4 Who was to blame for the Cold War

Question 1

Describe what was agreed at the Yalta Conference [4 marker]

Answer 1

1. Germany and Berlin would be divided into four occupational zones
2. Germany would be de-nazified
3. Stalin agreed to join the war against Japan after Germany’s defeat
4. Eastern Europe would be part of the USSR’s ‘sphere of influence’

Question 2

Why did the alliance between the Big Three begin to break down at the Potsdam Conference in July 1945? [6 marker]

Answer 2

1. The alliance began to break down because of the replacement of Roosevelt with Truman as US president. Harry Truman was much more aggressively anti-communist in his approach than Roosevelt, who had been willing to work with Stalin towards a post-war settlement. Truman was willing to stand up against Soviet expansionism and announced that the USA had developed an atomic bomb. This created distrust between the two leaders
2. The Red Army now occupied most of the eastern European states where Germany was defeated. Germany had been a common enemy for both sides, but now Stalin had his forces in most eastern European countries and refused to remove them. Truman viewed this as an act of aggression that went against the agreements at Yalta, and believed Stalin would try to create Soviet-friendly communist governments rather than allow free elections as promised. especially in Poland

Question 3

Describe what was agreed at the Potsdam Conference [4 marker]

Answer 3

1. Anything of value could be taken from Germany as reparations
2. Details of the German zones of occupation finalised
3. Nuremburg trials set up to deal with Nazi war criminals
4. USSR to have additional reparations

Question 4

What was the Truman Doctrine? [4 marker]

Answer 4

1. It was announced by US president Harry Truman in 1947
2. Its main feature was to assist any state which was threated by internal or external aggresors
3. This was the start of the policy of containment, created to stop the spread of communism
4. It started when Truman paid British troops to stay in Greece to prevent it being given over to the communists in 1947

Question 5

Why did the USA introduce the Marshall Plan? [6 marker]

Answer 5

1. The Marshall Plan was introduced by US Secretary of State, George Marshall in 1947. The main reason it was introduced was to provide immediate help to the economies of Europe, who were struggling to deal with the effects of WWI and mass unemployment due to men returning from war. $17 billion was available in Marshall aid and in return, these countries would create a strong market with the US
2. The second reason it was introduced was because the USA feared that serious economic problems would lead to the spread of communism in these countries. In particular, Truman was worried that communist parties would come to power in Italy and France in 1947, which explains why they sent more aid than any country apart from Great Britain

Question 6

Describe what led to Stalin blockading Berlin [4 marker]

Answer 6

1. In 1947, Britain and the USA joined their zones together, called Bizonia
2. France joined a year later
3. Marshall Aid was made available to Western zones
4. In 1948, the Western zones introduced their own currency

Question 7

What were the main disagreements at the Potsdam Conference? [4 marker]

Answer 7

1. Stalin wanted to keep Germany weak, while the Allies wanted it to recover
2. Stalin wanted access to Germany’s industrial heartland
3. They disagreed over elections in Poland
4. There were disagreements over reparations

Question 8

Why did the Berlin Blockade fail? [6 marker]

Answer 8

1. The main reason why it failed was because Stalin’s plan to force Berlin into submission by cutting off food, fuel and other supplies was defeated by the Allied airlift. The airlift consisted of planes flying over Berlin and dropping all of the supplies the people needed. It was an enormous operation, with nearly 300,000 flights. The airlift suceeded
2. Another reason it failed was because the Soviets did not fire on the Allied aircraft. Stalin feared intervening or taking it any further as he feared another military conflict

Question 9

Explain the consequences of the Berlin Blockade [6 marker]

Answer 9

1. This crisis started to show the idea of a proxy war. Neither of the two superpowers (USSR and USA) would start a direct war against each other. Instead, both sides would support any state or group around the world that opposed the other side
2. It led to pacts being made. NATO was formed in 1949 by the Allies. This was a military alliance that 12 nations joined. They promised to defend each other against attack. Furthermore, when West Germany joined NATO, Stalin reacted by creating the Warsaw Pact in 1955