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History - History Superpower relations and the Cold War > Ch 1 - > Flashcards

Ch 1 - Flashcards

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1
Q

When was the Grand Alliance created ?

A

In 1941

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2
Q

Why was the Grand alliance created, who were its members ?

A
  • Britain, the USA and the USSR were part of the Grand Alliance
  • They worked together as member of the alliance to defeat the common enemy - Nazi Germany
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3
Q

Describe Britain during the time of the Grand Alliance ?

A
  • Led by Churchill
  • A democracy
  • Had been at war with Germany since 1939
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4
Q

Describe the USA during the time of the Grand Alliance ?

A
  • Led by Roosevelt
  • A democracy
  • had been at war with Germany since 1941
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5
Q

Describe the USSR during the time of the Grand Alliance ?

A
  • Led by Stalin
  • A communist one-party state
  • Had been at war with Germany since 1941
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6
Q

When was the Tehran conference ?

A

Nov - Dec 1943

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7
Q

When was the Yalta conference ?

A

February 1945

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8
Q

When was the Potsdam conference ?

A

July - Aug 1945

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9
Q

What happened at the Tehran conference ?

A
  • The USA and Britain agreed to
    open up a second front by invading
    Nazi-occupied Europe.
  • The Soviet Union would declare war on Japan once Germany was defeated.
  • The boundaries of Poland would be moved westwards; Poland would gain territory from Germany and lose it to the Soviet Union.
  • It was also agreed that an international body would be set up to settle future disputes between countries. This set the scene for the establishment of the United Nations.
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10
Q

What happened at the Yalta conference ?

A
  • Germany, when defeated, would be reduced in size, divided and demilitarised. It would have to pay reparations.
  • Europe would be rebuilt along the lines of the Atlantic Charter. Countries would have democratic elections.
  • The UN (United Nations) would be
    set up.
  • The Soviet Union would declare war on Japan once Germany was defeated.
  • Poland would be in the ‘Soviet sphere of influence’ but run on a broader democratic basis.
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11
Q

What happened at the Potsdam conference ?

A
  • A Council of Foreign Ministers was set up to organise the rebuilding of Europe.
  • The Nazi Party was banned and war criminals were to be prosecuted.
  • Germany was to be reduced in size and divided into four zones of occupation run by Britain, France, the USA and the Soviet Union.
  • Berlin was also to be divided up into zones of occupation.
  • The Soviet Union was to receive 25% of the output from the other three occupied zones.
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12
Q

How did Tehran Conference impact relations ?

A

Better :
- Stalin pleased he wouldn’t be weakened
- Roosevelt sided along side Stalin

Worse :
- Churchill less pleased since he wanted ‘second front’ open which caused tension between Britain and USA

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13
Q

How did Yalta Conference impact relations ?

A

Worse:
- There was disagreement over Poland
- Stalin expected elections to be for-communist, Britain supported non-communist Poles

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14
Q

How did the Potsdam conference impact relations ?

A

WORSE :

  • Roosevelt replaced with Truman who was very anti-communist ( therefore hard to co-operate with )
  • Truman delayed conference until atomic bomb made to have advantage
  • Increased tensions between them
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15
Q

What was the overall outcome of the conference ( Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam ) ?

A
  • There was growing tensions between the wartime alliances of the Grand Alliance
  • Truman replaced Roosevelt and he was very anti-communist, increasing tensions between USA and USSR
  • Disagreements were made over future of Germany and Eastern Europe
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16
Q

Why did the Grand Alliance start to fall apart after the war ended/ Germany surrendered ?

A
  • Roosevelt was a key piece in holding the alliance together since he believed USA could work with USSR
  • He was replaced by Truman who was very anti-communist and was suspicious of USSR like BR
  • This increased tensions, they no longer allied with one another
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17
Q

What led to the Cold War between the USA and the USSR ?

A
  • The USA dropped an atomic bomb on Japan in 1945. This gave them a large military advantage over other countries
  • Roosevelt was ready to work with Stalin but he died in April 1945 and was replaced by Truman.
  • Truman trusted Stalin much less and was very anti-communist
  • Truman felt that sue to the atomic bomb he could push Stalin around at the Potsdam conference
  • Stalin disliked the way in which hTruman had tried to push him around at Potsdam in 1945
    = Increased tension between the superpowers and start of Cold War.
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18
Q

Why did Truman not trust Stalin ?

A

This is due to Stalin breaking his promise over Poland at Yalta

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19
Q

Why was England not so much a superpower in the Cold War ?

