4. Cold War Flashcards
Why were Britain, the USA, and the USSR allies?
It was a strategic wartime alliance against Hitler.
What things harmed the relationship between USA + USSR + GB?
- Absence of Hitler; no common enemy to fight against.
- Communist-hatred in GB+USA (‘red scare’; 1920s)
- Appeasement; Britain had betrayed the Soviet as it seemed it pushed Hitler towards the east.
- Nazi-soviet Pact, 1939; Stalin had allied with the enemy!
- Clash of Ideologies
- GB+USA only open a second front against Germany in June, 1944. (when Soviet fight against Nazis had almost finished)
What type of state was the USA?
Capitalist
Democracy
World’s wealthiest country although inequality.
Freedom
Feared Communism
Thought the world should be run the American way.
What type of state was the USSR?
Communist
One-party dictatorship
Economic superpower (industry grew rapidly 1920s-30s) although the standard of living quite low, less inequality.
Individual rights were sacrificed for ‘Society’
Wanted Communist revolutions worldwide
What was the US attitude in 1945?
No more isolationism+appeasement for dictators (every communist action, would meet American reaction)
Roosevelt at Congress, 1945: ‘will have to take the responsability for world collaboration or we shall have to bear the responsibilities for another world conflict’
Why was the Yalta Conference, February 1945, Yalta, Ukraine, set up?
It was clear that Germany was losing the war; so to decide what would happen to Europe after Germany’s defeat.
What was agreed at Yalta Conference, February 1945, Yalta, Ukraine?
- Stalin would join the war against Japan.
- Liberated countries should have free elections.
- Germany would be divided into 4 zones (American, British, French + Soviet)
- Would join the UN
- Nazi war criminals should be hunt down and punished.
- Eastern Europe = Stalin’s sphere of influence.
What was the only disagreement at Yalta, February 1945?
Stalin wanted the Soviet border to move into Poland, Poland could push its border into Germany.
Churchill+Roosevelt disagreed, but also knew the Red Army was already there.
Finally, they accepted, as long as Stalin didn’t intervene in Greece, where British were helping to fight the Communists.
What happened in May 1945?
Allied troops reach Berlin, Hitler commits suicide, Germany surrenders.
What had changed before the Potsdam Conference, July-August, 1945, Potsdam suburb of Berlin, Germany?
Stalin’s ‘Red Army’ was occupying eastern Europe + settling Communist governments like in Poland: claimed this to be a ‘defensive measure’.
April 1945, Roosevelt had died and been replaced by Truman: much more anti-Communist.
1 day before the Conference, Americans had succesfully tested an atomic bomb; Truman informed Stalin.
New elections in Britain, July, 1945, Clement Attlee was elected. Without Churchill, there was much more rivalry between Stalin+Truman.
What disagreements were there at Potsdam, July-August, 1945?
Stalin wanted to cripple Germany; Truman didn’t want to repeat the mistakes of the TofV.
20m Russians had died and Stalin wanted compensation; Truman didn’t want to repeat the TofV.
Stalin claimed his attitude in Eastern Europe to ‘unite the Slav people’ and ‘Self defense’
Was there any agreement made at Potsdam, July-August 1945?
No
By 1946, what had Stalin achieved?
The domination of Eastern Europe: Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria +Albania had communist governments.
How did Churchill describe the European situation in March 1946?
Made a speech at Fulton, Missouri, USA saying that:
‘From Stettin on the Baltic to Trieste on the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended’.
Criticised how Communist Governments where seeking ‘totalitarian control’ saying this isn’t a ‘Liberated Europe’
How did Stalin get control over Bulgaria?
Elections 1945; left-wing coalition.
Leaders of other parties of the coalition executed.
