A.2 Wartime Tensions and 'The Big Three'

Question 1

Joseph Stalin

Answer 1

• leader of the USSR after Lenin’s death in 1924
• paranoid, manipulative and ruthless
• domestic policies–heavy censorship, propaganda, terror, collectivisation of agriculture, industrialisation
• foreign policy–suspicous of West, determined to keep Russia safe from foreign attack

Question 2

Franklin D Roosevelt

Answer 2

• president of the US from 1933
• enthusiastic and optimistic (naive?)
• domestic policies–introduced the New Deal to address problem caused by the Great Depression, targeted help at disadvantaged
• foreign policy–prepared to negotiate directly with Stalin and optimistic that this would continue after the war

Question 3

Winston Churchill

Answer 3

• prime minister of Britain 1940-1945 and 1951-55
• foreign policy–strongly anti-communist, suspicious of Stalin’s motives, prepared to work with Soviet Union against Nazi Germany

Question 4

USSR Aims

Answer 4

• security
• reparations from Germany
• territorial gains
• creation of pro-Soviet regimes in Eastern Europe–soviet sphere of influence

Question 5

USA Aims

Answer 5

• creation of UN
• continue with alliance into postwar period
• access to raw materials and freedom to trade and export throughout the world

Question 6

UK Aims

Answer 6

• preservation of British Empire
• remain on friendly terms with USA and USSR
• block soviet expansion in central and south-eastern Europe and the Middle East
• creation of an independant Poland with a democratic government

Question 7

LOE: Poland

Answer 7

East happy
-USSR-wanted polish territory and a communist government to prevent invasion
West-wanted democratic government with a capitalist economy
-Stalin got rid of communist resistance in the Warsaw Uprising
-July 1944, Stalin set up Committee of National Liberation which camouflaged the extent of communist control

Question 8

LOE: Romania

Answer 8

East happy
USSR-vital for their security
West-accepeted that it would be part of the ‘soviet sphere of influence’
-coalition government set up, 1944-45 the communists and allies make Romania ungovernable
-National Democratic Front set up March 1945 which orchestrated a coup leading to a National Democratic Front Government

Question 9

Warsaw Uprising

Answer 9

.

Question 10

LOE: Bulgaria

Answer 10

West Happy
USSR-vital for their security
-communist revolution
-however, Stalin didn’t want to antagonise the West so encouraged the Bulgarian communists to have a more moderate approach

Question 11

LOE: Yugoslavia

Answer 11

East Happy
USSR-wants communist system with one party state
West-wants democratic free elections, capitalist system
-Joseph Tito (communist leader of forces in Yugoslavia) tried to carry out policies independently of the USSR
-Stalin made it clear that foreign policy determined by Moscow would have to be followed

Question 12

LOE: Greece

Answer 12

West Happy
USSR-wants communist system with one party state
West-wants democratic free elections, capitalist system
-Stalin saw Greece as part of the ‘British sphere of influence’ so didn’t help Greek communists
-British troops defeated the communists

Question 13

LOE: Hungary

Answer 13

East Happy
USSR-wants communist system with one party state
West-wants democratic free elections, capitalist system
-at first, communist party too weak to play a dominant role
-however, given key roles in the provisional government
-Stalin was unsure whether to have it as part of the Soviet bloc or as a bridge between East and West

Question 14

LOE: Czechoslovakia

Answer 14

East Happy
USSR-wants communist system with one party state
West-wants democratic free elections, capitalist system
-Czechs felt betrayed by France and Britain due to the Munich agreement (1938) which gave part of their state to Nazi Germany
-1943, Czech government-in-exile has an alliance with the USSR
-Soviet army occupies more of Czechoslovakia 1944-45
-Czech communist party has most of the power and the provisional government gives communists key positions of power

Question 15

LOE: Finland

Answer 15

West Happy
USSR-stalin very moderate. wanted to persuade west that the USSR no longer wanted world domination
-1944, Soviet troops invade Finland
-political freedom was allowed and there was only 1 communist in the first post-war cabinet

Question 16

LOE: Italy

Answer 16

West Happy
USSR-soviet requests to claim Italy were rejected. Stalin let the West do what they wanted with Italy as it made it easier to consolidate his position in Eastern Europe
-Italian government set up which was gradually given liberated areas
-Stalin tried to make the Italian communist party a major force in politics

Question 17

LOE: France

Answer 17

West Happy
West-liberated France. Churchill wanted France to have a part of Germany
-independent government established by French
-December 1944, France-Soviet treaty signed which committed France to supporting the USSR in a preventative war against Germany
-French communist party became a major force

Question 18

Strains in the Alliance

Answer 18

• opening of a second front–the Soviet Union had to cope with much of the fighting against Germany since June 1941, a second front was needed to relive the pressure but Britain and the USA refused to do so until it was right for them
• Poland–Poland was important for the security of the Soviet Union, they needed a communist friendly government. The borders and government of Poland were a key point of debate between the big three
• ideologies–their ideologies directly conflicted with each other. churchill and vice-president harry truman hated communism