Cold War Flashcards
When was the Grand Alliance created?
1941
How are communism and capitalism different?
Capitalism - economy runs itself through free market, democratic govt, individuals can buy / sell / make profit
Communism - state run economy eg collectivisation, profits shared out, revolutionary dictatorship
Britain had been at war with Germany since…
1939
The USA had been at war with Germany since…
December 1941
The USSR had been at war with Germany since…
1941
When did the Tehran conference take place?
1943
What was agreed at the Tehran conference?
- USA + Britain to set up second front by invading Nazi occupied Europe
- USSR would declare war on Japan
- Borders of Poland moved to west
- International body would be set up to settle future disputes
When did the Yalta conference take place?
February 1945
What was agreed at the Yalta conference?
- Germany demilitarised, pay reparations, split (zones of occupation)
- UN would be set up
- Poland would be in Soviet sphere of influence but democratic
What changes of leadership happened between the Yalta and Potsdam conferences?
Attlee replaced Churchill
Truman replaced Roosevelt
When did the Potsdam conference take place?
July - August 1945
What was agreed at the Potsdam conference?
- Council of Foreign Ministers set up to organise rebuilding of Europe
- Germany divided into four zones of occupation (Britain, France, USA and USSR)
- Berlin also divided
- USSR would receive 1/4 of output from other three zones
How did Stalin secure control over satellite states?
Used “free” elections to get communists into power (eg Poland, Romania)
Red Army conquered some parts (Estonia, Latvia)
Used coup to take over Czechoslovakia
Voter intimidation (Hungary)
What did Stalin believe about democracy?
That a democratic government had to be communist because only they truly represented the working people
What did Roosevelt believe about democracy?
Different political parties would compete to win voters’ support in free elections
Why did Roosevelt’s death cause the end of the Grand Alliance?
He had a good relationship with Stalin whereas Truman was more suspicious
How did the atomic bomb cause the end of the Grand Alliance?
USA dropped atomic bombs on Japan in 1945 giving them a military advantage over other nations
Truman felt he had the upper hand over Stalin at Potsdam bc of the bomb
Why did Britain become increasingly less involved in the Cold War?
It was economically exhausted after the war so became only an ally of the USA
What were the three key acts in the “war of words”?
Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech
Kennan’s Long Telegram
Novikov Telegram
What is an ideology?
A set of political ideas about how society should be run
What were the key points and impact of Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech?
Churchill thought USSR was threat to freedom and world peace
Stalin interpreted this as Truman’s view as well as Churchill’s
Increased suspicion bc warned that situation in Europe would lead to conflict
What were the key points and impact of Kennan’s Long Telegram?
Stalin wanted to destroy capitalism
USSR was building military power
USSR may back down if faced with strong resistance
USA believed there should be a policy of containment
What were the key points and impact of the Novikov Telegram?
USA wanted world domination and was building up military strength
USA didn’t want to cooperate with USSR
USA was preparing its people for war
Secret reports told Truman that the USSR couldn’t currently ___ but that Stalin was a “____” in Europe
Fight another war
“Menace to freedom”
What were conditions like in Europe in the late 1940s?
Food shortages + poverty
Britain withdrew aid
Truman concerned this would drive Germans to communism
Truman made speech accepting US responsibility of containment
Between 19__ and 19__ the USSR began spreading its sphere of influence
1947
1949
What was the impact of Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe on superpower relations?
USA saw it as a betrayal of the Yalta agreement
Some saw it as a stepping stone to a Soviet takeover of Western Europe
USA determined to contain spread
USSR needed buffer zone against West
What was the Truman Doctrine?
A speech where Truman said:
The USA would try to contain the spread of communism
The USA would provide money / troops to support people resisting communism
When did the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan take place?
1947
What was the Marshall Plan?
Aid from USA to help rebuild Europe
How much money did the US spend on Marshall Aid?
$13 billion
How effective was Marshall Aid in Greece?
$700 million
Imported American miles to help fulfil need for draft animals
How did Stalin see Marshall Aid?
US attempt to increase influence in Europe
“Dollar imperialism”
What did Stalin do in response to the Marshall Plan?
Set up Cominform and Comecon
What did Cominform stand for?
Communist Information Bureau
When was Cominform set up?
1947
What did Cominform do?
Organised communist parties in Europe
Gave Stalin control over satellite states
Contact with non-communist countries discouraged
Rejected Marshall Plan, spread anti-US propaganda
When was Comecon set up?
1949
What did Comecon stand for?
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
What did Comecon do?
Arranged trade agreements, Five Year Plan for each state, nationalised industry and collectivisation
Trade with USA / W. Europe discouraged
Prevented countries getting Marshall Aid
The spheres of ___ that had developed in Europe were converted by Marshall Aid and ___ into official ___ ___
Influence
Comecon
Economic alliances
The line that divided the two spheres of influence was known as…
The Iron Curtain
What does NATO stand for?
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
When was NATO set up?
1949
NATO was a military alliance based around the principle of…
Collective security - if one member was attacked, others would assist it
What did the USA want for Germany?
A united capitalist Germany that it could trade with and would help prevent spread of communism
What did the USSR want for Germany?
A weak, divided, Communist Germany that wouldn’t be able to attack them again
Why was Stalin unhappy about France, Britain and the USA combining their zones to create West Germany?
He felt threatened and thought it went against the Potsdam agreements
The USSR had ___ troops in East Berlin whereas the Western countries had sent most of theirs ___
1.5 million
Home
Eastern Germany grew almost all the ___ that Western Germany needed
Food
In ___ the USSR closed all road and ___ links into West Berlin
1948
Rail
The USSR blocked all ___ into Berlin
Supplied
Britain, France + USA set up a new currency called the ___ that was worth ___ than the Soviet currency
Deutschmark
More
Stalin set up the blockade to show…
That a divided Germany would not work
How did the Allies respond to the Berlin blockade?
Airlifted supplies - up to 1000 tonnes per day
This continued from June 1948 to September 1949
Gave the USA a propaganda victory
