014, and attended two other summer camps following
that. Through school, I also attended the MetMUNC ​XLIII​, MetMUNC XLIV, BUSUN XIX,
CMUNCE XV, BUSUN XX, and EagleMUNC V conferences. I’ve made many friends through
these conferences and have learned many things from Model UN, as it has given me a broader
view of the world and allowed me to see it from different perspectives.
My name is Jaden Wong and I'll be assisting chairing this committee at HMUNC! As a
sophomore at Herricks High School, I joined MUN in the beginning of this year and attended
both BUSUN XX and UNISMUNC III. Though this is only my first year, I can definitely say
that this is one of my favorite classes offered by Herricks and I'm very excited to hear the ideas
of the delegates.
2
Background to the Committee/What Will Happen in Debate
Position Paper Format for a JCC:
Position papers can be intimidating, especially when you’re writing your first one.
Position papers should include a brief introduction and a comprehensive breakdown of your
country's position on the topics being discussed in committee. A good position paper will not
only provide facts but also make proposals for resolutions. These papers should only be about
one page in length - get right to the point, presenting both facts and opinions on the topics.
For this specific JCC, position papers must be written in ​first-person format, in the time
period the committee is taking place in​. For example, the timeframe of this committee is
during the “Cold War”, but ​the Berlin wall has not been built and the Cuban Missile Crisis has
not yet happened so they cannot be referenced anywhere in the paper​. Additionally, delegates
represent individuals and not their respective countries. You are a member of the Kremlin: you
need to keep the best interests of the USSR in mind when suggesting actions and defining your
position, not your personal opinions as a student.
A position paper should follow this format:
Paragraph 1: General Introduction
❖ Overall background on your person’s position on the topic
❖ General background on your person and an introduction to his/her role in the Kremlin and
his/ her relationship with Krushchev
❖ Citations from any major documents such as the Soviet Constitution
(​https://www.marxists.org/history/ussr/government/constitution/1918/index.htm​)
❖ Explain why this issue is controversial to this committee, how it will affect the
individuals within the committee, and the effect on the Soviet Union as a whole against
the United States.
Paragraph 2: Past Action
❖ Try and refer to actions that your specific person or department has taken in precedent to
this issue.
❖ Delve deeper into your specific department to find previous actions taken; if possible,
3
find documents that relate to the issue, or even newspaper articles from the time period.
Paragraph 3: Future Action/In-Committee Plan
❖ What would your person like to accomplish in the committee? Are your overall goals to
be more moderate to attain diplomatic friendliness to the United States, or will you
double down on Soviet belief to try and actively compete with the United States?
❖ What actions will your person take in the form of committee directives and actions, and
personal directives?
❖ THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTION OF THE PAPER.
The Politburo
The first Politburo consisted of: ​Lenin​, ​Trotsky​, ​Krestinsky​, ​Kamenev​, and ​Stalin​, who
was the first chairman of the politburo. After Lenin’s death and Stalin’s take over after an
internal power struggle, ​the composition of the group was most likely chosen by Stalin and his
close advisors from among those in the Central Committee,
each one of which was conveniently elected openly by the
Committee to the Politburo. Although the Politburo remained
an executive organ during Stalin’s rule, its members were
constantly changing due to the difculty in gaining the latter’s
approval and his overall lack of loyalty to ofcials who were
not in his close circle. However, the fact that this group was
virtually untouched by Stalin’s purges is a statement to how
dedicated and useful they were to the Soviet Union.
The Politburo in 1961 comprised 14 members – 5 candidate members and 9 full
members. For the purpose of this committee, the Politburo will be expanded to include 18
people. You must research your individual position thoroughly; at the same time, you must bear
4
in mind your relationship with other members of the Politburo, whether favorable or hostile,
because all important decisions must be presented before the entire committee. See the Position
list at the end of the guide for direction on this.
The time period of this debate, although heavily influenced by the actions of Stalin, will
be based on the politics and situations faced by Nikita Khrushchev. For the purpose of this
committee, the role of Nikita Khrushchev will be played by one of your chairs. You will all be
members of his government, each with specific roles and responsibilities. Your main focus will
be balancing your goal of expanding the power of the Soviet Union and attempting to avoid
nuclear war with the United States of America.
