Cold War Beginning

Question 1

Yalta Conference

Answer 1

Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt

• Feb 1945
• Germany and Berlin to be split into 4 zones
• Eastern Europe to be seen as ‘a Soviet sphere of influence’
• Stalin wanted Polish territory

Question 2

Potsdam Conference

Answer 2

Stalin, Truman, Attlee

• July 1945
• Finalise Yalta agreements
• Disagreements over Germany having to pay for damages
• Germany disarmament, no army, banned Nazis

Question 3

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Answer 3

Hiroshima - 6th August 1945
- 70,000

Nagasaki - 9th August 1945
- 40,000 killed

Question 4

Soviet Expansion

Answer 4

Albania - Communist Elected
Bulgaria - Elected
Romania - Elected
Poland - Stalin arrested non-communist politicians
Hungary - Communist Rakosi took control of secret police, executed politicians
Czechoslovakia - Only communists allowed to be elected (rigged)

Question 5

Iron Curtain Speech

Answer 5

Churchill speech 5th March 1946, talks about Soviets making ‘iron curtain’

Question 6

Truman Doctrine

Answer 6

March 1947 - Truman speech at Congress

• US would aid any Eastern countries being pressured by communism
• US supported ‘containment’.

Question 7

Marshall Aid

Answer 7

George Marshall - US Secretary of State

• 1947 Economic plan supporting the Truman Doctrine
• Around $17 billion given to countries overall

Question 8

Soviet response to Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan

Answer 8

• Forbid Eastern countries under their control to get aid.
  Cominform - Trade network between communist countries (Truman Doctrine)
  Comecon - Soviet financial assistance to the Eastern countries (Marshall Plan)

Question 9

Berlin Blockade and Airlift

Answer 9

• Started 24th June 1948, lifted in May 1949 (11 months in total)
  Why? - Stalin afraid that the West would try unite Germany again and take over the Soviet zone
• Berlin shortage of food (only enough for 36 days) and basic goods.
• West Berlin was suffering, allies supplied 2.3 million tonnes by air.
• Plane landed in Berlin every minute.
  -Blockade lifted May 1949.

Aftermath:

• NATO formed 1949.
• • Warsaw Pact formed in response to NATO.

Question 10

UN

Answer 10

International organisation formed after WW2 to promote international peace and security. Set up in Yalta Feb 1945.

Question 11

Reactions to Soviet Expansion

Answer 11

The Long Telegram - 1946 George Kennan (Official at US Embassy Moscow) :

• USSR heavily armed, feared outside world.
• Determined to spread Communism.
• No peaceful co-existence between the USSR and USA.

Novikov Telegram:

• USA economically strong.
• USSR needed to secure buffer zone.
• USA would commit to containment.