Cold War Flashcards
Early tensions between East and West
- The alliance of the USA and the USSR brought together two sides that were divided by their political ideologies.
- The political and economic systems of the USA and Britain were based on capitalism, while, since after the 1917 Russian Revolution, the USSR had based its economy on communism.
Why was the Grand Alliance created?
- Britain had been at war with Germany since Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939.
- The USSR allied itself with Britain in 1941 when Germany began to invade its territories.
- In December 1941, Germany’s ally, Japan, launched a surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor brought the USA into WW2 on the same side as Britain and the USSR.
Capitalism
- Several political parties.
- Democratic elections.
- Businesses controlled by private owners for profit.
- Individual and rights of freedom are important.
- Freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
Communism
- One-party state.
- No democratic elections and no opportunity to change the gov by election.
- All businesses and factories are owned by the state.
- Obedience to the state is important.
- Censorship and state controlled media.
Tehran Conference (Nov 1943)
-OBJECTIVE
•To discuss the group’s planned invasion of Nazi occupied France.
- At this point, the Soviet Red Army was the only army fighting the Nazis on land.
- Stalin and Roosevelt good friends.
- Churchill suspicious of Stalin.
Tehran Conference (Nov 1943)
-OUTCOMES (TJPUF)
Tehran
Japan (USSR agreed to fight Japan once war ended in Europe)
Poland (an area of Eastern Poland added to USSR)
UN (United Nations planned for after the War)
France (agreed to open a second front by invading France in 1944)
Yalta Conference (Feb 1945)
-OBJECTIVE
•With an Allied victory looking likely, the aim of the Yalta Conference was to decide what to do with Germany once it had been defeated.
-In many ways the Yalta Conference set the scene for the rest of the Cold War in Europe.
Yalta Conference (Feb 1945)
-OUTCOMES
Germany + Berlin would be divided into four zones controlled by Allies.
Treatment of Nazi war criminals.
USSR would help fight against Japan (reiterated).
Free elections for liberated countries.
USSR would have a sphere of influence in the east (where communist ideals would dominate).
BUT disagreements:
Amount of reparations Germany should pay + territory in Poland (Stalin wanted more of both) + Stalin wanted SU-friendly govt in Poland rather than free elections.
Potsdam Conference (July 1945)
-OBJECTIVE
•To finalise a post-war settlement and put into action all the things agreed at Yalta.
- While the meeting at Yalta had been reasonably friendly, the Potsdam Conference was fraught with disagreements, which were the result of some significant changes that had taken place since the Yalta Conference:
- Soviet troops occupied the countries they liberated in Eastern Europe.
- Stalin set up Communist govt in Poland.
- Red Army continued to expand unlike the demilitarisation in the west.
- USA had successfully tested a nuclear bomb without telling USSR.
- Change in leadership – no longer Roosevelt and Churchill but Truman and Atlee.
Potsdam Conference (July 1945)
-OUTCOMES
- Agreed on who would occupy each of the 4 zones of Germany + Berlin.
- Nazi party banned.
- Democracy was to be re-established in Germany.
- Agreements at Tehran confirmed.
BUT disagreements:
Stalin wanted Germany crippled with reparation so never strong enough to attack again; Truman refused - didn’t want to repeat mistake of TofV.
Truman wanted free elections in Eastern Europe countries occupied by SU, but Stalin wanted pro-SU govts to protect USSR’s borders.
Reasons why Stalin wanted to expand the Soviet Union into Eastern Europe:
- All countries bordering the SU to be Soviet-controlled states would act as a buffer to invasions from the West – in both world wars Russia had been invaded from the West and suffered badly.
- Stalin wanted to spread Communism throughout Europe – Allies concerned that Nazi Germany would only be replaced by a new Communist dictatorship.
How did the Soviet Union come to dominate Eastern Europe?(1945-1948)
Coalition governments set up.
Elections rigged to ensure communist victory.
Taking advantage of an economic crisis to seize control.
Gaining control over police + armed forces to arrest non-communists or leaders of opposition parties.
Banning of other political parties.
March 1946 Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech talked about how Europe was becoming more divided: the Communist East + Capitalist West. It looked like a war with GB + USA against the SU was in the making.
Truman Doctrine, 1947
- March 1947—Truman made a speech in which he outlined the new policy of containment– the USA would intervene financially and militarily where needed to prevent communist expansion into non-communist countries.
- This was a direct result of the British plea for help over supporting the Greek government in the civil war against the Communist rebels.
- Truman stated that the world was divided between 2 ways of life: the free non-communist + the unfree, communist.
Consequences of the Truman Doctrine:
- Greek govt was able to defeat communist rebels.
- Rivalry between USA and SU increased.
- Turning point in US foreign policy as USA became far more involved in European affairs.
- Marshall Plan introduced to provide economic aid to Europe.
- The setting up of Cominform in 1947 by Stalin to establish an eastern bloc against the capitalist west.
Cominform, 1947
- 1947—Communist Information Bureau was set up to enable SU to co-ordinate communist parties throughout Europe.
- It was SU’s response to the Truman Doctrine.
- It ensured that all eastern European countries followed the same Soviet foreign policy + economic systems (e.g. collectivisation of agriculture + state control of industry).
- SU used the organisation to purge any potential rivals (Tito–president of Yugoslavia–refused to follow Stalin’s orders, leading to the expulsion of Yugoslavia from Cominform in 1948).
