3 The development of the Cold War Flashcards
the development of the cold war
- truman doctrine 1947
- marshall plan 1947
- Berlin blockade 1948-1949
- military alliances
the truman doctrine date
1947
the truman doctrine
greek government vs communist rebels > civil war 1946
soviet satellites aid rebels
britain worried about spread of communist influence because would affect economic interests in the Mediterranean-> aid government -> could not afford -> ask US for help
us no direct interest in greece -> saw conflict as communist threat -> act -> march 1947 speech for policy -> determined to check spread for communism -> aid mainly in form of economic + military aid (us $400 million to give to greece and turkey to combat communist threat) + military expats
greek civil war ended in 1949 -> gov able to defeat communists with US help ->
1. success seem as victory of capitalist bloc over communist -> greece is a sample of checking communist advanced in eastern EU
2. marked great change in american foreign policy -> US give up traditional isolationist policy -> ready to take on major role in world affairs -»> policy of containment
truman doctrine date + quote
12 march 1947
“support free people’s who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures”
why was the greek civil war significant
- success seen as victory of capitalist bloc over communist -> greece is a sample of checking communist advanced in eastern EU
- marked great change in american foreign policy -> US give up traditional isolationist policy -> ready to take on major role in world affairs -»> policy of containment
how did the US help the greece government
us $400 million to give to greece + turkey to combat communist threat
1. military expats
Marshall Plan date
1947 june
Marshall plan
1947 -> much of EU still lay in ruins
1. farms + factories produced much less than they had before WW2
2. severe winter followed by droughts + floods made recovery more difficult
US secretary of state George Marshall visited EU -> recorded: “people are crying for help, for coal, for food, and for most of the necessities of life. the patient (EU) is sinking.”
truman think communism particularly attractive to poor + discontent people -> fear west EU would fall to communism -> marshall plan -> massive aid to Europe -> intend to bring economic recovery of EU so they can resist communist expansion -> open to all countries even SU and satellites -> claimed that the policy is directed “not to any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, chaos”
SU treat Marshall plan as a capitalist plot to dominate EU -> prevented satellites in East EU from accepting Marshall Plan -> 3 months later form Communist Information Bureau -> coordinate activities of communist parties of SU and her satellites
counteract US influence -> Russia launch Molotov Plan in 1947 -> set up COMECON (council for mutual economic assistance in 1949 -> assist economic development of East EU + soviet satellites -> scale of assistance much smaller
contest of offering economic aid to EU countries -> tense
molotov plan year
1947
COMECON year
1949
how was EU in 1947
much of EU still in ruins
1. farms + factories produced much less than they had before WW2
2. severe winter followed by droughts + floods made recovery more difficult
Berlin Blockade background
1945-> Germany divided into 4 occupation zones:
1. soviet
2. american
3. british
4. french
capital divided the same way
Joint Allied Control Council set up -> ensure cooperation among 4 powers -> real coop was difficult
1. clash over reparations
SU wanted Germany to pay heavy rep for what they did in war
Us Brit France agree to encourage Germany’s economic recovery + reunify 4 zones -> stalin deeply suspicious of a strong + powerful germany -> opposition aims increase distrust
relations at first peaceful -> SU kept routes from Berlin to west Germany (their share of land) open
- currency reform
three Western Powers proposed to reform Germany currency -> encourage German recovery -> stalin REJECT -> ignored + establish West Germany and begin currency reform
Stalin declared he will not allow new currency to be used throughout berlin -> demand whole of Berlin placed under Soviet control
Germany’s 4 occupation zones in 1945
- soviet
- american
- british
- french
the two clashes over Germany
- reparations
- currency reform
Berlin Airlift
Britain + US decide to airlift massive supplies to West Berlin along 3 narrow air corridors june 1948 -> may 1949
-> tons of supplies etc food and fuel -> expensive + difficult to operate -> it worked -> west Berlin able to get supplies from western zones of Germany -> stalin dare not stop airlift by direct action -> fear shooting down plane -> us reaction + nuclear weapons -> blockade FAIL -> reopened land routes to West Berlin in May 1949
Berlin Wall year
1961 - november 1989
results and significance of Berlin Airlift
- showed to SU that the blockade could not force Western Allies out of Berlin
- revealed unity and determination in checking Soviet expansion
- Soviet-western relations worsened
3 western zones formed Federal Republic of Germany -> capital at Bonn
Soviet zone became German Democratic Republic (East Germany) -> capital at East Berlin
1961 wall built to separate east + west -> germany unification did not come until 1990
Berlin Wall
after Berlin Airlift -> city of Berlin still divided
at first East Germans allowed to cross border for work + pleasure
1. shortage of consumer goods
2. slow economic recovery
-» more east germans to west berlin
1961 wall built to make escape harder
after wall built hundreds tried to cross wall -> killed
9 november 1989 wall pulled down -> reunification of Germany -> collapse of communism there
military alliances in the development of the cold war
US convinced that a long term military alliance was needed
4 April 1949 -> NATO (north atlantic treaty organisation) established with 12 member states
first formed -> SU did not find it to be very threatening -> admission of West Germany in 1955 -> threatening -> see it as threat against communist bloc -> form own military alliance with satellites in eastern EU -> Warsaw Pact 1955
division -> more tangible
comparison of NATO + warsaw pact
- background
- year of formation + member states
- nature
- main terms
- military forces
- significance
background comparison of NATO vs Warsaw Pact
NATO:
1. direct result of growing fear of communist strength in EU
2. SU increased influence all over Eastern EU since 1945 -> US watch this development with great suspicion
3. Berlin blockade further convinced US that soviet ambitions must be checked -> else whole germany + other parts of EU will fall under Soviet control
Warsaw Pact:
1. formed to counteract NATO -> USSR recognise strength of united Western alliance
2. admission of West Germany in NATO made SU worried -> West Germany (now supported by NATO) next to east Germany -> threaten security of communist bloc -> no hesitation to form own military alliance
year of formation and member states in Warsaw Pact vs NATO
April 1949 founded in washington
1. Britain
2. France
3. Belgium
4. holland
5. Luxembourg
6. Norway
7. Denmark
8. Iceland
9. Italy
10. Portugal
11. Canada
12. United States
WARSAW:
in 1955 -> SU reorganised armed forces of communist bloc -> Warsaw Pact
1. all communist states in eastern EU except Yugoslavia (lmao)
nature of NATO and Warsaw Pact
military alliance to mantain security of North Atlantic area
main terms of NATO vs Warsaw Pact
NATO:
agree to join together to resist armed attack -> if any member was attacked the other members will offer help (including military aid)
Warsaw Pact:
set up unified command of armed forces -> other members will come to assistance
military forces NATO vs Warsaw
- combat troops 1,700,000 vs 1,255,000
- tanks 10,000 vs 26,500
- aircrafts 2848 vs 5,255
- nuclear warheads 7000 vs 3500
significance of NATO vs Warsaw
NATO:
1. great pressure on SU -> SU dare not risk war with any NATO members
one month after founding -> back down + reopen land routes to West Berlin
2. show determination of US to abandon traditional isolationist policy -> willing to take more active role in defending EU against soviet threat
3. deterioration of Soviet-American relations
Warsaw:
1. division between Western Capitalist vs Eastern Communist clearer than ever
2. competition + uneasy relations intensified
what did russia do to counteract US influence in the Marshall Plan
counteract US influence -> Russia launch Molotov Plan in 1947 -> set up COMECON (council for mutual economic assistance in 1949 -> assist economic development of East EU + soviet satellites -> scale of assistance much smaller