BACKGROUND TO THE COMMITTEE
What is the Cold War? ​The Cold War is the term used to describe​ the ideological and
political conflict between capitalism​ and communism​ that began after World War II, came to a
close in 1945,“ending” with the collapse of the USSR in 1991. The Cold War saw the rise and
fall of different super powers. Throughout the world, the USSR vocalized the successes of
Communism, helping
countries implement this
type of government and
encouraging newly
independent countries to
adopt communism and
become their ally. The U.S.
5
worked equally as hard in promoting a capitalist economic system usually within the framework
of a democratic government; however, the US was willing to support any government that was
not Communist.
The Cold War is characterized by the threats of​ mutually assured destruction (M.A.D.)​,
which is based on the threat of nuclear war which meant that the superpowers did not fight each
other directly; however they did engage in​ proxy wars​. In these proxy wars, the world’s two
major superpowers (the US and the USSR) did not fight each other directly, but rather they
supported the opposition side in the conflict to the other with weapons and sometimes even the
deployment of troops as in Korea, Vietnam (US) and Afghanistan (USSR). By the time this
committee meets in 1961, only the Korean War has been fought and reached a stalemate with a
Communist North Korea (DPRK) and capitalist South Korea (Republic of Korea).
The tension between the United States and the USSR existed before WWII, due to the
fact that deep differences existed in the contrasting natures of their individual ideologies as well
as the fact that during the civil war that followed the Russian Revolution capitalist countries
including the US sent troops to support the anti-Communist forces. During WWII, they joined
forces to fight their common enemy, fascism,. However, once victory was secured, clashing
ideas and disagreements regarding the plans for a post-WWII Europe led to a restoration of
previous mistrust.
6
Topic 1: The Crisis in Berlin (East
Germany/West Germany)
Germany After WWII- Background
At the end of WWII, the Allies divided Germany into four zones and then the capital
Berlin, inside the Soviet zone, into four zones. France,
Great Britain and the U.S. were to occupy three of the four
zones (the western half) and the Soviet Union was to
occupy the last portion (the eastern half). This same
division held true for Berlin. After the uniting of the 3
Western zones, Germany was divided into two different
states: German​ Democratic Republic-​(East Germany) controlled by the USSR and Federal
Republic of Germany-​(West Germany) allied with the western nations. Despite efforts on both
ends to be peaceful, it is clear that both sides of the occupation are trying to build their “ideal”
version of a better Germany. As a result, the occupation became another display of aggression
and prowess by both sides. In response to the uniting of West Germany, Stalin closed all routes
7
into and out of Berlin, known as the Berlin Blockade. This effectively cut off all communication
the city had to the Western world. In response, the U.S. commissioned the Berlin​ Airlift.​
Hundreds of planes flew over West Berlin and delivered aid to the city.​The almost brought the
two superpowers to armed conflict, but Stalin backed down arguably because the Soviets had not
yet developed the atom bomb.
Past Situations: Berlin Blockade and Airlift
Berlin was located far inside Soviet-controlled eastern Germany. The United States,
United Kingdom, and France controlled western portions of the city, while Soviet troops
controlled the eastern sector. As the wartime alliance between the Western Allies and the Soviet
Union ended and friendly relations turned hostile, the question of whether the western
occupation zones in Berlin would remain under Western Allied control or whether the city would
be absorbed into Soviet-controlled eastern Germany led to the first Berlin crisis of the Cold War.
The crisis started on June 24, 1948, when Soviet forces blockaded rail, road, and water access to
Allied-controlled areas of Berlin.
Creation of the Warsaw Pact & NATO
Kruschev denunciation of Stalin
- Hungarian uprising - tanks - brain drain through Berlin
Russian leader Khruschev made a bitter attack on the dead ​Stalin and his policies and in July
1956 in a gesture to the Hungarians, Rakosi, the leader of Hungary, was forced to resign. In fact,
the Hungarians had expected more but they did not get it. This situation, combined with 1) a bad
harvest 2) fuel shortages 3) a cold and wet autumn all created a volatile situation. On October
8
23rd 1956, students and workers took to the streets of Budapest, the capital of Hungary, and
issued their Sixteen Points which included personal freedom, more food, the removal of the
secret police, the removal of Russian control etc. Poland had already been granted rights in 1956
which had been gained by street protests and displays of rebellion. Hungary followed likewise.