A

After the War ended it was exhausted economically. Therefore was unable to stand up to USSR on its own and was only an ally to USA

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20
Q

What is ideology ?

A

Understanding ideology - a set of political ideas about how society should be run - is key to understanding the Cold War. The USA and the Soviet Union had opposing ideologies.

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21
Q

What was the ideology of USA, Britain and other capitalist counties ?

A
  • Everyone should be free to make money for themselves.
  • Individuals are better at deciding what to make sell than the state.
  • Trade between countries makes everyone richer.
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22
Q

What did capitalists think of communism ?

A

They believe communism enslaved people of the state

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23
Q

What was the ideology of the Soviet Union and other communist countries ?

A
  • Capitalism only makes some people rich by exploiting everyone else.
  • Individuals are not as strong as everyone working together for the same aim.
  • The state should take control of the economy and run it to benefit everyone.
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24
Q

What did communists think of capitalism ?

A

They believed capitalism exploded the workers to make the rich even richer. Beloved communism was based on fairness.

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25
Q

When was the Long Telegram ?

A

1946

26
Q

When was Novikov’s Telegram ?

A

1946

27
Q

What did the Long Telegram state ?

A
  • the Soviet Union saw capitalism as a threat to communism that had to be destroyed
  • The Soviet Union was building its military power
  • Peace between a communist Soviet Union and a capitalist USA was not possible.
28
Q

What was the Long Telegram ?

A

A secret report from the US ambassador Kennan in Moscow to president Truman

29
Q

What was Novikov’s Telegram ?

A

A report from Novikov, Soviet ambassador from the USA.

30
Q

What did the Novikov telegram say ?

A
  • The USA wanted world domination and was building up its military strength
  • The Soviet Union was the only country left after the war that could stand up to the USA
  • The USA was preparing its people for war with the Soviet Union.
31
Q

What made relations between the two superpowers prominently worse ?

A

Ideological differences and the atomic difference had made the relations between them worse. The USA saw the Soviet Union as a threat to its economic interests in Europe. The Soviet Union feared and resented the USA’s nuclear monopoly, which did not end until 1949.

32
Q

What did the Soviet Union do between 1947 and 1949 ?

A

It was increasing its sphere of influence to neighbouring countries which became ‘satellite states’ in control of USSR

33
Q

What did the Soviet Union agree at Yalta and Potsdam and did they go through with it ?

A
  • At the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, the Soviet Union agreed to free elections in the countries in its sphere of influence.
  • However, elections were fixed to make sure the Communist Party won and non-communists were removed from government.
  • Once in control, the communists shut down the opposition parties and each country became a single-party state.
34
Q

What countries where satellite states ?

A
  • Bulgaria
  • Romania
  • Poland
  • Hungary
  • Czechoslovakia
  • East Germany
35
Q

How did satellite states come about ?

A
  • In 1944 - 45, The Soviet Red Army freed many countries in Eastern Europe from Nazi Germany
  • After the war was over Stalin was reluctant to give up control of these countries as they served as a useful buffer zone between USSR and Germany
  • He therefore turned them into satellite states with communist governments and little genuine independence from the Soviet Union
36
Q

Why where the satellite states important to Stalin ?

A

Stalin wanted to have control of Eastern Europe to ensure the security of the Soviet Union. The countries provided as a good ‘buffer zone’ from attack by the West ( which they thought was unreasonable )

37
Q

What did the USA think of Stalin’s control of Eastern Europe ?

A
  • The USA saw the Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe as a betrayal of the Yalta agreement, in which Stalin had made promises about holding democratic elections.
38
Q

What did others think of Stalin’s control of Eastern Europe ?

A

Others saw it as evidence of Soviet expansion: Eastern Europe was a stepping-stone to a Soviet takeover of Western Europe.

39
Q

How did Bulgaria become communist ?

A

A communist government was elected in 1945, and all elected non-communists were executed.

40
Q

How did Romania become communist ?

A

A communist-led coalition took power. However, by 1947 the communists had taken over and Romania became a one-party state.

41
Q

How did Poland become communist ?

A

At Yalta Stalin promised to set up a joint communist/non-communist government. He then invited 16 non-communist leaders to Moscow and arrested them. Thousands of non-communists were arrested. The communists then won’ the 1947 election.

42
Q

How did Hungary become communist ?

A

The communists lost the 1945 election but the communist leader Rakosi took control of the secret police, executed and imprisoned his opponents and turned Hungary into a communist state.

