Causes Of The Cold War Flashcards
Who replaced President Roosevelt and what were his feelings towards communism?
Harry S. Truman, he was strongly anti - communist.
He said ‘I’m tired of babying the soviets’.
When did President Roosevelt die?
1945
What was different in terms of politics about the superpowers?
The USSR was communist and the USA was capitalist. The USSR had the secret police and a one-party state whereas the USA had freedom and a two-party state.
What were the aims of the two superpowers in terms of Germany?
America wanted Germany to recover as a trading partner but the USSR wanted to cripple Germany and create a buffer zone of satellite states to protect itself.
What is capitalism?
Private ownership and the right to make money.
What is communism?
State ownership of the means of production and the belief that wealth should be shared.
Who was the leader of the USSR until 1953?
Stalin
Name three topics of discussion at the Tehran conference.
Stalin met up with Roosevelt and Churchill as he wanted them to open up a second front which would split the Nazis, they also discussed whether to get Turkey to join the allies but Stalin opposed this as then Bulgaria would attack Turkey and Stalin did not trust America and Britain as they opposed communism. There was a chance they would sign a peace treaty with Hitler.
What is the Cold War?
The period of intense conflict between the USA and the USSR in the period after the Second World War.
When did the USA explode it’s first H-bomb?
1952
When did the Yalta conference happen?
In February 1945.
What was agreed at the Yalta conference?
Stalin would join the war against Japan, they agreed that Germany and Berlin would be divided into four zones, free elections would be allowed in Eastern European countries, Eastern Europe would be seen as the ‘soviet sphere of influence’.
What did the Big Three disagree about at the Yalta conference?
Stalin wanted the border of the USSR to move westwards into Poland and that Poland could move its border into Germany. Roosevelt and Churchill were not happy but they couldn’t do much about it as the Red Army were in Poland and East Germany. They agreed so long as the USSR wouldn’t interfere in Greece where they were trying to prevent a communist take over.
When did the Potsdam conference occur?
July 1945
Why was Churchill not at the Potsdam conference?
Clement Attlee had been elected instead.