Cold War 1945-49 Flashcards

1
Q

Why was the Treaty of Versailles a root cause of the Cold War?

A

The Russians pulled out of WW1 before it ended so did not gain anything under the terms of the Treaty- this angered them

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2
Q

Why was the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 a reason for the breakdown of the wartime alliance in WW2?

A

The Russians should have helped the London Poles fighting against the Germans but they did not- this was because, selfishly, they wanted Poland to be communist after the war

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3
Q

When was the Yalta Conference?

A

February 1945

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4
Q

What were the main 3 things discussed at the Yalta Conference?

A

Poland- the largest Eastern European country
The shape of post-war Europe
What should happen to Germany- a framework settlement was discussed

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5
Q

What happened to the ‘Big Three’ leaders by the time of the Potsdam Conference?

A

Stalin was the only original member- Roosevelt had died and been replaced by Truman and Churchill had not be re-elected and had been replaced by Atlee

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6
Q

When was the Potsdam Conference?

A

July-August 1945

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7
Q

What breaking news was announced by the USA at the Potsdam Conference?

A

The USA announced that they had developed, and tested, an atomic bomb

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8
Q

Name 3 effects of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan

A

70,000 of Hiroshima’s 78,000 buildings were destroyed
Long term radiation poisoning
Blast wave burned people immediately
Shadows were burnt into the ground
Wildlife and vegetation was completely destroyed

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9
Q

When did the USSR develop and test their own atomic bomb?

A

August 1949

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10
Q

What did the ‘Big Three’ decide to do with Germany after the war ended?

A

It was to be split into 4 occupational zones- each run by one of the allies (Britain, France, the USA and the USSR)

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11
Q

What did the western powers do to their zones of Germany after 1947?

A

They fused them together- firstly, the USA and Britain created Bizonia and then the French joined not later on and it became Trizonia

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12
Q

What was the trigger reason for Stalin’s Berlin Blockade?

A

When the western powers created their own currency (the Deutschmark) which was a higher value than the currency in the eastern zone

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13
Q

How did the allies respond to the Berlin Blockade?

A

They used the Berlin Airlift- they flew supplies in and out of West Berlin

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14
Q

What was the Truman Doctrine?

A

Truman’s belief system based on the domino theory- he wanted to help countries vulnerable to communism and pledged to support them and ‘contain’ the spread of communism in Europe

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15
Q

What was the Marshall Plan?

A

The financial aid and resources sent to countries it help them recover after WW2

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16
Q

Which country surprisingly took advantage of Marshall aid?

A

Yugoslavia (it was a communist country but an independent one)

17
Q

Name 3 methods used by Stalin in his take over of central and Eastern Europe after 1946

A

Rigged elections
Used the red army to intimidate leaders
Murdered Masaryk in Czechoslovakia
Installed elite communists in key government positions

18
Q

Why was Greece a concern for the USA and why did they want to support them?

A

There was a civil war in Greece between the communists and the capitalists- Britain pulled their financial support from the Greeks which left them vulnerable to communism

19
Q

Why did Truman also want to help Turkey in 1947?

A

It’s geographical position close to the USSR meant that it was vulnerable to communism and he through the domino theory might mean that Turkey became communist

20
Q

What was NATO and when was it formed?

A

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and it was created in April 1949 (after Stalin’s Berlin Blockade was lifted)

21
Q

What was the Warsaw Pact and when was it created?

A

It was the communist rival organisation to NATO and it was created in 1955 when West Germany joined NATO.

22
Q

Why was the Russian Revolution of 1917 important as a root cause of the Cold War?

A

This was when communism was first born and it was a different belief system and way of life to the capitalist USA