Cold War Flashcards
What was the Moscow Conference 1944?
Churchill and Stalin carved up Eastern Europe and agreed Britain would station troops in Greece
The US opposed the agreement
What was THe Bretton Woods Conference?
Stalin agreed to join IMF and the World Bankin return for a loan
THE USA imposed conditions and said The USSR had to open markets to the USA
The USSR refusedas they did not want to give the USA power through economic levers
How did tension at the Yalta Conference lead to the collapse of the Grand Alliance?
Germany was divided into zones of occupation and war criminals put on trial
The USSR did not want Germany to reemrge as a millitary threat
They pledged to hold free elections in Poland.Churchill wanted the Polish govt who were in exile in London to take power
Stalin wanted influence over Poland as Russia had been invaded three times by Poland in the past
It was agreed that the USSR would join the war against Japan and join the UN
Why was there a breakdown of the Grand Alliance at Potsdam 1945?
Agreements from Yalta reaffirmed Potsdam
It was agreed the USSR could seek reparations from Germany and new borders between Russia and Germany were drawn up
The American wanted a brand new Polish govt- they felt the elections there were not free despite Stalin’s offer to include more London Poles in the Lublin based govt.
The AMericans were unhappy with the spread of the Red Army across Eastern Europe
Roosevelt died and his successor Trueman was keen to get tough with USSR. Churchill lost the 1945 election and Clement Atlee lacked his diplomatic expereience
Americ dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 6 August 1945. This made Stalin’s help in Japan unneccessary, Stalin was insulted by Trueman’s failure to inform him about the bomb.
Why was there a breakdown of the Grand Alliance at Potsdam 1945?
Agreements from Yalta reaffirmed Potsdam
It was agreed the USSR could seek reparations from Germany and new borders between Russia and Germany were drawn up
The American wanted a brand new Polish govt- they felt the elections there were not free despite Stalin’s offer to include more London Poles in the Lublin based govt.
The AMericans were unhappy with the spread of the Red Army across Eastern Europe
Roosevelt died and his successor Trueman was keen to get tough with USSR. Churchill lost the 1945 election and Clement Atlee lacked his diplomatic expereience
Americ dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 6 August 1945. This made Stalin’s help in Japan unneccessary, Stalin was insulted by Trueman’s failure to inform him about the bomb.
What were other causes of tensions?
Discovery of a mass grave at Katyn Forest containing 10,000 Polish officers caused tensions with the WEst. Soviets denied involvement
Soviets were accused of crushing the Poles during the Warsaw uprising 1944. This alarmed the WEstern allies
The delay in opening the second front caused tensions between the allies. The USSR felt they been left to bear the brunt f war.
Identify the significance of provenance of this source - consider its value as a source of evidence. Who said it? What type of source is it? Wjen was it said? Where was it said? Way? What was the speaker’s purpose?
Winston Churchill wrote about the agreement between himself and Stalin on 4 October 1944 in his book The second world war published 1954
The moment was apt for business so I said, “Let us settle our affairs in the Balkans. Your armies are in Romania and Bugaria, WE have interests, missions and agents there. As far as Britain and Russia are concerend how would it do for you to have 90% dominance in Romania for us 90percent of say Greece and 50/50 Yugoslavis. I pushed this across to Stalin. He took his blue pencil and mae a large tick on it, It was all settled in the time it takes to set down.”
What were the causes of the cold war?
Disagreements at the wartime conferences
Ideological differences
Long term tensions
Personalities
Soviet actions during wwII
WEstern acions during wwII
why did Stalin expand across eastern Europe?
To create a buffer against the hostile capitalist encirclement of the west
Some researchers say it was to pursue global communisim and to pose a threat to western capitalism
What methods did Stalin use to maintain control over Europe?
Capitalising on support for communist parties who advocated reform and who resisted the NAZIs
The west felt that Stalin was using the influence of the read army to spread communism, but the army was demillitarised in 1845
Salami tactics - the communsts formed coalitions with other political parties in particular countries then they assumed key positions and removed opposition.
Establishment of the Comiform 1947 - sought to coordinate communist parties across Eurpe. Leaders who disagreed with Mosco were purged.In yugoslavia the communists under Tito would not be tamed and were expelled from the Cominform in 1948
Establishment of Comecon in 1949 for economic control
The Warsaw pact 1955 was a way to assert millitary control over Europe
Situation on Hungary
After coalition with Russia the leaders of the Small holderes committee were accused of offences against the Red Army and they were dissolved in 1947. The communists assumed all key positions and abolished all political parties
What was the situation in Bulgaria?
The communists set up a coalition with the Peasants Party - in 1947 their leader hanged himsef for plotting a coup
What was the situation in Poland?
In 1945 a coalition called Govt of National Unity took power but Stalian arrested the non communist leaders. B 1947 The London exiles were allowed in the Lublin coalition by Stalin at Yalta were removed from office and all political parties were abolished by the communists
What was the situation in Romania?
The comm party won 372/414 seats in 1946 elections. Some of the results were forged. By 1947 opposition parties were estroyed and King Michael abdicated
What was the situation in East Germany?
Stalin instructed the communists to merge with the socialist party to form the socialist unity party. The communists purged the coalition and assumed power
