Chapter 1: Relations in 1945 Flashcards

Ideology, WW2 and wartime conferences

1
Q

What is ideology?

A

The beliefs and viewpoints about how society, economics and politics should be organised

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2
Q

What is communism?

A
  • Extreme socialism focusing on community
  • Economy run by the government for the people
  • One party state
  • State provides for citizens for greater equality
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3
Q

What is capitalism?

A
  • Part of conservatism
  • Everyone for themselves
  • Trade free from restrictions
  • Freedom of speech / press / religion
  • Democracy
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4
Q

How did different ideologies cause tensions?

A
  • Both thought they gave freedom
  • Saw the other as expanding and felt threatened by this
  • Completely opposite ideas - cannot coexist
  • Saw USSR as a dictatorship- threatens democracy
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5
Q

Explain the USSR’s history up to WW2

A
  • 1917 —> Bolshevik revolution —> France, Britain and US help against Bolsheviks but are defeated
  • 1939 —> Nazi-Soviet pact with Hitler made as Stalin didn’t trust the west
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6
Q

Explain events in WW2 that led to the alliance of USSR and US

A
  • 1941 (June) —> Operation Barbarossa invades USSR
  • 1941 (Dec) —> Pearl Harbour attack on USA
  • Now united against a common enemy
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7
Q

The grand alliance
- What was it?
- When was it made?
- Who was it between?
- Why was it made?

A
  • Military alliance
  • 1941
  • USSR, USA, Britain
  • Created to defeat Nazi Germany and Fascism
  • Unlikely alliance due to opposing ideologies
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8
Q

What tensions were there between countries 1939 - 41? (3x)
Explain them

A
  • Hitler given the Sudetenland by the west –> unfair as he is being allowed to be aggressive and leads to the Nazi-
    Soviet pact.
  • Nazi-Soviet pact (1939) –> due to lack of trust of the west - they conspired against Poland (a western ally)
  • USSR invade and take control of Eastern Europe
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9
Q

What tensions were there in the grand alliance up to 1944? (x3)

A
  • Stalin asks for a 2nd front in 1942 –> isn’t given one until 1944
  • USSR lose 50% more than Europe combined –> killed and captured 20x more –> feel expendable to the west
  • Poland –> Katyn graves dug up (1942ish - been killed 1940) by Nazis containing 4000 polish officers who had been killed by the USSR who had always wanted Poland —> Warsaw uprising where Soviets only help the city after the rebellion had been crushed by the Nazis
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10
Q

How was the US after WW2? (x5)

A
  • Lost 300,000 men
  • Wealthier and happier than the depression
  • War production had boosted the economy and employment
  • More ‘luxury’ goods made
  • Increased population due to decreased mortality rate and more money.
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11
Q

How was the USSR after WW2? (x4)

A
  • Lost between 25 and 30 million men
  • Mass destruction of towns and homes –> 70,000 villages destroyed
  • Extreme suffering
  • Wanted extreme reparations of industrial resources, money, scientists, buildings etc
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12
Q

What were the aims of the USA in the wartime conferences? (x7)

A
  • UN + World Bank
  • Control of Pacific + Atlantic for security
  • Break up old colonial empires
  • A democratic Germany
  • Free trade
  • To rebuild Europe (for trade)
  • Contain communism
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13
Q

What were the aims of Britain in the wartime conferences? (x4)

A
  • A democratic government in Poland
  • To remain a great power
  • To be on friendly terms with superpowers and economic help from the US
  • Contain communism
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14
Q

What were the aims of the USSR in the wartime conferences? (x5)

A
  • Security against invasion
  • To weaken Germany with reparations
  • To keep territory gained in the war
  • To ensure friendly regimes and control in Eastern Europe
  • Expand communism
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15
Q

Yalta
- When? (why is that significant)
- Who was there?
- Where was it held?

A
  • 4-11 Feb 1945 (before war ended - trying to decide what to do but haven’t won yet)
  • Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt
  • Yalta - Crimean city in USSR land
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16
Q

What was decided at Yalta? (x4)

A
  • To divide Germany into 4 zones (GB, France, US, USSR) and Berlin the same way
  • Create the UN
  • USSR gain land from Poland and Poland expand north and west
  • Declaration of liberated Europe
17
Q

Potsdam
- When was it? (significance?)
- Who was there? (what does this mean?)
- Where was it?

A
  • 17 July - 1 Aug 1945 (war won so can now make concrete decisions and US have atomic bomb)
  • Stalin, Truman (Roosevelt = dead - T= confrontational and uses atomic diplomacy), Atlee (Churchill = voted out)
  • Potsdam - outkirts of Berlin
18
Q

What was agreed at Potsdam? (x3)

A
  • Germany = demilitarised, disarmed, denazified
  • Remake the German education system
  • Reinstate free speech, press, religion
  • USSR can have reparations from their zones and 25% from western zones
19
Q

How were personal relationships different between the leaders? (post potsdam)

A
  • Truman –> more aggressive to USSR and confrontational - uses atomic diplomacy
  • Stalin –> concerned abt security (more now due to US), inc red army in E Europe and pro communism and saw cooperation was over
  • Atlee –> anti communist, saw need for US to stay in Europe to be interventionist not isolationist
20
Q

What was the declaration of liberated Europe and how was it flawed?

A
  • People could choose their government
  • USSR/US/GB can help to establish peace, set up an interim govt, hold elections, give relief and help free elections occur
  • Was very vague –> was the only way that they would all agree
  • Was easily twisted for their own ideologies