Consequences of Cominform:
-The east remained economically weaker than the west as they were economically + politically bound to USSR, so unable to accept Marshall Plan.
• Cominform established a deeper divide between east and west as a response to the Truman Doctrine.
Marshall Plan, 1947
- Economic aid given to Europe to support the US policy of containment (European Recovery Plan).
- Truman believed that countries with economic problems, unemployment + poverty were more likely to turn to communism.
- Many European countries were struggling to deal with the damage caused during WW2 so the USA gave money to help these countries recover economically to prevent the spread of communism.
- The aid was available for all – Stalin even considered it but would have needed to admit how weak the SU was economically so he refused + forbade any of his eastern bloc in Cominform from accepting the aid.
- $17 billion in aid was given over a five year period 1948-53.
Consequences of the Marshall Plan:
-16 countries met to discuss how to put the plan into action (OEEC).
-The aid helped rebuild economies and raise the standard of living. US machinery helped European factories recover from the effects of war. US advisors helped rebuild transport systems.
(in return they would agree to buy US goods)
- Politically none fell to Communism.
- East-west rivalry heightened. Stalin accused the USA of using the plan to dominate Europe + boost the US economy.
Comecon, 1949
- Council for Mutual Assistance founded in 1949 – a response to the Marshall Plan.
- The plan was the Soviet Union supported the eastern bloc countries financially.
- In reality it was used to:
- control the economies of the eastern bloc
- give the Soviet Union access to their resources
- encourage economic specialisation within the Soviet bloc.
E.g. Czechoslovakia + East Germany concentrated on heavy industry; Romania, Hungary + Bulgaria specialised on the production of food and raw materials.
Consequences of Comecon:
- East-west rivalry was heightened – Stalin ensured there could be no economic trade with the west.
- Cominform also ensured Soviet control.
- The east were weakened by Soviet control and their need to specialise markets, which led to shortages and a much poorer standard of living than in the west as well as a lack of political freedom.
- This led to uprisings against this way of economy and life (e.g. Hungary in 1956).
Long-term causes of the Berlin Blockade (1945-47)
Western zones
- Allies favoured democracy + set up free elections in their zones in West Berlin.
- Industry was encouraged in the west to speed up the economic recovery of Germany.
- Allies wanted to remain in West Berlin so they could observe Soviet activity in East Germany.
Long-term causes of the Berlin Blockade (1945-47)
Eastern zones
- Berlin was in the heart of Soviet-controlled East Germany. Allies were allowed access through East Germany to reach their zones in Berlin.
- SU rigged elections in their eastern zone to place the Communist Party in control.
- Black market thrived in East Berlin since SU wanted to crush their economy to keep Germany weak + make communism be their only hope.
- Stalin wanted allies out of West Berlin as he was worried that the capitalist way of life would be more attractive to East Germans.
Short-term causes of the Berlin Blockade (1947-48)
JAN 1947 – US + British zones in Berlin merged to become Bizonia. Stalin was suspicious of this + tensions between the zones increased.
MAR 1948 – Stalin heard that Bizonia planned to introduce their own currency to West Berlin. Soviets walked out of Allied Controlled Comission (joint body set to run Germany) in protest.
APR 1948 – German allied zones included in Marshall Plan. Stalin worried that East Berliners would look longingly at economic recovery in West Berlin + Soviets would lose support.
JUN 1948 – Plans for new currency in West Berlin announced (Deutschmark). SU retaliated by introducing its own currency (Ostmark).
24th JUN 1948 – Stalin cut off road, rail + canal traffic in attempt to starve the 2 million people in West Berlin. Stalin trying to force allies to pull out of West Berlin + gain SU dominance over the capital.
What happened during the Berlin Airlift 1948?
28th June 1948 - Allies started airlifting supplies from their bases in West Germany. This lasted 10 months, with planes flying day + night.
SU didn’t shoot the planes down, but they placed weather balloons in awkward areas + Soviet planes flew down air corridors. This made it harder for the Allies’ planes to move around in the air.
As a warning to the SU, Truman sent B-29 bombers capable of carrying atomic bombs to Britain. This meant the SU was now in bombing range.
SU tried to persuade the people in the West to move to the East, but only 3% moved. Stalin hoped severe winter conditions would stop the airlifts, but they had a mild winter which didn’t disrupt flights.
An average of 4000 tonnes of supplies were delivered each day. West Berliners were supplied with food, clothing, oil + building materials, but there were still great shortages + many left.
12th May 1949 - Stalin called of the blockade as it had failed to keep the Allies out of Berlin.
Consequences of the Berlin Airlift 1948:
Divided Germany:
- days after blockade, Allies created Federal Republic of Germany.
- Oct. Stalin renamed the Soviet zone the German Democratic Republic.
- German zones would not be working together.
Increased rivalry:
- tension + rivalry between east + west increased.
- Stalin was humiliated + angry that his blockade was defeated.
- Truman wanted to continue successfully standing up to the SU.
- the ‘arms race’ intensified.
Military alliances:
- Apr. 1949 - West Europe + USA formed North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to work together to prevent SU expansion.
- Stalin saw NATO as an act of aggression towards the SU.
- May 1953 - West Germany joined NATO + was allowed to remilitarise.
- Days later Stalin set up Warsaw Pact so 8 countries in Eastern Europe would support each other if attacked.
Arms race definition
Competition to build the best nuclear weapons.
Space race definition
Competition to get into space first.
