10 Mark questions - Cold War Flashcards
How successful was the reaction of the West to Soviet Expansion by 1949?
Yes:
>Marshall Aid stopped other European Countries from falling to Communism - Marshall Aid
>Truman Doctrine - guaranteed financial, military aid
>Berlin Blockade - successfully showed the West standing up to the Soviet Union
No: >could not undo the Iron Curtain >COMECON- financial aid COMINFORM-political alliance >Soviet Troops stayed
‘The USSR was to blame for starting the Cold War.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Yes:
>Red Army stay in occupied countries, Poland became Communist- not agreed at Yalta
>The Berlin Blockade- was seen as agressive and provocative by the USA
>The Warsaw pact was seen as a threat by the USA
No:
>Yalta- sphere of influence was allowed by the allies
>Truman was v. anti Communist
>America testing the atom bomb in 1945 caused tension between the countries
Overall: where neither successful or unsuccessful
‘The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were to blame for the Cold War.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Yes:
>Truman Doctrine - America sending money and supplies to stop the spread of Communism - seen as unfair
>Marshall Aid - America gave money to rebuild Europe and prevent people wanting Communism as an alternative - made Stalin suspicious
No:
>Cominform and Comecon were set up to co-ordinate communist governments and industries. This was seen as a threat by the USA as it excluded the West
>America wanted equal rights, freedom etc and Russia wanted dictatorship with no individual rights or freedom - both totally different
Overall:No it just increased tensions
‘The USSR and the USA were both to blame for the Cold war.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Yes: >Leaders were suspicious of each other >They had so many ideological differences >Both involved in Berlin Blockade >Had disagreements at Yalta and Potsdam
No:
>Inevitable because of vast differences in beliefs
>Communists and Capitalist were so different
>Balance of power tensions
Overall:
yes both to blame for the cold War
‘The Marshall Plan was more important than the Berlin Blockade in increasing Cold War tensions.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Yes:
>Marshall Aid - made Stalin suspicious
>Isolated the soviet union
No:
>Berlin Blockade:USSR provocative and angered USA: airlift of supplies was confrontation
>COMECON was creating to fight against Marshall Aid
Overall:
No both increased tensions, however the Berlin Blockade was more important than the Marshall Plan in increasing tensions.
‘Truman and Churchill were responsible for starting the Cold War.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Yes:
>Iron Curtain speech:called USA pinnacle of power - Stalin denounced the speech as warmongering
>Truman was highly Anti-Communist- Marshall aid and Truman Doctrine - 1947
> Creation of Bi-zonia
No:
>Russia broke its promise at Yalta of free elections in Poland
>Were enforcing Communism in Eastern Europe
>Berlin Blockade: agressive and confrontational
Overall:
‘It was the Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe that caused the Cold War.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Yes:
>USA saw Stalin intent in spreading its communist ideology- worried about USA
>broke terms agreed at Yalta about Poland
> enforced Communist governments through fixed elections in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
>power balance
No:
>Stalin siad Soviet Expansion was merely protection - sphere of influence- needed to rebuild Russia
>US desire to build a global economic empire
>Berlin Blockade
Overall: Soviet Expansion was important in causing the Cold War, however there were a number of factors that caused the Cold War.
‘The Berlin Blockade was the main reason for increasing Cold War tension in the years 1947-1949.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Yes:
> Confrontational between the two superpowers- clearly
>Bi-zonia had angered the Soviets
>showed west Berlin to be better than east berlin
No:
>Soviet expansion increased tension
>Marshall Aid- was seen as provocative by the Soviets
>ideological differences
Overall:
The Berlin blockade majorly increased tensions between the two super powers.
Was Soviet policy towards Eastern Europe from 1945 to 1948 aggressive or defensive in nature? Explain your answer.
Aggressive:
>Salami tactics: troops staying. Coalition’s:Romaina,Bulgaria
>Poland :Murdered oposition leaders, rigged votes, 1947
> force spreading Communism in the hope of spreading it further, USA
Defensive:
>sphere of influence: wanted protection after suffering from the war
>used resources from these countries to help rebuild Russia
Overall: Soviet Policy to Eastern Europe was aggressive and defensive
How successful was the USA in containing communism in Europe up to 1949? Explain your answer.
Yes: >The Greek Civil War >The Truman Doctrine > Marshall Aid >Berlin Blockade > Nato
No:
>COMINFORM
>COMECON
>Poland Romania Bulgaria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia
Overall: Not really a small success.
The Korean War was a success for the United Nations.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Yes:
>showed to be more successful than the League of Nations
> managed to reverse an act of aggression by Soviet Russia
No:
>failed to achieve an unified Korea
>action only be possible due to Russia boycotting
>may lives lost, did not foresee China joining
Overall: i do agree it was a success for the UN
How important was the involvement of the UNO in the Korean War? Explain your answer.
Very:
>July 1950 Security Council passed a resolution, military assisting South Korea
>United world alliance against North Korea
Not really:
>mainly American soldiers who fought
>military assistance was led by american General MacArthur
How successful was America in the Korean War? Explain your answer.
Successful:
>Containtment- kept South Korea Capitalist
>the border was around the same as original: not much and lost
>USA showed its commitment to containing Communism
Unsuccessful:
>Rollback: unsucessful in unifying Korea as a Capitalist state
>lots US casualties 33000
Overall:
Successful in saving South Korea but did not manage to unify Korea.
