Cold War: Chapter 3 [The Cold War in the 1950s]

Question 1

IMPACT OF KOREAN WAR

Answer 1

• 1945: Korea freed from Japan
• Soviet forces entered North and US forces South
• division along 38th parallel
• North recieved aid and military equipment from USSR and South from USA
• if South fell to communism, US feared domino effect

Question 2

WAR [25 JUNE 1960]

Answer 2

• North invaded South
• USA requested UN Security Council meeting
• USSR not attending UN so North told to withdraw
• failed
• 16 country UN troop assembled under US commander General Douglas MacArthur
• North pushed back until Chinese border
• Communist Chinese entered war and pushed UN out of North
• 38th parallel remained border

Question 3

IMPACT

Answer 3

• USA committed to support Asian communist-resisting countries, tripled its defence budget and encouraged Greece and Turkey into NATO
• Sep 1954: SEATO created with USA, GBR, France, NZ and Pakistan to stop communist spread in Southeast Asia
• Ussr double army: 2.8 million [1950] —> 5.6 million [1955]
• 1955: West Germany to NATO
• USSR brought 8 countries into Warsaw Pact
• distrust increased and so did spending on armed forces
• entered military superiority race

Question 4

IMPACT OF ARMS RACE [1950-1958]

Answer 4

1945: USA developed atomic bomb [counter to USSR’s larger abundance of conventional weapons]
- 1949: Soviets did
- 1952: USA developed 100x more power hydrogen bomb
- 1953: USSR did same
- 1957: USSR developed ICBM which could hit target 5000km away
- 1958: USA did same
- new, nuclear weapons they were a deterrent not a means of winning wars

Question 5

NEW LEADERS

Answer 5

• Jan 1953: Eisenhower [strong anti-communist but knew dangers of nuclear war so willing to negotiate] and Secretary of State John Fuster Dulles
• March 1953: Stalin’s death and power struggle
• 1956: Khrushchev into power
• criticized Stalin’s policies and suggested to Communist Party Congress that there should be peaceful co-existence with West

Question 6

PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE

Answer 6

• USSR believed that communism so superior and capitalism would eventually collapse
• no point in confrontation and war in mean time
• Iron Curtain defined border and post WW2 fear replaced with acceptance of new borders
• reduced spending on arms would benefit both countries
• hope created
• hope strengthened by 1955 agreement over Austria’s governance and 1955 Geneva Summit
• BUT 1955: West Germany to NATO and relations ruined

Question 7

WARSAW PACT

Answer 7

• dangers of armed power on Soviet border
• Warsaw Pact countries = Eastern Bloc
• pact leadership and command = entirely Soviet

Question 8

IMPACT OF SOVIET RULE ON HUNGARY

Answer 8

• 1945: Hungary liberated from Germany and placed under Soviet control by Red Army
• non-communist parties banned and Stalin chose key gov, police and army officials
• party leader Matyas Rakosi = Stalin supporter
• dealt with communist opponents firmly [1949-56: 300,000 imprisoned and 2,000 executed]

Question 9

DE-STALINISATION

Answer 9

• 1956: Khrushchev criticized Stalin’s repressive regime in speech allowing Satellite States to push for relaxation of control
• Polish Wladyslaw Gomulka introduced moderate reforms inspiring Hungary
• 1956: Hungarian protests over lack of political freedom, fuel shortages and poor harvests
• riots where police fought protesters
• Khrushchev sent Red Army to restore order
• agreed for replacement of Rakosi with Imre Nagy [who believed in existence of more personal freedoms]
• Oct 1956: Nagy announced reforms [leaving Pact, becoming neutral nation and power sharing with non-communist parties]

Question 10

SOVIET INVASION [4 NOV 1956]

Answer 10

• buffer zone and pact under threat
• Nagy supporters fought tanks and begged for Western help
• 20,000 killed and Nagy executed
• pro-communist gov set up under Janos Kadar
• Nagy and supporters had believed Khrushchev would have softer approach
• Khrushchev described Nagy’s execution as ‘lesson to the leaders of all socialist countries’

Question 11

INTERNATIONAL REACTION

Answer 11

• Radio Free Europe [US gov funded station] broadcasted encouragement to Eastern Europe to rebel against communism
• USA offered financial aid
• Nagy had expected Western support
• no military support was offered though
• Eisenhower sympathetic and NATO nations took refugees
• containment meant USA would take action to prevent spread of communist beyond Satellite States
• wouldn’t interefere with already communist countries fearing nuclear war

Question 12

IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Answer 12

• Khrushchev stronger in USSR and Pact
• Pact members couldn’t rebel expecting US support
• Khrushchev more confident in dealings with USA knowing they would take no military actions
• bad image for West
• Khrushchev’s tough policy damaged relations