Beginning of the Cold War Flashcards
How many Germans had left East Germany by 1958?
3 million East Germans; 1/6 of the Population
What kind of people were leaving East Germany during the ‘Brain Drain’?
The people Germany needed to rebuild its economy: skilled workers such as engineers, technicians and teachers. They could earn much higher salaries in the West.
What countries were in the Grand Alliance?
The USA, the USSR and Britain
When was the Tehran Conference?
1943
What was agreed at Tehran?
- USA and Britain would open a second front and launch an attack on Germany from the West
- Stalin would declare war against Japan
- Discussion of what would happen to Germany after the war
- Foundations for the United Nations set up
What impact did this have on international relations?
- Stalin was pleased the USA and Britain were opening a second front against Germany
- But Britain was annoyed and wanted the second front in the Balkans
- Good relations between the USA and USSR – development of the two super powers.
Which leaders met at Yalta Conference, Feb 1945?
Roosevelt (USA), Churchill (GB), and Stalin (USSR)
What was agreed at Yalta?
- Germany and Berlin would be divided into zones of occupation under control of USA, USSR, GB and FR
- USSR would join the war against JAP
- United Nations to be set up after WWII
- Eastern European countries could hold free elections after the end of the war
What did the Allied leaders disagree on at Yalta?
Stalin wanted to move the border of Poland westwards into German territory – Roosevelt was unhappy but agreed since Stalin promised not to help Communist rebels in Greece. The British supported the London Poles.
How many USSR civilian and military deaths were there in WWII?
Over 21 million, including over 13 million soldiers (the USA lost only 0.5million soldiers)
Which leaders met at Potsdam Conference, July 1945?
Truman (USA), Churchill (GB), and Stalin (USSR) – but Churchill was replaced by Atlee
What was agreed at Potsdam?
- Germany and Berlin would be divided as agreed at Yalta
- Poland’s eastern border moved west – this would give the USSR more territory
- Nazi leaders to be tried as war criminals
What were the disagreements at Potsdam?
- Truman blocked Stalin’s demands for crippling reparations (fines) to be placed on GMY
- Truman refused to allow the USSR to occupy JAP once it was defeated
- Truman and Atlee opposed Stalin’s demand that he set up pro-Soviet governments in Eastern Europe. Stalin’s Red Army was looking like an army of occupation.
Why was Potsdam less successful?
- Stalin’s troops remained in Eastern Europe – hopes of free elections seemed very distant now
- Truman informed Stalin that the USA now possessed the atom bomb – Stalin feared that the USA might use this weapon in the future against the USSR
- Truman adopted a far more hardline approach to Stalin than Roosevelt had
- GB and USA were suspicious of Stalin who had now set up a pro-Communist government in Poland
- Stalin was suspicious as to why USA wanted GMY to ‘recover’ economically
When did the USA drop atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan?
6 and 9 August 1945 to end World War Two
How did the development of the atom bombs make the USA and the West feel?
More confident/secure. Could use it to persuade Stalin to hold free elections in Eastern Europe.
What did Stalin do in reaction to the bomb?
- He made a buffer zone between Eastern European countries and the West.
- Tested their own atomic bomb in 1949.
How did the development of the atom bomb affect USA/USSR relations?
- Increased cold war tensions as the bomb was so powerful
- Made both sides reluctant to go to war
- Arms race between USA and USSR
What was the Kennan Long telegram?
A telegram discussing US-Soviet relations sent by George Kennan, the US ambassador in Moscow. It said Stalin wanted to destroy capitalism but that the USSR would back down if threatened by the USA.
What was the Novikov Telegram?
A telegram sent by Nikolai Novikov, a Soviet diplomat in Washington that said that the USA wanted to dominate the world.
How did both telegrams affect American-Soviet relations?
Both sides now distrusted the other side even more. Led eventually to America’s policy of containment as the USA felt that the USSR was now looking to spread communism and led to the Soviet desire to protect itself.
Why did Stalin ensure that every government in Eastern Europe was pro-communist?
Stalin wanted to create a buffer zone between east and west. The USSR had suffered two invasions in the last thirty years – if Eastern Europe was under his control, this would make any future invasion less likely