Things to consider:
How will you, as an agent of the Kremlin, increase Soviet control in Berlin? Remember,
Berlin is in your section of Germany, yet it is still divided between the powers. Are you willing
to risk the chance of nuclear annihilation? How will you control tensions from escalating with
the United States, while also expanding Soviet domination over Berlin and spreading
communism to all the disenfranchised proletariat of the world? How will you deal with Allied
encroachment into Soviet controlled regions? How will you ensure the legitimacy of Soviet
control in east Germany and East Berlin?
Topic 2: The Arms Race:
Nuclear Technology:
The USSR had seen the destruction caused by one nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki in August 1945. With increasing tensions with the US, the USSR began developing
nuclear weapons. Initially, it was believed that uranium was rare in the world, but this was
9
proven false. During the war, Soviet efforts had been limited by a lack of uranium. However,
new supplies in Eastern Europe were found and provided a steady supply while the Soviets
developed a domestic source. Although American experts publicly predicted that the USSR
would not have nuclear weapons until the mid 1950s, the USSR detonated “Joe One,” its first
fully functioning nuclear weapon, on August 29, 1949. The US was fearful of an attack and
created
the
Organization
constitutes
a
North
Atlantic Treaty
(aka
NATO),
system
of
which
collective
defense whereby its member states agree
to mutual defense in response to an
attack by any external party. Not to be
outdone in 1955, the USSR signed the
Warsaw Pact, which unites the Soviet
Union,
Poland,
East
Germany,
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania in the same fashion as NATO.
Fearful of attacks, both governments began instructing their citizens in what would be called
civil defense. Large underground bunkers were constructed to save the leaders, and citizens were
told to build fallout shelters and taught how to react to a nuclear attack. Both superpowers built
large radar arrays to detect incoming bombers and missiles.
By August 1953, the USSR had developed Hydrogen bombs, which supposedly had 1000
times the force of the nuclear bomb dropped on Nagasaki. Although the power of the bombs was
increasing exponentially, they still relied on the same delivery system, being flown to the target
10
via a bomber. This was extremely risky, as the bomber could be shot down or sabotaged, ruining
any chance for a successful attack. To alleviate this problem, in August 1957, the Soviets
announced the development of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), which were missiles
that could hit targets on other continents. A little less than two months later, the Soviets used
ICBMs to push Sputnik I, the first unmanned satellite, above the Earth’s surface. This was
humiliating for the Americans, who were now many months behind; until this moment, the
Americans were ahead of the Soviets by the slightest bit. This was the turning point when the
Soviets surpassed American technology. This new ICBM technology was a double threat; not
only could Soviets launch a nuclear weapon from space, but ICBMs made it possible for nuclear
weapons to be launched from a ground location, rendering any radar arrays and anti-bomber
tactics futile. By 1961, experts agreed that there were enough nuclear weapons to destroy the
entire world. From this arose the theory of Mutually Assured Destruction, or MAD, which
postulated that if the USSR attacked the West, the West would retaliate and the entire world
would be destroyed, thus causing a nuclear holocaust.
Bay of Pigs:
In 1959, Fidel Castro led
the Cuban Communist party in a
successful revolution against the
corrupt American allied Batista
government. In a country with an
11
immense wealth gap and a plantation economy that makes a small group of Cubans very rich
while most Cubans are poor, the Communist take-​over is welcomed by the majority of the
population. Wealthy Cubans fled to Florida to wait for the chance to re-claim their land.
On April 17, 1961, 1,400 Cuban​ Exiles ​launched a CIA backed operation into Cuba to
take over Castro’s government known as the
“​Bay of Pigs​” ​invasion. CIA trained Cuban
exiles landed on the shores of southern Cuba.
They were met with gunfire from farmers and
villagers from whom they originally hoped to
gain support. Over 20,000 soldiers were sent by
Castro himself, far outnumbering the exiles.
Over 1000 exiles were captured. This failed
invasion was as embarrassment for Kennedy’s
and will be remembered as one of the biggest
failures in the history of American foreign
intervention. However, it also served as a
wake-​up call for Castro who realized that the
next American invasion would be more serious. He recognized that the only real deterrent for an
invasion would be the presence of Soviet nuclear warheads in Cuba as Florida is merely 485
miles away from The Republic of Cuba, placing it in close missile range.
At the same time, under the Kennedy administration, Jupiter missiles with a range of
1,500 miles, have been deployed in Western Europe to protect it from a possible Soviet invasion.
