Beginnings of the Cold War

Question 1

What were 3 long-term origins of the cold war?

Answer 1

Conflict of beliefs, History of mistrust, end of WW2

Question 2

When did the cold war (approximately) begin and end?

Answer 2

1945-1989

Question 3

What were 5 events which caused mistrust between the USA and the USSR (Russia)?

Answer 3

Russian civil war, Russian revolution, pushing Hitler to fight communism, Nazi-soviet pact, the ‘second front’

Question 4

Why did the Russian civil war cause mistrust between the USA and the USSR?

Answer 4

Britain and the USA helped the whites (non-communists) to attempt to overthrow the reds (communists) during the Russian civil war (communists won)

Question 5

Why did the Russian revolution cause mistrust between the USA and the USSR?

Answer 5

Britain and USA felt that Russia had seized power illegally

Question 6

Why did pushing Hitler to fight communism cause mistrust between the USA and the USSR?

Answer 6

France, Britain and the USA refused Stalin’s attempts to ally with them, and attempted to appease Hitler and ‘let Russia and Germany destroy each-other’

Question 7

What was the ‘second front’? Why did it cause mistrust?

Answer 7

Britain and the USA were supposed to help Russia during the war earlier than they did, Stalin felt that this was deliberate- an attempt to kill off some of the communists by leaving them to the Germans

Question 8

What did the USA’s government believe in?

Answer 8

Democracy, Capitalism, rights/freedoms of individuals more important than equality

Question 9

What did the USSR’s government believe in?

Answer 9

One party state, state industry, rights of individuals less important than the good of state overall

Question 10

What is capitalism?

Answer 10

Where property and business is owned by private individuals and companies

Question 11

What is state industry?

Answer 11

Where industry is owned and run by the state

Question 12

What is a one-party state?

Answer 12

People can elect a leader, but there is only one party that can be voted for (they essentially vote based on personality)

Question 13

When was the Yalta conference?

Answer 13

February 1945

Question 14

Which leaders attended the Yalta conference?

Answer 14

Roosevelt (USA) Churchill (UK) Stalin (USSR)

Question 15

What was the main disagreement at Yalta?

Answer 15

Stalin wanted to keep the parts of Poland he had won in the Nazi-soviet pact, and expand Poland westwards by giving it German land, and wanted in to have a pro-soviet government

Question 16

What was the Nazi-soviet pact?

Answer 16

1939; USSR and Germany agreed to divide up Poland between them

Question 17

How was Germany to be divided up after the war?

Answer 17

It was to be divided into 4 zones- France, UK, USA, USSR and Berlin (which was in the soviet section) was also to be divided into 4

Question 18

Why was Germany divided into 4 not 3?

Answer 18

USA and UK wanted another ally against the USSR sector- so that the USSR would have less power, so gave France a section

Question 19

What other points were agreed at Yalta?

Answer 19

Nazi war criminals punished, Russia would enter the war against Japan when Germany surrendered, United Nations would be set up to keep peace, there would be a soviet sphere of influence

Question 20

What changed between the Yalta and Potsdam conferences?

Answer 20

Roosevelt died and Churchill was not re-elected, loss of common enemy, allies had tested an atomic bomb, Stalin’s armies occupied most of eastern Europe

Question 21

What points were agreed at Potsdam?

Answer 21

Poland’s border would be moved west into Germany, Germans in Poland, Hungary etc would be sent back to Germany, Nazis banned,

Question 22

When was the Potsdam conference?

Answer 22

July-August 1945

Question 23

What were 4 main disagreements at Potsdam?

Answer 23

Soviets wanted to cripple Germany with reparations and share in the occupation of Japan when it was defeated (Truman USA blocked these), the future of eastern Europe, use of atomic bomb

Question 24

What was the disagreement over the future of Eastern Europe about?

Answer 24

UK and USA didn’t want Stalin’s armies to set up pro-soviet (communist) governments in eastern Europe and wanted them to have free elections

Question 25

What methods did the Soviets use to take over Eastern Europe?

Answer 25

Soviet troops occupied countries (tension and fear), annexing Baltic provinces, rigged elections (e.g. Poland, Bulgaria), fear and terror political opponents murdered/tortured, secret police

Question 26

Which countries in Eastern were not overtaken by the soviets?

Answer 26

Greece (which remained a monarchy) and Yugoslavia (which was communist but very anti-soviet)

Question 27

What was the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 27

A speech made by (USA) president Truman, that the USA would aid those threatened by communism and attempt to contain communism

Question 28

What did General Marshall discover?

Answer 28

Marshall was sent to assess Europe’s economic state and concluded that it was a ruined economy.

Question 29

What did Truman believe about communist success?

Answer 29

That communism succeeded where there was poverty and hardship

Question 30

How much did Europe owe to the USA (in 1947)?

Answer 30

$11.5 billion