cold war - developments (1949-1963)

Question 1

NATO

• What
• Why
• Why did Stalin feel tension
• Stalin’s response

Answer 1

• April 1949, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was formed as a collective military and defensive strategy; if one country came under attack, the others would help. There were 12 original members: UK, USA, France, Italy and West Germany (joined 1955).
• formed in response to Stalin’s blockade and the airlift it caused in June 1948
• Stalin felt tension because: lots of powerful countries were becoming allies; they had nuclear weapons (USA, Britain 1952, France 1960); 50 divisions with 25 active which had huge capabilities; showed USA involvement in Europe and its powerful influence.
• when West Germany joined NATO in 1955, Stalin formed the Warsaw Pact as he wanted to keep Germany weak but it was gaining power. Stalin wanted to have security for the SU as he felt threatened by an increase in USA involvement in Europe and allied power against communism

Question 2

Arms Race

• What
• Why
• why was it a concern
• how did Brinkmanship increase tension

Answer 2

• 1945-1962. 1945; atomic bomb by USA and then SU caught up in august 1949. The hydrogen bomb; USA invented in. 1952 and SU quickly followed in 1953. 1960 Polaris; a Missile that could be launched from a submarine. The two sides had capabilities to completely destroy each other.
• each side was trying to prove they were more powerful by proving to the world they could develop the most powerful weapon and had that they had the better ideology
• reached a point of mutually assured distraction; both sides could obliterate each other. There were tensions across the world as people feared of a nuclear war; ban the bomb movement in 1950s, and the campaign for unilateral nuclear disarmament in the UK. Governments made preparations for nuclear war; bunkers under ground and the school duck and run campaign.
• kept the threat of nuclear war very present throughout the 1950s as each side pushed each other to the edge in the hope to gain an advantage. For example the Berlin blockade, Korean War and the final was Cuban missile crisis

Question 3

Warsaw Pact

• What
• Why
• Issues in the creation
• how does it impact on future developments

Answer 3

• 1955 it was formed by Stalin to counterbalance the power of NATO and protect security and interests of countries behind the iron curtain. It had 5.5 million personnel in 175 divisions. 8 members; SU, Bulgaria, East Germany, Czechoslovakia
• Warsaw Pact was formed due to West Germany being allowed into NATO. SU didn’t like Germany becoming more powerful by gaining more powerful allies, USA had nuclear weapons and West Germany had access to them. West Germany bordered SU territory. SU wanted them to remain weak as the saw them as a potential threat that were very close.
• meant there were now tensions and weapons in Europe. Previously there had been political division with 2 competing ideologies and also economic with gdr and frg with the Deutschmark. Now there is military division with 2 conflicting military alliances who both had really powerful weapons including nuclear.
• tensions meant the arms race developed quicker as the sides were trying to have greater military power; greater fear that a hot war could develop in Europe.

Question 4

Space race

• what
• why
• changing nature of Cold War development
• SU and Propaganda

Answer 4

• late 1950s-mid 70s. 4th Oct 1957, SU sent first man made satellite Sputnik into space. 12th aug 1961, SU put first man in space, Gargan. 5th may 1961, USA made first successful space flight. 20th July 1969, USA put the first man on the moon.
• it developed due to the V2 rocket. V2 rockest was a long range ICBM that could be carried thousands of miles using rockets. USA were concerned about being able to launch nuclear weapons with the same system. They also wanted to be seen as the more powerful.
• Now they don’t have a direct conflict like proxy wars but now a propaganda war about which side had the greater government system and wanted to be seen as leading the world into the modern age.
• when SU sent the first satellite in 1957, it was seen as a major propaganda victory and seemed that communism was better. SU had an advantage which made USA seem not as powerful and that SU had the technology to launch ICBMs very far which caused lots of the tension as USA were now really worried.

Question 5

Hungarian uprising

• What
• Why
• what part of Nagy’s reforms caused Khrushchev.
• Allie reaction

Answer 5

• in 1956, Hungarian students protested the government in summer in Budapest. The leader Rakosi and other government fled which meant Nagy was prime minister. Nagy promised the citizens what they wanted; e.g. greater freedom and civil rights.
• Hungarians were fed up of the communist control over radio, newspaper, schools, factories & farms. They didn’t like Rakosi as he was a harsh leader and used terror control. They were fed up of the stasi (secret police), existence of SU troops and the arrest of Catholic Church leaders.
• Khrushchev was concerned when Nagy asked to leave the Warsaw Pact as this threatened stability of his sphere of influence and he was scared others would follow. Khrushchev sent in 200,000 troops and 250 tanks to remove Nagy and restore order on 4th nov 1956. There were 2000 SU casualties and 4000 Hungarian. Nagy was arrested and hung
• allies didn’t intervene as they didn’t want to risk a potentially nuclear hot war and they had accepted the sphere of influence that existed in Eastern Europe and also the Suez Canal crisis was more of a concern. This made them look weak against communism and Khrushchev but it also shows the acceptance of positions. Tensions increased as allies felt powerless

Question 6

U2 crisis.

