1. origins of the cold war Flashcards
what type of market economies did USA + western countries have?
- free market economies
- competition and free exchange of goods with minimal government intervention
- citizens to select their leaders from a range of candidates
- leading capitalist democracies
what did karl marx believe?
-that capitalism led to the exploitation of the proletarian majority by the ruling bourgeoisie, founding father of communism
when was the Russian revolution and who was it led by?
- 1917
- lenin leading to the first communist state in the world led by lenin
- communism was then modified by stalin when he became leader
explain capitalism vs communism
- they believed each ideology should dominate in as many other nations as possible
- causing conflict due to global aspirations
when was yalta with what leaders?
4-11th feb 1945
- Stalin:Russia
- roosevelt:America
- Churchill:Britain
what and when was the second front opened?
- 1944
- invasion of Nazi occupied France
what were the agreements made at Yalta?
- 5 main ones
1. Germany divided into 4 zones (1 to every power)
2. berlin also divided into 4 zones
3. UNO formally ratified
4. USSR get land from Poland and Poland explained westward
5. declaration of liberated Europe created
what did decisions made at Yalta show?
- seemed optimistic
- however relationship between Stalin + Churchill was deteriorating =showing cracks already
- high point of inter-allied cooperation and outcomes reaffirmed its stability
how many Russians died in ww11
-20 million
what were stalin’s priorities in Europe?
- Europe remaining in the Soviet sphere
- turning Germany communist
- keeping Germany unified but economically weak
what was Roosevelt committed too?
- cooperation
- long lasting post war peace
- post-war reconstruction based on unity between powers, and to represent the American concept of democracy believed it was in the interest of all states
why can it be said that roosevelt was naive towards USSR security needs
- roosevelt believed every expansion and consolidation of military power was invasionist
- however he didn’t understand the security needs of the USSR
why did churchill see USSR as a threat?
- threat to Britain’s imperial interests
- wanted to close alliance with USA to counteract the threat
what was agreed in the percentage’s agreement and what it show??
1944 Romania: USSR-90% Britain 10% Hungary: USSR-50% Britain 50% Greece: USSR-10% Britain 90% -churchill trying to control soviet explanation in Eastern Europe + protecting british interests
why were there disagreements over the declaration of liberated Europe?
- over how it was interpreted
- how it would be applied specifically to Poland
what was still happening during Potsdam and what did this mean?
- war with Japan and stalin remained as help
- first successful detonation of the atomic bomb
- truman hoped he would have diplomatic leverage to ensure stalin’s loyalty
when was/ who was at Potsdam?
- July/August 1945
- Stalin
- Truman
- Attlee
what was Potsdam characterised by?
- trumans abrasive diplomacy
- russia remained unintimidated by USA’s nuclear monopoly
- approach of confrontation rather than cooperation and hoped nuclear monopoly would help cooperation
- believed this was the only approach stalin would understand
what were decisions made at Potsdam?
- demilitarisation
- de-nazification of Germany (all nazi members removed from office and official positions)
- freedom of speech
- Germany a single economic unit
- USSR receive reparations
what was the overall flaw at decisions made at Potsdam?
- no long term plans made for Germany
- tensions between Stalin and Western powers
- didn’t reinforce international cooperation
what was a similar interest Truman and Attlee had at Potsdam?
-wanted a post war world based on self determination + open world trading system on economic cooperation
what were stalin’s thoughts about Potsdam and how this impacted his actions?
-believed US+allies were potential rivals for european dominance reinforcing obsession with soviet security
-time for cooperation had passed
this:
-reinforced his obsession with soviet security
-meant that Red army kept their presence in East Europe
-intensified pro-communist regime
what did Attlee think about Germany at Potsdam and what did that mean?
- thought germans geostratic position in Europe was important in light of soviet expansion
- british foreign policy became focused to an anti-communist stance
give reasons for the collapse of the grand alliance?
- Roosevelt’s commitment to a post war world based on unity
- US atomic monopoly
- problems over Poland
- ideological differences
- no long term plan for Germany
explain US atomic monopoly as a reason for the collapse of the grand alliance?
- Potsdam happened after first successful deterioration of atomic bomb, truman believed it would provide him with diplomatic leverage to ensure stalin’s loyalty
- due to trumans misplaced confidence he was undiplomatic and aggressive seeming like he had no experience in foreign policies
- truman believed the USSR were not receptive to diplomacy and atomic monopoly would be the only solution
explain problems over Germany as a reason for the collapse of the grand alliance?
- stalin wanted eastern Europe to be within the soviet sphere but wanted to keep the whole of Germany economically weak
- fractions =uprisings
- geostrategic significance in Europe was good
- no long plan made in Potsdam worked to Stalin’s advantage
explain stalin’s aims for yalta?
- red army would ensure a soviet sphere of influence in Europe and Asia
- reparations should be taken from Germany
- Baltic states should be used as a buffer zone, to protect against possible future aggression from the west
- territory USSR had gained through the Motolov-Ribbentrop Pact 1939 should be retained
- also viewed Yalta as anti-USSR
explain Churchill’s aims for yalta?
- protect Poland
- maintain spheres of influence in Europe that were agreed at percentages agreement
- protect british and french colonial interests
explain roosevelt aims for yalta?
- deal with Stalin was needed because USSR had a lot of control, and help was needed against Japan
- Decolonisation
- four most powerful countries (inc. China) should act as the ‘four policemen’.
