Cold War

Question 1

Tehran conference summary and when it happened

Answer 1

In 1943, focuesed mainly on plans to defeat Nazis but also what would happen to Europe and Germany after the war. Britain and USA were politically very different from the USSR and there were tensions but these were put aside as they fought a common enemy(Germany). Eventually British PM Winston Churchill and US President Franklin D. Roosevelt agreed the USSR could claim a ‘sphere of influence’ after the war was over.

Question 2

Yalta conference summary and when it happened

Answer 2

February 1945. Free elections would be held in previously occupied countries in Eastern Europe. The United Nations (UN) would replace the failed League of Nations

Question 3

Postdam conference 3 agreements and when it happened

Answer 3

July/August 1945. 3 important agreements were made: 1. The new boundaries of Poland were agreed 2. The ‘big three’ plus France would divide Germany and Berlin between them 3. Nazi leaders would be tried for war crimes at Nuremerg

Question 4

Things in Postdam other than the 3 agreements

Answer 4

It was undecided when the four zones of Germany would rejoin and form a country. Roosevelt had died and Truman took his place. Truman was more suspicious of USSR and less willing to compromise. Stalin introduced a gov. of pro communist members in Poland and the other two countries felt that it went against Yalta agreement

Question 5

How the Iron Curtain came about

Answer 5

When USA dropped a nuclear bomb on Japan, Stalin felt as though they were trying to intimidate him, therefore he made some nuclear bombs as well. At the end of the second world war Stalin occupied Eastern Europe and made them all communist. There was increasing tension between USA and USSR and most of the west supported USA and the same for the east and USSR. In a famous speech in 1946, Winston Churchill warned there was an ‘Iron Curtain’ dividing Europe

Question 6

What events led to the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan

Answer 6

The tensions were high and they had both just received secret telegrams about the other which caused panick to the Russian and American governments. Truman was afraid of communism spread to western europe and many countries were undergoing economic hardships which made communism look more appealing so to try contain the spread he introduced the truman doctrine and the marshall plan

Question 7

The Truman Doctrine and when it was announced

Answer 7

March 1947. USA pledged to support any nation threatened by a communist takeover. This support could be diplomatic, military or financial. For example the USA gave $400 million of aid to Turkey and Greece to stop communism spreading

Question 8

The Marshall Plan and when it was announced

Answer 8

June 1947. Promised $17 billion of aid to European countries to help rebuild their economies- the areas of Germany under Western occupation benefited massively. Stalin ordered all of his satellite states to reject the plan. He believe USA was trying the lure Eastern European states away from the USSR

Question 9

What led to the Cominform

Answer 9

Stalin felt threatened by The Marshall Plan and created the Cominform and Comecon

Question 10

The Cominform and when it happened

Answer 10

Set up in 1947 and brought together all European communist parties and placed them under the control of the USSR

Question 11

The Comecon and when it happened

Answer 11

Established in 1949. Countered the Marshall Plan by nationalising industries and offering economic aid. Stalin hoped it would help discourage Eastern Europe from trading with the West. Also appeased the satelitte states as they were ordered to not take help from the USA

Question 12

After effects of the Berlin Wall setting up

Answer 12

Cold War tensions over Berlin stabilised. The west condemned the east however they were actually relieved with this wall because they were going to do a confrontation of some sort so a wall is a lot better than a war. The wall succeeded in stopping mass emigration into west Berlin and gave East Germany a chance to rebuild its economy and strengthen itself. In the west the wall was a symbol of opression and the failure of communism but in the USSR it was a symbol of strength

Question 13

The Prague Spring

Answer 13

It was a time period when Czechoslovakia wanted more freedom and it was tolerated by the USSR for 4 months. In Jan 1968, Alexander Dubcek became leader of Communist Party in Czechoslovakia and introduced a series of reforms that went against Soviet-style communism, many of the reforms were aimed at improving their economy which mean closer relations with the west, which worried the USSR. However Dubcek promised that they would stay loyal to Moscow and in the Warsaw Pact

Question 14

2 of Dubcek’s refoms

Answer 14

Travel to the West was made available for all.
Freedom of Speech and opposition parties were allowed

Question 15

What triggered the Czechoslovakia invasion

Answer 15

President Tito of Yugoslavia visited Prague and had refused to sign the Warsaw Pact and never accepted the USSR version of communism. It was a sign to Brezhnez that Czechoslovakia was no longer loyal to the USSR. They then received a letter from communists in Czechoslovakia asking for help

Question 16

Facts about the Czechoslovakia Invasion

Answer 16

On 21st August 1968. 500,000 Soviet troops invaded Czechoslovakia. They responded with non-violent demonstrations. In April 1969, Ducbek was forcibly removed from office, and replaced with Gustav Husak. He ensured that Czechoslovakia remained close with the USSR

Question 17

What and when was the Helsinki Agreement

Answer 17

In 1975. A pact USA, the USSR, Canada and most of Europe. All countries agreed to recognise existing European borders and to uphold human rights. Both superpowers accepted the division of Germany and the USSR’s influence over Eastern Europe

Question 18

What were the 2 superpowers’ views on the Helsinki agreement

Answer 18

The West viewed the USSR’s agreement to uphold human rights as great progress, but the USSR didn’t stick to its word. It didn’t grant freedom of speech or freedom of movement to its citizens. This undermined the Helsinki agreement and made the USA distrust the USSR

