Cold War: Superpower relations Flashcards
Ideological differences between superpowers
Communism: A single party system without elections. No classes, all industry and services are state owned. Rights of majority more important than individual.
Capitalism: Multi party elections, democratic. Class divides with different people at different advantages. Companies are privately owned and compete.
Features and effects of Tehran conference 1943
Features: Second front to be opened, in Western Europe. Aim; to bring about complete surrender of Germany. Stalin would declare war on Japan after German defeat
Effects: Tension between US and UK, Roosevelt saw colonialism as threat to world peace. Churchill also wanted second front in the Balkans. Improving relations between Roosevelt and Stalin, pleased about second front.
Features and effects of Yalta conference (Feb 1945)
Features: Germany to be divided into four zones, reparations of $20 billion and Nazis banned. Free elections to take place in Eastern Europe. 1921 borders regarding Poland and free elections (Stalin wanted comm. government). UN would be set up in April 1945
Effects: Poland; difficult to solve, West happy about free elections
Features and effects of Potsdam conference (July-August 1945)
Features: Germany divided into four zones of administration, reparations to be taken from each zone. Soviet Union could take 1/4 of industrial stuff from each. Berlin divided into four zones too.
Effects: Tensions increasing between West and Soviets. Free elections looked unlikely in Eastern Europe, military occupation. Truman wanted to see less communist influence in Polish government.
Effects of Telegrams
Long Telegram: Influence US approach to the Soviets and adopting policy of containment to prevent spread of communism
Novikov Telegram: Consolidation of buffer zone between Western Europe and USSR
Iron Curtain speech: Worsening relations between West and Soviets, anti-Western propaganda published
Features of Truman Doctrine + effects of Marshall Plan
Truman Doctrine - stated US position on communism; it would send economic and military resources to countries struggling against communist threats. Shaped US policy during the Cold War.
Marshall Plan - over $13 billion sent in aid to Western Europe, made communism unfavorable for Western Europe as their economies recovered. Led to the establishment of Cominform (1947) which linked communist parties of Europe and Comecon (1949) which encouraged economic cooperation within satellite states.
Soviets believed US was trying to establish economic empire in Western Europe, and weakening role of UN by suggesting it was the protector of the world
Berlin Crisis
US and Britain join zones in 1947, + France in 1948. Introduce a new currency to provide economic unity to new zones. Stalin wants Germany united under communism, dislikes this. Blocks land routes into Berlin, to show divided Germany was impossible; but West airlift supplies during Berlin Airlift, e.g coal, food. Major success and the Soviets failed to secure propaganda victory.
NATO
Established in April 1949. Defence pact of Western countries including Britain, France and USA…
Effects; showed US were completely willing to involve itself in military matters to defend Western Europe. Bases remain in Europe to this day.
Effects of Korean War
- Establishment of SEATO, to prevent the spread of communism in South East Asia
- The US defence budget tripled after the war and land forces in Europe were strengthened. Encouraged Greece and Turkey to join NATO
- Soviets increase size of Red Army to 5.6 million by 1955
- West Germany joining NATO in 1955 leads to formation of Warsaw Pact. Further enforced idea of two political camps in Europe
Arms race
1945: US uses first ever atomic bomb on Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1949: Soviets develop their own atomic bomb
1952: US develops hydrogen bomb, Soviets develop counterpart in 1953
1957: Intercontinental ballistic missile developed by US. Soviets follow a few months later
Nuclear weapons acted as a deterrent to prevent each side from going to war
Hungarian Uprising
- Protests about lack of political freedom and fuel shortages led to Red Army sent in to restore order. Khrushchev agreed to replace Rakosi with Imre Nagy
- Nagy proposed various reforms, such as introducing Hungary’s neutrality and leaving the Warsaw Pact
- Khrushchev could not allow this and sent thousands of tanks and troops into Hungary. Nagy was imprisoned and executed
Effects: - Tarnished the international reputation of the USA. While they criticised the Soviets and urged rebels to fight on, establishing a radio network, they did not intervene militarily
- Gave Khrushchev more power within the Warsaw Pact, worsened relations between the USA and USSR
Refugee problem in Berlin 1958
- Many skilled workers, such as technicians and engineers were leaving East Germany due to poor living standards, and pay was better in West Germany. The East German government needed these people to help build up its economy
- Khrushchev issued Berlin ultimatum, within 6 months the West had to leave Berlin and it would become demilitarised. If not, he would hand over land route control to East German government, forcing West Germany to recognise them
- West saw this as extending communism, but Khrushchev believed it necessary
Summits and U-2 crisis
Geneva, May 1959 - No agreement reached about government of Berlin. Further talks held in Camp David
Camp David, Sep 1959 - Relations seemed to improve, Soviets agree to withdraw Berlin Ultimatum
Paris, May 1960 - Soviets announced U-2 spyplane had been shot down in Soviet airspace. US claimed it was a weather balloon, Eisenhower refused to apologise. Soviets stormed out and relations became worse
Vienna, June 1961 - President Kennedy met with Khrushchev, Khrushchev believed he could intimidate Kennedy as he was new to office. He renewed Berlin Ultimatum. Kennedy didn’t back down, + $2 billion to US armed forces
Berlin Wall
- August 12, 1961, border between East and West Berlin was closed. A barbed wire fence was laid around the entire city, and the construction of the wall began shortly after.
- It separated families and friends. Many tried to cross by throwing mattresses out of windows and jumping out, or running through ‘no-man’s land’.
- Relations between East and West Germany had been strained due to constant influx of refugees. The refugee crisis was now solved. However, outrage at the fact German reunification was now impossible.
