COLD WAR; the telegrams 1946 Flashcards
what is a telegram?
a long message send over a telephone line
why did America and the USSR send each other telegrams?
they wanted to know what their rivals were thinking
what did they organise?
in 1946, they both asked their embassies to report on attitudes in each other’s countries
Who was the American Ambassador in Moscow?
George Kennan
What did George Kennan’s telegram state?
Stalin wanted to see the destruction of Capitalism
World outside the Soviet Union was hostile and was looking to destroy communism
Soviet Union wasn’t suicidal, if faced with strong resistance they would back down
Who was the Soviet Ambassador in Washington?
Nikolai Novikov
What did Nikolai Novikov’s telegram state?
USA wanted to use their massive military power to dominate the world
Americans no-longer wanted to co-operate with the Soviet Union
American people would support their government if there was a war
Why was Churchill still important in the Cold war at this time (1946)?
Even though he wasn’t prime minister he still had a large amount of influence.
What did Churchill do and say?
He gave a speech, famously known as the iron curtain speech.
He said that the soviet union was a threat to freedom and world peace.
why did Churchill make his iron curtain speech?
because he was provoked by the newly placed communist governments in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria
Why did Churchill’s speech increase tension and mistrust?
Because he gave the speech in Missouri, so it had been cleared by Truman which means it reflects the American beliefs too.
What was the impact of Churchills speech?
It intensified the tensions and made the whole situation worse
what was the impact of the Kennan telegram on the American government?
it worried the American government,
the American government believed that there should be a policy of “containment” to stop communism growing
what was the impact of the Novikov telegram on the Soviet government?
the soviets thought it was now vital to develop as much protection as possible in eastern Europe.