43
Q

How did Czechoslovakia become communist ?

A

Edward Benes set up a coalition government. However, the communists retained control of the army, the radio and the secret police. In 1948 they seized power completely, turning the country into a communist state.

44
Q

How did East Germany become communist ?

A

The original Soviet zone of occupation in Germany, it became a communist state in October 1949.

45
Q

What is containment ?

A

Limiting the spread of something ( during the Cold War ‘containment’ meant stoping the spread of communism )

46
Q

What did USA do in response to the spread of communism ( Stalin in Eastern Europe ) ?

A
  • USA stepped up its involvement in Europe
  • The USA was determined to contain communism through military and economic assistance: the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid.
47
Q

What were Trumans concerns ? ( After the war and communism spread )

A
  • He feared the spread of communism due to the state in which Europe was left in after the war ( Many having no money, jobs and were feeling hopeless )
  • This made communism look extremely attractive since it made sure everyone had enough ( what. people wanted )
  • Didn’t help that many had bee liberated from Nazi rule by the Soviets, countries like Bulgaria and Poland already had communist governments enforced on them
  • Therefore Truman feared that this would happen to other countries ( Greece and Turkey who were vulnerable and wouldn’t be able to fight of a communist revolution )
  • TRUMAN MAINLY FEARED OTHER COUNTRIES WOULD FOLLOW IF GREECE AND TRUKEY BECAME COMMUNIST = DOMINO EFFECT
48
Q

When was the Truman Doctrine ?

A

1947

49
Q

What was the ‘Truman Doctrine’ ?

A

A set of ideas that Truman outlined in his speech which signalled new international relations for he USA.

50
Q

What did Us President Truman outline in the Truman Doctrine ?

A
  • Countries faced a choice between , either capitalism or communism.
  • Communism was bad ( pictured it as evil ) because it meant , people could not be free.
  • The USA must try to contain (hold back). This spread of communism.
  • The USA should provide money and troops (if necessary) to help free governments (promised to provide 400 million $ to Greece and Turkey ) to combat communist takeovers.
51
Q

When was the Marshal Plan ?

A

1947

52
Q

What was the aim of the Marshall Plan ?

A

To provide economic aid to countries in order to stop the spread of communism in Western Europe

53
Q

What did the Marshall Plan state ?

A
  • About $I3 billion from USA to help rebuild Europe ( then an extra 12.7 b between 1948 - 52 )
  • Communism appealed most to people with nothing to lose, so the Marshall Plan hoped to stop communism by giving people a stake in the capitalist system.
  • Countries must trade with the USA to get the money.
  • Sixteen Western European countries took the money including Britain, France and West Germany.
54
Q

What did the USSR think of the Marshall plan ?

A

The Soviet Union criticised the Marshall Plan as an attack on them because it threatened communist control in Eastern Europe.

55
Q

What were the consequences of the Marshall plan ?

A
  • Grand Alliance was officially over
  • Stalin’s suspicions of the West were reinforced ( them trying to crush the USSR )
  • The Marshall plan successfully tied Western European countries into supporting the USA ( Europe officially divided into two economic/political camps )
56
Q

When was Cominform crated ?

A

Stalin set it up in 1947.

57
Q

What was Cominform ?

A
  • Cominform stood for the Communist Information Bureau.
  • The bureau organised all the communist parties in Europe and arranged their leadership so they would do what Moscow told them to.
58
Q

What did Cominform do ?

A
  • Cominform got rid of any opposition to the Soviet Union’s control in satellite states.
  • It encouraged communist parties in Western countries to block Marshall
    Plan assistance.
59
Q

When was Comecon created ?

A

Stalin set it up in 1949

60
Q

What was Comecon ?

A
  • Comecon stood for the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.
  • It was the Soviet Union’s alternative to the Marshall Plan
61
Q

What did Comecon do ?

A
  • It built up trade links between
    Comecon countries.
  • It also prevented Comecon countries signing up to the Marshall Plan.
  • Comecon included the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Albania and, from 1950, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
62
Q

What where the consequences off the Marshall Plan and the formation of cominform and Comecon ?

A
  • Western Europe was now in one camp. It was linked to the USA through the Marshall Plan and the US policy of containment of communism.
  • Eastern Europe was now in one camp. It was tied to the Soviet Union as satellite states and the Soviet Union believed socialist revolution would spread worldwide.

History - History Superpower relations and the Cold War (5 decks)

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