30 Jupiter missiles have been placed in Italy and another 15 are deployed in Turkey alone.
Turkey borders the Soviet Union so it is even closer than Cuba is to Florida. Khrushchev's
12
response was to take up Castro on his offer and place his own missiles in Cuba.
Tensions between the the USSR and America are at their highest. War may be
inevitable. Delegates, it is your job to prevent the issue from resulting in a nuclear armageddon.
Questions to consider:
1)​ H
​ ow should the international community respond to the standoff in Cuba?
2) S
​ hould the US and the Soviets be required to remove their nuclear warheads
from such close proximity to each other? Should the US remove their warheads
from Turkey and Italy?
3) S
​ hould the US be allowed to blockade Cuba to prevent further shipments from
the Soviets?
4)
Should the US be allowed to use spy-planes to take pictures over Cuba?
​
Isn’t this a violation of their sovereignty?
5) Should sanctions be placed on either party for bringing the world to the brink of
nuclear war?
13
Positions:
Pryvet, komrades! This is the General Secretary of the Communist Party and leader of
the USSR, Nikita Khruschev! I am glad that all of you will be with me serving in the Political
Bureau, or Politburo, which is the USSR’s central governing body. We are the people who
control the fate of the USSR and by extension, the Communist way of life! We must be proud of
this and prepared to defend our glorious state from any attacks, internal or external! In order to
refresh your memory, here is your position list for this session of the Politburo, along with any
notable powers you can use or facts about yourself that may be useful in committee.
1. Anatoly Dobrynin (USSR Ambassador to USA)​ – Can communicate with the
US Congress and Cabinet. Will have access to American press releases.
2. Alexei Kosygyn (Chairman of State Planning Committee)​ – controls
agricultural production levels. Can move supplies across the USSR. Is in charge
of making sure every citizen has the most basic supplies.
3. Nikolai Podgorny (Chairman of the Presidium)​ – Is the head of state for
Russia. Can speak to the Russian Parliament and influence decisions made in
there.
4.
​Leonid Brezhnev (Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet)​ –
implements laws upon the entire Soviet Union. Can implement domestic policies
in certain regions of the USSR.
5. Frol Kozlov (2 nd Secretary of Communist Party of Soviet Union)​ – Successor
to the General Secretary. A well known Anti-Khruschevite.
14
6. Sharof Rashidov (Leader of Uzbek Communist Party)​ – Can influence
domestic policy in resource rich Uzbekistan.
7. Vladimir Semichastny (KGB Chairman)​ – in charge of the Soviet intelligence
agency. Can obtain intelligence on a wide variety of subjects. Has control over the
secret police.
8. Mikhail Suslov (Chairman of Foreign Affairs)​ – as a Soviet statesmen, you
have the ability to have streamlined interactions and communication with member
states of the Warsaw Pact.
9. Andrei Kirilenko (Secretary of the Regional Party Committee)​ - You have
direct access to campaign funding and propaganda resources that can be used at
your discretion. You also have the ability to exploit ties with the puppet
government in Ukraine.
10. Viktor Grishin (Member of Politburo)​ – known for his extremely conservative
views; did not support Khruschev in most cases.
11. Nikolay Shvernik (Chairman of the Party Control Committee)​ – can punish
any insubordination within the party and can expel party members.
12. Kirill Mazurov (First Secretary of the Communist Party of Lithuania and
Belorussia)​ – Can influence domestic policy in Lithuania and Belorussia, two
countries very close or bordering the Iron Curtain.
13. Otto Wille Kuusinen (Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of the Soviet Union)​ – in control of all government funding.
14. Anastas Mikoyan (Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet
15
Union)​ – has the ability to influence the Council of Ministers to pass certain laws.
Coordinates with the State planning Committee to discuss the policies needed to
propel the Soviet Union forward.
15. Dmitry Polyansky (First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the
Soviet Union)​ – works in coordination with the Deputy Chairman of the Council
of ministers of the Soviet Union.
16. Oleg Troyanovsky (USSR ambassador to China)​ – can communicate with
government officials in China
17. Vitali Vorotnikov (USSR ambassador to Cuba)​ – can communicate with
government officials in Cuba
18. Alexey Kuznetsov ​ - In 1943, Kuznetsov was responsible for maintaining the
security of members of the Communist Party. It is believed that he was one of the
most trusted members of the Party.
16