Cold war Flashcards
Describe the rivalry between USA and USSR.
Much of the rivalry between USA and USSR can be traced all the way back to the very formation of Communist Russia. Shortly after the 1917 October Revolution, Communism in Russia came under threat as Russia goes into a period known as Russian Civil War, where the Communist Red Army known as the Bolsheviks fought against the White Army known as the Mensheviks who were essentially anti-communists. In this war, the Americans supported the White Army and the White Army was actually larger and was more well-equipped. However, poor coordination within the White Army meant that the attacks they launched were ineffective. Coupled with strong leadership of the Red Army led by Trotsky, the war concluded in 1921 in favour of the Reds. This event left Communist Russia wary of the countries in the West and the American support for the White Army will be remembered by the Communist leaders.
Why did USA worry and not trust Stalin’s actions
For USA, it was probably worrying to see a fast developing Communist Russia with Stalin launching his 5-Year Plans and Collectivisation. News of how Stalin purged his opponents via show trials and the harsh treatment of opposition by sending them to Siberia and the Gulags, which are labour camps, further reinforced the American perception that Stalin cannot be trusted. Prior to WWII, Stalin also signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact, which allowed Hitler to avoid a two-front war. This made World War II possible for the Germans. For the Americans, this meant that Russia allowed WWII to happen and the secret clause in the treaty for the splitting up of Poland between Germany and Russia showed the Americans that Stalin was just as ambitious and expansionistic like Hitler. To make matters worse, they had assumed the Soviet Union would be an ally against Nazism and so had seen this as a backstabbing.
How was mistrust heightened and ideological differences amplified through incidents during/or after WWII?
One example is the delay in the opening of the Second Front to assist Russia during Operation Barbarossa. This delay caused a lot of casualties (up to 40 million deaths in total) for the Russians and it led the Russians to suspect that USA was just waiting for Nazism and Communism to destroy each other. The destruction of Stalingrad was a blemish in the eyes of the Soviet Union and they were keen on seeking revenge, not just on Germany but they blamed USA as well. Another incident happened at the close of WWII, when Stalin was not consulted on the use of the atomic bombs on Japan. The growing tensions between the two Allies were clearly seen in the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences, where both sides had very much differing idea of how post-war Europe should look like.
State the decisions made during the Yalta Conference.
(i) Germany is to be split into four zones of occupation
(ii) Poland will have free elections once the war is over
(iii) Nazi Criminals will be brought to trial
(iv) Help the freed people of Europe establish their new governments
(v) Russia promised to join the war against Japan (vi) Russia will join the United Nations
What changed in the Potsdam Conference?
At the Potsdam Conference, there was a change in the personnel who attended the meeting. The new American President, Harry Truman, attended the conference with the newly elected Clement Attlee from Britain, which replaced Winston Churchill. The Atomic Bombs had just been tested and now, there was a new mood in the negotiations. Also, Stalin had just captured all the non-Communist Polish leaders, which was a violation of what was agreed at Yalta. One additional point was now added: Russia could take 10% of the industrial equipment from the Western zones of Occupied Germany as reparations. Russia could also take reparations from her own zone. Unlike Yalta, there were now open disagreements over issues such as size of reparations Germany has to pay, exactly how to split Germany up and also extent of Russian influence in Eastern Europe.
What were the ideological differences between USA and USSR?
Fundamentally, the heart of the Cold War lies in the ideologies both sides practised. On the American side, they practised democracy, which allows the people to vote for their own leaders. Also, USA practiced Capitalism, which focus on the idea of free enterprise and private initiative. In USA, values such as meritocracy and freedom were upheld. On the other hand, USSR brand of Communism subdued personal needs for societal ones. There were no free elections in Russia, and it had a command economy. To the Americans, Communism fundamentally opposed their most treasured value of freedom and the nature of a command economy will destroy the very thing that made America a superpower: Capitalism. For the Russians, Capitalism was viewed as an oppression of the workers instead.
Describe the events of the Iron Curtain Speech.
The Iron Curtain Speech (1946) by Winston Churchill highlighted the division of Europe into a free West and a unfree East. Stalin accused Churchill as a warmonger and even though Churchill was no longer the Prime Minister of Britain nor was he from USA, this speech exposed the tensions between the former allies and it was now clear to the world that a Cold War was going on.
Describe the events of the Berlin Blockade(1948)
The Berlin Blockade began mostly because of the conflict over how both sides wanted to treat Germany and, in particular, Berlin. With the Reichsmark being incredibly unstable after WWII, the Western Democracies saw the need to stabilise the economy and so through the secretive Operation Birddog, they introduced a new currency known as the Deutschmark. This saw a marked improvement in West Berlin within a few days which angered Stalin as he wanted West Berlin to remain chaotic. As such, he retaliated by introducing Ostmark. There were now two currencies operating within Berlin. During this event, Stalin closed off all the rails, roads, and air corridors to Berlin shortly after the introduction of a new currency (Deutschmark) in the American and French zone and the desire of to form a new West Germany. The blockade lasted for nearly a year and this created much tension between the two sides. The military alliances of NATO and WARSAW Pact will be formed shortly after this event.
Describe the events of the U2 spy plane incident of 1960.
American President Eisenhower attempted to cover up a reconnaissance mission. The Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev purposely did not release information that they have captured both the plane and the pilot and once USA has lied about it, Khrushchev revealed the truth and embarrassed the American administration. This event would also lead to the collapse of the Paris Peace Summit later, which could have ended the Cold War much earlier, especially considering that Khrushchev believed in peaceful coexistence between the East and the West. Khrushchev did also made a de-Stalinization speech in 1956, calling Stalin a murderer and tyrant. The stage was perfect for the ending of Cold War until the U2 Spy Plane Incident.
