Beginning Flashcards
Rise of US + USSR
The unites states and the USSR emerged as two competeting superpowers following the defeat of nazi germany in ww2. Rapid escalation of nuclear armament by both made the result of direct conflict unthinkable.
Stalinism
The dominance of Stalin over the party
A powerful state security machine
The ruthless maintenance of by elimination of people opponents leaders etc
Development of a regime associated with paranoia and violence.
Why did the USA and the USSR emerge as superpowers after 1945?
Military reasons:
To defeat Germany the US became the number one airforce power in the world
With the defeat Germany the USSR became the number one land force power in the world
France and Britain’s inability to defeat Germany shifted power to the US and USSR
Economic reasons:
The US economy was strengthened by war due to the ability to know our produce all other powers put together
The US was more committed to ‘open trade’; they wanted to ensure liberal trade. Wanted to avoid trade blocs and tariffs which were common pre-war.
The USA had eco strength to [prevent a return to instability in Europe.
Political reasons:
For the west, the outcome of ww2 showed the power of democracy and international collaboration which triumphed over fascism. So the political system of the US was the right path.
For the Soviets, it was communism that triumphed over fascism, and communism gained widespread respect in Europe.
WW2 Alliance
It was during the process of creating a new political map after the world war that the alliance set up during ww2 collapsed and by 1949 the state of the cold war began. This was to last 40 years until the collapse of the soviet union.
Churchill quote about USSR
‘if hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favourable reference to the devil in the house of commons’.
Tehran Conference
State of war: by 1943 the allies had begun to win the war
Agreement on a new international organisation
Agreement on the need for a weak post germany.
The Yalta conference, 1945:
State of war: Germany now on the verge of being defeated.
Allies agreed that Germany would be disarmed, demilitarised , de-nazified and divided.
Agreement on the UN
Soviet agreement to join the war with japan
The big three signed a ‘declaration for liberated europe’ pledging their support for democratic governments based on free elections in all european countries including eastern europe.
Potsdam Conference 1945
Roosevelt had just died, US successfully tested A-bomb the day before, Germany surrendered
Those attending were Truman Attlee and Stalin
Agreement for the immediate practical control of Germany
The establishment of the UN
Japan bombed soon after
Truman insisted that the polish govt be reorganised
Key developments 1946 - 1947
Stage one: the soviets supervised the organisation of governments in the eastern european states initially establishing a broad alliance of ‘anti-fascists’
Stage two: each of the parties was ‘sliced off’, one after the other.
Stage three: the communist core was left and then ultimately the local communists were replaced (if need be) with moscow - trained people.
Poland election
The free elections promised by Stalin were not held until janruary 1947. Before the election there had been a campaign of murder censorship and intimidation.
The soviet perspective saw the elections as a victory over western expansionism whilst the west saw it as a breach of the yalta agreements.
Iran
Stalin tried to gain communist control over Iran by leaving 30,000 troops their encouraging a communist uprising and putting down any rebellion, Iran then complained to UN and Soviets were forced to pull out their troops.
Rising tension key points
The USSRs view of the world was one of insecurity
The soviets wanted to advance Muscovite Stalinist ideology (not simple ‘marxism’)
The soviet regime was cruel and repressive and justified this by perceiving nothing but evil in the outside world. That view of a hostile outside environment would sustain the internal stalinist system
The USSR was fanatically hostile to the west - but not ‘suicidal’
5th 1946 Churchill - Iron Curtain Speech
In his iron curtain speech Churchill was referring to the fact that by 1946 soviet dominated comm govts were set up in poland, hungary, romania and bulgaria.
Soviet response
They withdrew from the international monetary fund
They stepped up the tone and intensity of anti-western propaganda
They initiated a new five year plan of self strengthening.
The Truman Doctrine:
He put forward the belief that the US had the obligation to ‘support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.’
This was a radical change in US foreign policy, which used to be isolationist.
The Soviets saw this as evidence of the determination of the US to expand its sphere of influence and they did not see any legitimacy in this American involvement in Europe.
Marhsall Plan
The marshall plan seemed to naturally follow on from the Truman doctrine - it was the economic extensions of the ideas outlined in the Truman doctrine
Dollar imperialism
The stated aims of the plan were:
Revive the European working economies so that political and social stability could ensue.
Safeguard the future of the US economy.
The plan was designed to give immediate economic help to europe. The problem on whether or not to allow the soviets to join the plan was solved by setting strict criteria to qualify for it.
The bill of 17 billion dollars for the four year aid programme did not pass until march 1948
In response the soviets came up with the Molotov plan
Czech Coup
In feb 1948 stalin organised pressure on the czech govt and 12 non-comminist members were forced to resign. Two weeks later the staunchly independent czech foerign minister jan masaryk was found dead, in suspicious circumstances. Truman responded quickly calling the events a coup. He also said the through the cynical application of force the soviets had ‘sent shock waves throughout the civilised world’
At this point the financing for the Marshall plan had not been passed due the reluctance for the US to invest this much money from congress. Truman now used the events in Czechoslovakia to push the bill through. Thus the coup was directly responsible for the passing of the Marshall plan.
The Berlin crisis of 1948
Berlin had been divided among the 4 zones. The problem for the western zones was that Berlin was located 100 miles within the soviet occupation zone. The western forces in Berlin thus had to rely on receiving their food and energy from the west which was delivered along rail and air corridors. In march 48 Stalin put a stranglehold on western interests in Berlin through transport restrictions. Then in response to the new currency he began a total blockade on 23-24 june 1948. Roads, railways and waterways linking west berlin to the western sector of germany were closed. This was the first crisis of the cold war. So the west took to the air to supply berlin. 200000 flights were flown in 320 days. By early 1949 Stalin’s gamble was failing and he ended the blockade in may.
Korean war
Led to the creation of NSC-68
Japan
The US achieved its aims of making Japan its bulwark against communism in the far east. Japan emerged as a great economic power and succeeded in forgin strong nationalist consensus in favour of economic growth.
Eisenhower and Dulles roll back
meant liberating other countries from soviet rule. But in reality this never happened.
Setting up alliances to encircle the soviet union, for example SEATO
Using military power to protect valuable areas for example west berlin
Assisting forces fighting communism like diems govt in south vietnam
Using the CIA for covert ops more extensively than before
Initiating an increased reliance on nuclear weapons. Conventional weapons would play a smaller role in defence
Brinkmanship. This involved threats of massive retaliation as an instrument of containment. Entailed going to the brink and threatening nuclear war to intimidate the aggressor into backing down.