- Positives for US and Soviets:
- Solved refugee crisis
- Made West Berlin a symbol of freedom and defiance, Kennedy gained popularity
- Communism was permanent in Berlin
- Negatives for US and Soviets:
- Wall had been built without consulting USA
- People who wanted to move to West Germany could not longer do so
- People had shown that they preferred communism to capitalism
- Reunification of Germany now impossible
Bay of Pigs (reasons for failure and effects)
- Cuban exiles had no American air support as the Americans wanted to frame the attack as a solely Cuban counter-revolution
- Castro found out about invasion plans and was waiting for exile troops
- Exiles were poorly trained compared to Castro’s revolutionary army
- Ordinary Cubans did not support the attack
Effects:
- Made America seem hypocritical. It had criticised Soviets for meddling in affairs of states nearby, yet it was doing the same thing
- Khrushchev pointed out that ordinary Cubans made no complaints about the Castro regime
- Improved relations with Soviets and Cuba. Castro publicly declared himself communist and Soviets announced they would send weapons to Cuba and trade
Cuban Missile Crisis (features and effects)
- October 1962, American U-2 spyplane takes pictures of Soviet missile bases being constructed in Cuba
- Khrushchev had promised against this, went against promise because:
1. Wanted US missiles removed from Turkey
2. Wanted a propaganda victory after his loss in Berlin - ExComm established to deal with this problem. Kennedy appeared on television to inform public about the news and prepared 54 bombers with four nuclear warheads each
- Established a ‘quarantine’ (blockade) around Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from delivering missiles. Soviet ships eventually turned around
- Khrushchev sent a telegram promising to remove missiles if Americans did not invade. Sent a second telegram promising to remove missiles if missiles in Turkey were removed
Effects: - Led to increased pushes for detente due to fact that the crisis almost escalated to nuclear war. 1963 hotline allowing direct communication between Washington D.C and Moscow and 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
- Kennedy’s popularity increased, able to stand up to people who pushed for invasion of Cuba and to Khrushchev
- Khrushchev lost popularity, military believed the crisis was a Soviet failure
Prague Spring 1968
- Purges carried out in Czechoslovakia, lack of political freedom. Alexander Dubcek elected as leader; Soviet government trusted him to make reforms which would appeal to people
- Introduced relaxations on censorship, encouraged trade with the West, increased power of regional govs, even potential multi-party elections
- Brezhnev disliked reforms as he thought other Warsaw Pact nations would propose similar reforms
- 500,000 Warsaw Pact troops invaded after Dubcek held meetings with Romania and Yugoslavia. The Prague Spring ended
Impacts: - Romania and Yugoslavia criticised the Soviets, communist parties of France and Italy cut ties. Governments of east Germany and Poland welcomed it, as it meant reformers were less likely to push for change
- US criticised Soviets, tried to push for official UN criticism; vetoed by Soviets
- US reputation weakened, keen to criticise but no action taken
Detente treaties
Hotline 1963; allowed for immediate communication between Washington D.C and Moscow during times of crisis
Limited Test Ban treaty 1963; Countries were not permitted to test nuclear weapons outside their borders or if there was risk of fallout travelling to other countries. No testing in space or in the ocean
Outer Space Treaty 1967; no weapons platforms in space or on the moon, space exploration to be carried out for benefit of all states, no contamination of space
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 1968; Signed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, nuclear states agreed not to help non-nuclear states develop nuclear weapons and NNSs agreed to not develop their own weapons
Reasons for detente
USA: Engaged in a costly war in Vietnam where it could not use its military as effectively. Protests worldwide as well as in the US itself. $170 billion spent, less money to spend at home such as to clear up wake of rioting at death of Martin Luther King. Nixon also concerned about growing influence of China and wanted to establish relations
Soviet Union: Felt that they could negotiate with the Soviets from a position of strength. Wanted access to Western technology, such as computers, and hoped to reduce defense spending to focus on its economy and living standards
SALT 1
Signed in May 1972. The treaty limited number of ABMs (anti ballistic missiles) to 100. Limits on ICBMs, with Soviets being allowed more than US. However, the US did not admit they had MIRVs (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles). Basic Principles Agreement - take care in relations and take every step necessary to avoid nuclear war
Effects:
- Unlikely that nuclear war would be avoided just because a piece of paper had been signed. Did not cover MIRVs
- Had major symbolic importance however, demonstrating better relations. Both leaders visited each other’s countries the following years. SALT 2 fixed problems not solved by SALT 1
Reasons behind the cold war (early conflict, worsening relations in 1920s and 30s, and disagreements during WW2)
Early conflict:
- Bolshevik revolution in October 1917 led to Russian withdrawal from the First World War which angered the Allies, who wanted Russia in the war for support, and disliked the Bolshevik political views (revolving around a communist society). Britain, France and USA sent troops to Russia to aid the Bolshevik opponents in the civil war, however this was unsuccessful, and the Bolsheviks were more hostile to the Allies because of this
Worsening relations in 1920s and 30s
- Britain and France ceded parts of Czechoslovakia to Germany which contained ethnic Germans (Sudetenland). Czechoslovakia was close to the Soviet Union but Stalin was not asked for his opinion, and realised the West had no interest in friendly relations
- Soviet Union and Germany signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact in August 1939 which shocked Britain and France as they felt betrayed that the Soviets would cooperate with Hitler. Germany and the Soviets both occupied parts of Poland in 1939
Disagreements during WW2:
- Roosevelt and Churchill both had suspicions about Stalin and his ambitions after the war was over and even during the war
- Roosevelt and Churchill feared Stalin would install puppet communist governments in Eastern European countries to form satellite states and a buffer zone between Germany and the Soviet Union. Stalin thought the West wanted to weaken the Soviets by making them fight a long war with Germany and so they were delaying opening a second front
- America kept the news of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan secret until very late. Stalin worried that this was because the Americans intended to use such a weapon on the Soviets in the future