Question 19

What happened in Afghanistan and when

Answer 19

In 1978, a civil war broke out in Afghanistan. Rebels were protesting at new radical reforms brought in by the Afghan communist government. The Afgham gov. asked for help from the USSR which invaded Afghanistan in December 1979. This decision was a disaster because the USSR found themselves in a seemingly unwinnable conflict

Question 20

Why was the USSR invasion on Afghanistan such a disaster

Answer 20

15,000 Soviet troops were killed and the gov. spent huge amounts of money but the USSR couldn’t win. The war led to a loss of public support in the USSR for communist regime and the Soviet people were angry at falling living standards which fell from high spendings in Afghanistan. The war was also an embarrassment as it undermined the USSR’s strong military

Question 21

What started the collapse of eastern europe

Answer 21

Gorbachev’s ‘New Thinking’ and decisions to abandon the Brezhnev Doctrine led to the USSR losing control of its satellite states. For example In 1988, he announced the withdrawal of Soviet troops, tanks and aircraft from Eastern Europe

Question 22

What did the fall of the Berlin Wall mean to Eastern Europe

Answer 22

People who were stuck in or not enjoying the East could now cross over to the West and the fall of the Berlin Wall showed that the relationship between East and West was transforming, and that the USSR was losing its grip over communist territory

Question 23

Which communist govermens fell after the fall of the Berlin Wall

Answer 23

Free elections were held in Poland in June 1989 and in 1990 a new non-communist gov came to power. The USSR didn’t intervene. In December 1989, communist govs collapsed inCzechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania.

Question 24

The final blows to end communism in eastern europe

Answer 24

Republics of the USSR wanted independence, for example in 1990 some important regions in the Soviet Union demanded independence, especially the Baltic republics.
There was a Political Crisis in the USSR for example the communist party was divided and most opposed Gorbachev and they plotted a coup against the gov in 1991 then they arrested Gorbachev and tried to force him to resign.
Finally christmas of 1991 Gorbachev resigned and the next day the USSR was disolved

Question 25

What agreements were made to settle the Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer 25

On 27th October 1962, Khrushchev made a deal to dismantle the missile bases in Cuba and ordered his ships to turn around. In exchange the USA lifted the blockade, stopping USSR ships from entering Cuba, and promised not to invade Cuba. They also secretly agreed to remove their missiles from Turkey

Question 26

What were the consequences of the cuban missile crisis

Answer 26

The USA looked stronger because USSR did everything they said.
The Test Ban Treaty was signed, which stopped the USA, Soviets, and Great Britain from testing nucear weapons in outer space, underwater or in the atmosphere. This was an important step towards the control of nuclear weapons

Question 27

Why did the cuban missile crisis start

Answer 27

When the Bay of Pigs happened, the Cuba had worsened relations with the USA and their relations with the USSR became stronger.
Because there were missiles owned by the USA in Turkey so the
USSR wanted to have some missiles near USA as well, which were
in Cuba.

Question 28

What caused the hungarian uprising and when

Answer 28

During 1956 the people of Hungary began to protest about their lack of political freedoms, fuel shortages and poor harvests.
Krushcher then made Nagy the new president who allowed freedom and relaxed the rules but soon later on 1 November he announced that Hungary would leave the Warsaw pact but
Krushchev wouldn’t allow this

Question 29

What did Krushchev do after hearing Nagy’s announcement

Answer 29

4 November 1,000 tanks rolled into Budapest. Supporters of Nagy put up a fight. They begged the west for support, but no help came.

Question 30

How many Hungarians were killed and what was set up after

Answer 30

Up to 20, 000 Hungarians were killed, and a new pro-USSR government was set up under Janos Kadar.

Question 31

What did Kadar do to Nagy at the end of the Hungarian Uprising

Answer 31

Kadar promised Nagy that he and his followers could have safe passage out of the embassy where they had hidden, but when they left Soviet agents kidnapped them.

Question 32

Kennan Telegram

Answer 32

1946- a long telegram where a US citizen disagreed with the USSR politically. US didn’t agree with USSR

Question 33

Novikov Telegram

Answer 33

1946- His telegram to gov in Moscow shows that Soviets thought equally poor of the West. Tension because neither side agrees with the other

Question 34

NATO

Answer 34

After the blockade, the Soviets were seen as incredibly dangerous. The Western powers decided to form a military alliance to protect themselves. Also meant the USA would become involved in Europe

Question 35

Warsaw Pact

Answer 35

NATO worried the USSR so they formed an alliance which included the eastern bloc and was under the complete control of the USSR

Question 36

Consequences of the Berlin Blockade

Answer 36

The forming of both alliances NATO and Warsaw Pact.
Arguement was now split into 2 sides and any attack would cause a large war since more people got involved, increased tension

Question 37

SALT 1

Answer 37

Superpowers agreed to limit the amount of nuclear weapons they had.
This slowed down the arms race, led to further negotiations and SALT 2, ensured neither side had a decisive advantage but the treaty didnt cover the latest technology developments

Question 38

SALT 2

Answer 38

Each superpower limited to 2250 warheads.
Some west Germany politicians opposed the treaty because they feared it weakened them from Soviet control, some US politicians thought it made too many concessions to USSR, because of the Aghan invasion the treaty never became official in US