1 The origins and meaning of the Cold War Flashcards
The Cold war
after 1945 -> clear that there were only 2 great powers (US + USSR)
both have:
1. large populations
2. vast armies
3. rich resources
4. advanced scientific and technological know-how
allies during WW2 -> disagreements about future -> made world “cool”
post war -> divided into 2 sides
1. democratic states under US (capitalist bloc)
2. communist states under SU (communism bloc)
-> open hostility -> serious international crises -> new era
2 great powers and what they had
- large populations
- vast armies
- rich resources
- advanced scientific and technological know-how
the two sides the world was divided in
- democratic states under US (capitalist bloc)
- communist states under SU (communism bloc)
-> open hostility -> serious international crises -> new era
cold war meaning
tension and hostility between capitalist and communist blocs
cold -> no large scale fighting
when crises -> only threatened each other + exaggerated mistake -> trying to get other to backdown but neither dared risk a “hot war”
why didn’t they fight but had a cold war instead
a real war with nuclear powers between them could mean MAD mutual assured destruction
how did the hostility of the two sides express themselves
- propaganda
- economic competition
- military alliances
- spying
- arms race
Why did the US and USSR become rivals
allies united in fighting hitler -> did not mean they could settle disagreements and cooperate in peace
main reasons for the cold war
- ideological differences
- growing distrust between the USSR and the West since 1945
- “Iron Curtain” speech by Churchill, 1946
Ideological differences of SU and US
- basic differences in ideologies
- opinions of nature of society
-> couldn’t cooperate genuinely after Axis Powers wiped out
political: free election + more than 1 political party + condemned dictatorship vs single party rule + worldwide revolution that would bring communist governments to power
economical: private property ownership + public ownership inefficient vs all means of production should be owned by the state + private ownership allows rich to exploit poor
social aspect: valued individual freedom + limited control on people’s lives vs public welfare > freedom + absolute control over people
Ideological differences in terms of politics
free election + more than 1 political party + condemned dictatorship vs single party rule + worldwide revolution that would bring communist governments to power
Ideological differences in terms of economics
private property ownership + public ownership inefficient vs all means of production should be owned by the state + private ownership allows rich to exploit poor
Ideological differences in terms of social
valued individual freedom + limited control on people’s lives vs public welfare > freedom + absolute control over people
Growing distrust between the USSR and the West since 1945
soviet mistrust of the west:
1. western power’s’ intervention in the Russian Civil War 1918-1921
2. resentment towards the western allies during the second world war (1941-44)
3. suspicious attitude towards the united states
4. discontent about the lenient punishment of Germany 1945
Western mistrust of the USSR
1. soviet expansion into Eastern Europe
western powers’ intervention in the Russian Civil War year
1918-1921
western powers’ intervention in the Russian Civil War
intervened against the communist government in the Russian Civil War -> ill feeling SU vs Western powers
Resentment towards the Western Allies during the second world war
stalin -> Western Allies had not helped relieve suffering of people during WW2
-> soviets left to fight germans alone on eastern front (western front not opened until 1944)
-» suffered the highest casualties among the allies
suspicious attitude from the US
American president Harry Truman kept news about invention of atomic bomb from stalin before use in WW2 against japan
-> US mot willing to share secrets with USSR -> increase soviet fear and suspicion (west might attack and destroy communism some day)
discontent about the lenient punishment of Germany
SU suffer in war -> stalin hate and fear germany -> potsdam conference in july 1945 -> plot to weaken germany permanently (through heavy reparations)
request clashed with wishes of Western allies -> wanted Germany to be reconstructed on the basis of democracy and peace
Potsdam Conference date
1945 july
The soviet expansion into eastern europe
Germany about to be defeated -> Churchill (British), Roosevelt (America), Stalin met at Yalta in 1945 Feb
Conference -> SU allowed to liberate Eastern Europe (take their land)
Churchill + Roosevelt worried he’ll expand their area of influence into the region -> tolerate demands for Stalin’s support in the war against Japan
end of WW2 -> Soviet boundary in Polish territory -> gained land from Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czechoslovakia + Rumania
advance into Eastern Europe -> damage soviet relations
what land did SU gain after WW2
- Finland
- Lithuania
- Latvia
- Estonia
- Czechoslovakia
- Rumania
boundary extended into polish territory
the Yalta conference date
February 1945
the “Iron Curtain” speech by Churchill, 1946
early 1946 -> Stalin start to promote communism in eastern EU countries
soviet backing -> communists won elections easily + one party dictatorships set up in Albania, Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland»_space; soviet satellites
term ‘iron curtain’ first used in Churchills speech on 5th march 1946 -» describe barrier set up by SU along borders of her satellites in eastern EU
barrier
1. cut off satellites from Western influence
2. stopped all free communication between east + west EU
3. boundaries barbed-wired
4. all trade relations with West forbidden -» like iron curtain separating them
-» greater suspicion between SU and western countries -> cold war
Yugoslavia as a SU satellites
Yugoslavia one of the satellites-> left Soviet bloc in 1948
leader Marshal Josef Tito maintain Yugoslavia communist independent of Moscow
iron curtain speech date
5th march 1946
why is it called “Iron Curtain” speech
describe barrier set up by SU along borders of her satellites in eastern EU
barrier -> cut off satellites from Western influence -> stopped all free communication between east + west EU
boundaries barbed-wired + all trade relations with West forbidden -» like iron curtain separating them
-» greater suspicion between SU and western countries -> cold war
Soviet satellites by 1946
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Rumania
- Hungary
- Czechoslovakia
- Poland
