cold war test Flashcards
What happened at Theran in 1943?
USA and Britain would open a second front and launch an attack on Germany from the West
Stalin would declare war against Japan
Discussion of what would happen to Germany after the war
Foundations for the United Nations set up
What happened at Yalta Febuary 1945?
Germany and Berlin would be divided into zones of occupation under control of USA, USSR, GB and FR
USSR would join the war against JAP
United Nations to be set up after WWII
Eastern European countries could hold free elections after the end of the war
What did the allied leaders disagree with at Yalta Feburary 1945?
Stalin wanted to move the border of Poland westwards into German territory – Roosevelt was unhappy but agreed since Stalin promised not to help Communist rebels in Greece. The British supported the London Poles.
How many USSR civilian and military deaths were there in WWII?
Over 21 million, including over 13 million soldiers (the USA lost only 0.5 million soldiers)
Which leaders met at Potsdam Conference, July 1945?
Truman (USA), Churchill (GB), and Stalin (USSR) – but Churchill was replaced by Attlee
What was agreed at Potsdam?
Germany and Berlin would be divided as agreed at Yalta
Poland’s eastern border moved west – this would give the USSR more territory
Nazi leaders to be tried as war criminals
What were the disagreements at Potsdam?
Truman blocked Stalin’s demands for crippling reparations (fines) to be placed on GMY
Truman refused to allow the USSR to occupy JAP once it was defeated
Truman and Attlee opposed Stalin’s demand that he set up pro-Soviet governments in Eastern Europe. Stalin’s Red Army was looking like an army of occupation.
What was the Kennan Long telegram?
A telegram discussing US-Soviet relations sent by George Kennan, the US ambassador in Moscow. It said Stalin wanted to destroy capitalism but that the USSR would back down if threatened by the USA. It said the US couldn’t negotiate with them. The USSR wasn’t suicidle.
What was the Novikov Telegram?
A telegram sent by Nikolai Novikov, a Soviet diplomat in Washington that said that the USA wanted to dominate the world. The US wanted to take over USSR with military. The US wanted ww3.
Why did Stalin ensure that every government in Eastern Europe was pro-communist?
Stalin wanted to create a buffer zone between east and west. The USSR had suffered two invasions in the last thirty years – if Eastern Europe was under his control, this would make any future invasion less likely
How did Stalin set up pro-Communist governments?
Although Stalin did hold elections, these were rigged to ensure Communists won. Politicians from other parties were beaten, intimidated or even murdered (e.g. Jan Masaryk). Even after the war, six million Soviet troops remained in Eastern Europe to stamp out opposition
How did Stalin set up a pro-communist government in Poland?
In 1944 during WWII, the Poles had staged the Warsaw uprising against the Germans. The Soviets promised to help them but instead waited until the Germans had crushed them. They then installed a pro-communist government (Lublin Poles) in Poland. Some of the London Poles were included at first but then forced to flee after rigged elections in 1947.
How did Stalin set up a pro-communist government in Czechoslovakia?
After WWII, a coalition government led by Benes tried to restore democracy in Czechoslovakia. Stalin saw this as a threat to his buffer zone. He got communists to stage a coup and Jan Masaryk, a pro-democratic supporter was pushed out of a window and murdered. A pro-communist government was set up under the leadership of Gottwald.
What was the Iron Curtain speech?
In March 1946 Churchill visited the USA where he made a speech in which he declared that Europe was being divided by Soviet policy. In the West were free and democratic states, but in the East countries were living under the domination of communism and the USSR – an ‘iron curtain’ separated the two
How did Stalin ensure these states relied on the USSR?
He set up COMINFORM in 1947, an alliance of Communist countries, which restricted their contact with the West. This was done in response to the Marshall Plan. Later on he set up COMECON to coordinate trade between these countries
Why did events in Greece change US policy?
Truman was informed in 1947 that GB could no longer afford to keep troops in Greece & Turkey. If GB withdrew these countries could well come under the influence of Stalin. Truman therefore paid for the troops to be kept there and gave financial backing to the two countries. This was the beginning of the US policy of CONTAINMENT
What was the Truman Doctrine
Truman announced this change of policy from isolationism to containment to the world in a speech in March 1947 – he made it clear that the USA was prepared to assist any country under the threat of communism. Truman said choosing democracy over communism was like choosing good over evil. The USA would send troops and money to stop communism spreading. This was known as containment.
What was Marshall Aid?
Truman believed poverty and hardship were the breeding grounds for communism, and he therefore provided billions of dollars for the wrecked economies of Europe. Between 1948 and 1952 the USA gave $12.7bn to West Europe. He also wanted these economies to recover so that they could provide a market for US produced goods.
What did Stalin set up to rival the MP?
Comecon, 1949
What did Comecon allow?
Aimed to support economic development in member states/trade and industrial planning across East European countries. Trade with the West was discouraged.
What was Cominform?
Set up 1947 in response to the Truman Doctrine. Political organisation, included the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romani and Poland. Yugoslavia was expelled in 1948.
It directed and controlled the governments of satellite sates and made sure they took orders from Moscow.
Why did Stalin decide to impose a blockade on Berlin in June 1948?
By blockading road and rail links from West Germany into West Berlin, Stalin hoped to test the strength of the USA and to force them into surrendering West Berlin where two million people lived free from Soviet rule
How did the USA’s actions help to cause this crisis?
West Germany (and West Berlin) were benefitting from Marshall Aid GB and USA had combined their parts of West Germany to form BIZONIA, then TRIZONIA (French zone) They introduced a new currency called the Deutschmark across Trizonia
How did Stalin interpret these actions?
The USSR believed that this was part of the USA’s to rebuild Germany into a strong nation once more and to leave the Soviet zones in poverty. Now two Germanys had been created: East and West. The West was more prosperous
Why did Stalin not shoot down the planes?
This would be seen as an aggressive act of war – furthermore the US had also stationed B29 bombers in GB, capable of dropping the atom bomb n the Soviets
What were the consequences of the Blockade?
Stalin gave in and ended the Blockade in May 1949 – he was humiliated
The USA, GB and FR combined their zones to form WEST GERMANY (FRG) with a new chancellor in charge, Konrad Adenauer
Stalin set up East Germany (GDR) in 1949. West Germany refused to recognise it until 1970s.
NATO, a military alliance of western nations, was set up in 1949 to ensure that any future attack by Stalin would be met with force. West Germany joined in 1955.
Stalin set up the WARSAW PACT in 1955 – a similar alliance of Eastern European countries; by 1949 Soviet scientists had also developed the atom bomb
When were nuclear bombs developed by both sides:
1945 USA atomic bomb 1949 USSR atomic bomb 1952 USA hydrogen bomb 1953 USSR hydrogen bomb 1957 USA ICBM 1957 USSR ICBM
Why were people in the satellite state of Hungary unhappy by 1956?
Lack of political freedoms
Fuel shortages
Poor harvests
What did Nagy do?
He re-organised the government to include non-communists, released political prisoners and persuaded Khrushchev to withdraw Soviet troops from Hungary
What happened during the Hungarian uprising?
Khrushchev could not accept that Hungary would leave the Warsaw Pact.
On 4 November 1956 his Soviet army invaded Hungary – 1,000 tanks rolled into Budapest.
Nagy begged the West for support but none came.
Up to 20,000 Hungarians were killed.
A new pro-communist government was set up under Kadar.
Despite being offered safe passage out of Yugoslavia, Nagy was tried and executed in 1958
What did Nagy announce on 1 November 1956?
He would withdraw Hungary from the Warsaw pact
How many East Germans had left East Germany by 1961?
20% of the East German population.
