Break down of the Grand Alliance Flashcards
What was agreed at Dumbarton Oaks?
General assembly of all states
Security council of US, USSR, UK, France & China
What power did the security council have?
The ability to veto decisions in the assembly
Why didn’t the USSR like the right of veto & what did they propose?
They feel they will be blocked as capitalists outnumber communists in council.
USSR wants all 16 Soviet republics to get a seat in the Assembly
What was the conclusion of the veto debate?
Right to veto allowed & Belarus & Ukraine can join
Why did the US lose their nuclear monopoly
Soviet spies leaked information
Who was in the Manhattan project & what did they propose happened with nuclear weapons?
US, UK & Canada
Call for creation UN Atomic Energy Commission to create rules on nuclear
What rules did the UN Atomic Energy Commission propose?
1) Inspections to ensure people weren’t secretly making nuclear bombs
2) Control measures
3) Share basic scientific information
4) Eliminate national atomic weapons
How did the USSR want to amend the proposed UN AEC?
What was the US response
Agree to at the Moscow Conference of Foreign ministers but only if there was veto power & it reported to the security council
US say no country can have veto
What was the result of the veto ban on the UN AEC?
It creates distrust & the USSR & US start vetoing eachother preventing further regulation
Why did the US agree to the USSR’s call for a harsh Italian treaty?
They had to concede to prevent the USSR claiming Libya (part of Italian empire - becomes UN run state)
What did the US insist must happen before any peace treaties could be signed with the minor axis powers?
Independent government’s must be formed to represent the people
Why did the USSR want a quick conclusion to the Eastern European peace treties?
They wanted UK / US influence out of the ACC & to obtain reparations
Why would neither side allow the other to dominate Germany?
It had had huge military & economic strength
How did Stalin hope to bring Germany into the Soviet zone of influence?
Via Soviet control of the West & democratic elections
What was the Socialist Unity Party (SED)
A party formed from the forced merger between the East German Socialists (SPD) & the communist party (KPD)
What happened during the SPD & KPD merger?
What did the merger result in?
20,000 SPD members were arrested, interrogated or murdered
Western fear of communist activiities
What happened to the Berlin SPD party?
They refuse to merge with the KPD by an 82% vote
What did the US & UK want to happen to their German zones?
For them to become self supporting
What caused the US & UK to call out for self suppporting zones?
An influx of refugees from former German territories. Couldn’t afford to pay for food imports (UK forced to introduce rationing in UK to do so)
What did the US do in response to the economic pressures of their zone?
Delayed Soviet reparation payments
What was the soviet response to the stopped US reparations
saw it as an attempt to force capitalism & increase production in their zone - 213 German companies become Soviet
How did the US & UK attempt to solve the economic issues of their zones?
They merged their zones to form Bizonia. They claimed this created a trade surplus which would let them pay SOviet reparations
What was the soviet response to Bizonia
Called it a breach of Potsdam & see it as start of West State
What happened at the Moscow conference of ministers to try and counter Bizonia
Nothing.
several solutions proposed; but they don’t agree so Bizonia continues to exist
Iron Curtain Speech
who, what & response?
Churchill
Accuses USSR of expansionism
Stalin calls him mad (classy)
Poland
What happened?
Naturally communist?
Communists win the election (via terror & falsification). The comm leader Gomulka is later removed for being too independent.
No; rigged election
Romania
What happened?
Naturally communist?
Win election - some opposition murdered / opposition newspapers closed - would have won anyhow though. King abdicates
no
Bulgaria
What happened?
Naturally communist?
initially Stalin allows 2 opposition members in comm party to pretend all is good - later tells the party how to ‘smother’ the opp.
Marshall plan turns Bulgaria into front line defense vs capitalism; comm’s win election & opposition liquidated
no.
Which three countries are different in their becoming communist & why?
Hungary & Czechoslovakia - initially left as left to west with comm influence not domination
Yugoslavia - does it w/o Stalin
What happens in Czechoslovakia?
Initially given free elections etc.
After gov. votes to go to the Paris conference (marshall aid) there’s a communist coup
What happens in Hungary?
Initially given free elections etc.
the opposition leader is arrested & the parties forced to merge
What happens in Yugoslavia
People’s front wins power by themselves - 90% in elections followed by revolution
Get into dispute with US & UK about Trieste (area of land) but Stalin doesn’t help Yugoslavia
