Cold War chapter 1 Flashcards
What were the key characteristics of the Cold War?
- Loans and aids
- Spying
- Threats
- Propaganda
- Arms race
Tehran conference
November 1943
The big 3 met to plan war strategy
Yalta conference
February 1945
The big 3 discussed arrangements for the post war world.
Potsdam conference
July 1945
The big 3 agreed to split Germany
United Nations founded
1945
Churchill’s ‘Iron curtain” speech
1946
Truman Doctrine announced
1947
Marshall plan set up
1947
Cominform set up
1947
Berlin blockade
1948
Comecon established
1949
Nato formed
1949
FDR and GDR
Federal Republic of Germany (West) and German Democratic Republic (Soviet) - 1949
North Korea invaded South Korea
1950
Stalin died
1953
Warsaw Pact formed
1955
Hungarian uprising
1956
Who were the big 3 leaders of Britain, the Soviet Union and USA in 1945?
- Churchill
- Stalin
- Roosevelt
Why the US and Soviet Union initially suspicious of one another?
- ideological differences between capitalism and communism
- early conflict
- deteriorating relations in the 1920s and 30s
- tensions and disagreements during the second world war.
Ideology
A set of shared beliefs concerning how a country should be run.
Capitalism
A ideology that says that everyone should be free to own property and business and to make money, and that people should have important freedoms.
Communism
An ideology that says all property and business should be owned by the state and shared out fairly. To achieve this there needs to be a strong communist government with firm control of the lives of the people.
August 1945
The USA dropped Atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.
What did Stalin get out of the Nazi Soviet pact?
Eastern Poland
What was Stalin main aim in the Tehran conference?
To get the West to open a second front.
What is meant by Second Front?
Stalin wanted the West to attack Germany from the West to take the pressure off the Soviet army who was fighting the bulk of the German army in the East.
Roughly how many more casualties did USSR have than the USA in World War 2.
24.6 million
Who were leaders at the Potsdam conference?
- Stalin
- Truman
- Atlee
What was the basis for mistrust between the USA, Britain, and the Soviet Union?
The basis for mistrust was ideological differences; both feared that their opponent wanted to impose their own belief on the other.
What ideologies did the USA and Britain believe in compared to the Soviet Union?
The USA and Britain believed in capitalism, while the Soviet Union believed in communism.
How did opposing ideologies affect the Grand Alliance?
Opposing ideologies meant tension between the member countries from the beginning of the Grand Alliance.
What increased tensions in the Grand Alliance as the war neared its end?
Tensions increased when it was clear the Nazis were going to be defeated, leading to disagreements over how Europe should be governed after the war.
What personal beliefs contributed to the breakdown in relations among leaders?
The differences in the leaders’ personal political beliefs led to a breakdown in relations as the Second World War was ending.
What did Churchill and Roosevelt fear about Stalin’s intentions?
Churchill and Roosevelt feared that Stalin wanted to install communism in Eastern European countries that Germany had conquered.
What was Stalin’s fear regarding Churchill and Roosevelt?
Stalin feared that Churchill and Roosevelt wanted to see Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union destroy each other.
What factors made it difficult to agree on post-war Europe governance?
The delay of opening a second front, the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, and ideological differences made it almost impossible to agree on how post-war Europe should be governed.
Where and when did the leaders of the Grand Alliance meet during the war?
The leaders met at Tehran (1943), Yalta (February 1945), and Potsdam (July 1945).
What was the significance of the Tehran Conference?
The Tehran Conference had an important impact on international relations; Stalin was pleased that Roosevelt agreed with him on opening a second front in the West.
What tension arose during the Tehran Conference?
There was tension between the USA and Britain, as Roosevelt felt that British colonialism was a bigger threat than the Soviet Union.
What was discussed at the Yalta Conference?
The Yalta Conference was about how to bring the war against Germany to a successful conclusion and the government of post-war Europe.
What agreement was reached regarding Eastern Europe at the Yalta Conference?
Roosevelt and Stalin were pleased that free elections would take place in Eastern Europe (Declaration of Liberated Europe) and that the United Nations would be set up.
What issue could not be resolved at the Yalta Conference?
The issue of Poland’s borders was too difficult to solve.
Who replaced Roosevelt and Churchill at the Potsdam Conference?
Roosevelt was replaced by Truman, and Churchill was replaced by Attlee.
What was the stance of Truman and Attlee at the Potsdam Conference?
Both were more determined to stand against Stalin.
What was agreed upon regarding Germany at the Potsdam Conference?
It was agreed to split Germany and Berlin into 4 separate occupation zones (USSR, USA, GB, France).
What was a point of contention at the Potsdam Conference?
Agreement was not reached over the government of Eastern Europe and the arrangements for Poland and its borders.
What did Truman inform Stalin about at the Potsdam Conference?
Truman decided to tell Stalin about the US atomic bomb, which made Stalin very angry and confirmed that he could not trust the West.
How did the atomic bomb impact Cold War tensions?
The atomic bomb dramatically increased Cold War tensions, making both sides more reluctant to go to war and leading to an arms race.