• what
• why
• Eisenhower’s reaction
• Khrushchev’s reaction at Paris peace summit

Answer 6

• May 1st 1960. USA U2 spy plane was shot down in SU territory with Gary Powers as its pilot. USA claimed it was a weather plane that strayed into SU territory but there was lots of evidence against this such as a suicide pill powers should’ve taken. U2 spy planes could fly 23,000 m and take photos of weaponry without detection.
• USA was spying as they wanted to know what weapons SU were developing for USA security. Also there was a fear of spies in USA; 1950s McCarthy led a campaign to root out communism
• day after claiming it was a weather plane, Eisenhower admitted it was a spy plane and promised to suspend flights but didn’t apologise. This meant that Khrushchev was annoyed as his territory had been violated, he was more distrustful as he had been lied to at the start and Eisenhower implied flights would resume later.
• At the Paris Peace Summit in 1960, it was meant to bring the sides together and build on peaceful coexistence but U2 crisis overshadowed this. Khrushchev stormed out and cancelled USA visit to SU. This meant relations deteriorated and Khrushchev refused to never meet Eisenhower again, tensions rose and Khrushchev appeared a strong leader.

Question 7

Berlin Wall

• what
• why
• effect
• Kennedy’s lack of action

Answer 7

• 13th August 1961, SU troops lined the border and stopped anyone crossing. Over time it developed from barbed wire fences to a concrete wall. It divided streets and even buildings.
• it was constructed because the Berlin blockade had failed and West Berlin was becoming an embarrassment to the SU as it was a perfect model of how capitalism, transformed by USA economic aid, ruining the reputation of communism. Every day by 1961, thousands of people were defecting across the border and Khrushchev needed to keep crucial Berliners in
• It meant that many Berliners were separated from friends and family (136 died crossing) and they were beginning to dislike Khrushchev. People lost jobs, showed to the world that communism wasn’t working as he had to fence people in to stay. Checkpoint Charlie: Oct 1961, American diplomat and his wife were refused entry to the East which caused a standoff at the border with tanks. The slightest error could’ve resulted in a hot war.
• Kennedy’s lack of action besides a speech caused issues as it suggests he was weak against Khrushchev and that he couldn’t stand up to communism, he didn’t act aggressively so people viewed him as inexperienced. However there was a propaganda victory for USA as Khrushchev could be portrayed as a dictator.

Question 8

Asia; Korean War

• What
• Why cause for concern
• why cause tension and reaction

Answer 8

• Developed as a result of Korea being invaded along the 38th parallel. The south was led by Rhee and American backed and the north was led by Sung and was a Soviet trained politician
• It was a cause for concern as it was the first proxy war of the Cold War (indirect fight between SU and USA). US stationed 7500 troops in South Korea and in 1950 Stalin provided weapons and equipment to the north. It showed USA was willing to go to war to contain communism and put Truman Doctrine into action. Also showed they didn’t want a direct fight through the dismissal of MacArthur or to use nuclear weapons; MAD
• Caused tension because USA troops showed lengths they’d go to contain communism and this increased tensions as it lead to USA involving the UN to remove the North Korean troops and eventually became involved in other Asian wars like Vietnam. Showed pressure they felt to contain communism as they were scared of the Domino Effect and communism spreading globally they put their own people at risk to prevent this.

Question 9

Events in Asia; China

• What
• why a cause for concern
• how did the west show tension

Answer 9

• Developed as a result of the communist revolution. 1 October 1949, Stalin signed a Treaty of Friendship with Mao and the communist government of China. It meant SU sent $300 million in aid, 20,000 Soviet experts for development, 2 china’s major ports given to SU
• It was cause for concern as SU and communism had large influence over a major superpower with the highest population. Meant USA were losing control over containing communism and showed their policy of Truman doctrine wasn’t working. Stalin was gaining power as he was spreading communism to a new containment and it was likely others would follow china’s example.
• West showed tension and fear of domino effect by increasing funding to Japan and other Asian countries to counter the communism effect. September 1949, National Security Council Revolution. There was a USA military build up which should USA was ready to defend themselves with force against communism because they were afraid the spread of soviet influence would go further that Eastern Europe

Question 10

Events in Asia; Vietnam

• What
• why a cause for concern
• how did the west show tension

Answer 10

• North Vietnam became communism when Minh took over in 1960 and then north Vietnam (led by Hochi Minh) declared war on capitalist south Vietnam (led by Diem)
• USA were concerned about the domino affect and was scared communism was spreading to neighbouring countries and this could spread globally as they had seen Greece, Turkey and France been threatened by communism already
• USA began with financial involvement for the south and then practical assistance with the USA military training soldiers. Finally they sent in troops to fight Vietnam. It showed the world that USA were prepared to use force against communism and how afraid they are of communism taking hold in Europe