Breakdown of the Grand Alliance 1945-47 Flashcards
When and where was the United Nations established?
When: 1944
Where: Dumbarton Oaks near Washington
What were the two sections of the UN, and who were they made up of?
The General Assembly: all nations
The Security Council: USA, Britain, France, USSR, China
What was the job of the Security Council?
To deal with crises
What did the USSR disagree with concerning the Security Council, but had to concede?
Why?
That permanent members had the right to veto.
All other permanent members barring China were Western, their ideas were likely to be blocked
What did the UN set up in response to US bombings of Japan, and for what purpose?
The Atomic Energy Comission
Aimed to create rules for the control of nuclear weapons
Why did the Atomic Energy Comission collapse?
Because the USSR and USA disagreed on the use of veto over decisions made by it
(each thought other would use it against them)
What treaties did the Alliance argue over?
How did this end?
Thos with Italy, Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, and Hungary
USSR harsh on Italy, USA lenient
USSR didn’t want Western influence over negotiations in East
However, the Paris Peace Treaties were completed in 1947
What was agreed under the Paris Treaties in 1947?
Compromise - Communist govs negotiated treaties in East, harsh treaty for Italy
What was the USSR’s hope for gaining control in Germany?
That Germany would hold elections and the Communist Party there would form a coalition with other parties and eventually take control of government
How did the USSR attempt to implement their plan of gaining control in Germany via a coalition?
What transpired?
The Socialist Unity Party (SED) was set up in the Soviet zone, merging the KPD and SPD
HOWEVER it was done violently - rejected by western socialists and made Allies suspicious (that commies trying to take over)
20,000 SPD murdered/imprisoned
How did Stalin try to remedy suspicions of Allies in response to violent merging of KPD and SED?
Tried to insist on the use of democratic means by the SED to hide their intentions
Why did the British and Americans want their zones of Germany to have economic recovery?
Because they were having to divert resources to deal with thousands of eastern refugees flooding their areas. Wanted self-sufficient zones
ALSO, as Germany country with most lucrative resources, believed for Europe’s economy to get back on its feet, it needed a strong German economy
How did the US try to make the USSR agree to their plan of creating a whole German economic system?
What was the Soviet response?
Insisted they would withhold some of the agreed Western reparations for the USSR.
The Soviets saw this as an attempt to spread capitalism and increased production in the Soviet zone
What was ‘Bizonia’?
The economic joining of the British and US zones in order to improve the economy + therefore gain capitalist support
+ to ‘pay USSR reparations’
What was the Soviet feeling towards the creation of Bizonia?
The USSR saw it as a breach of Potsdam and the start of a new West German state
What disagreements cropped up at the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers in 1947, and whta transpired?
USSR: Germany should be unified politically
US and Britain: It should be unified economically
No agreements made, Bizonia built up + Grand Alliance collapses
What event sparked the launch of the announcement of the ‘Truman Doctrine’?
The British told the US they were so broke they could no longer support the containment of Communists in the Greek Civil War
Thus Truman got $400 million by announcing the ‘Truman Doctrine’ to ‘contain’ comm. spread + fight rebellions
Why did the US government launch the Marshall Plan?
To deal with the economic problems in post-war Europe, which they feared would lead to to Communist support + crap world econ. therefore no decent markets for trade
What did the Marshall Plan do?
Gave aid to European states, with ulterior motive of creating supranational integration of Europe
(Billions of $)
How did the Soviets view the Marshall Plan, and how did they respond?
They saw it as the spreading of capitalism and US imperialism.
Refused to allow Eastern Bloc countries to accept aid (Czechs after Paris meeting)
Created Cominform + COMECON
What was the role of the Cominform?
To coordinate Soviet policies in the cross national Communist parties
When did Churchill make his ‘Iron Curtain’ speech?
March 1946
What did Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ speech claim?
What did Stalin claim?
Soviet contol had descended over Eastern Europe
Stalin claimed this was all purely defensive + he was mad
How did the West respond to Poland’s fall to Communism?
Conceded Poland as in the USSR sphere of influence
The Polish elections were…?
rigged/engineered for a Soviet victory
Who was Poland’s new Communist leader, and what was his view on Poland and Communism?
New leader: Gomulka
Believed Poland had its own unique history - didn’t want to follow Moscow’s version of Communism exactly
How did Romania turn Communist?
Semi-free elections, comm. coalition victory.
King abdicates, comm. rep. established 1948
How as Yugoslavia different to most other states that turned Communist?
The Yugoslavian Communists won independently of Soviets
What was Stalin’s issue with Yugoslavia?
Their leader Tito had ambitious ideas of his own, often ignoring Stalin - Stalin had difficulty controling him
How did Czechoslovakia become communist?
Initial freedom - Czech Communists won power independently in 1946.
However, barred from attending conference on Marshall aid
Then the hard-line Communists took over and expelled opposition in 1948 (coup)
How did Hungary become communist?
Forced merger of socialists + cand Communists in 1948
Dictatorship 1949
How did France’s stance on Communism and the East change over time?
Initially France tried to act as a bridge between East and West
BUT after Communist movement took violent strikes against Marshall aid they moved clearly to the West
What happened in Italy?
Italy had a strong Communist movement
BUT with the CIA and Catholic religious proaganda support they were defeated and Italy aligned to the West
What were the main post-war issues?
The UN
Nuclear Weapons
Other treaties/signing them
What was the reaction to the merger of the SPD and KPD in the West?
82% rejection of merger due to violence - coalition unlikely
When was the Truman Doctrine announced?
March 1947
When was the Marshall Plan implemented?
1947 - USSR excluded same year
What happened to Gomulka?
Removed for independant thought in 1947
How did Bulgaria turn communist?
Comm. election victory, liquidation of other parties
Followed by collectivisation of agriculture
What was the Long Telegram?
1946 by George Kennan - Soviet Ambassador
800 words - Communists aggressive
What were the main factors that contributed to the breakdown of the Grand Alliance?
Post-War issues
Germany
Soviet Expansionism
US Policies
