Cold War Unit 2

Question 1

When were the Baltic states conquered by the USSR?

Answer 1

1940

Question 2

What is different about Yugoslavia and Albania?

Answer 2

Although both are communist countries. They were never conquered by the Soviet Red Army and were more independent.

Question 3

What did Stalin do that made Truman believe he wanted to spread his influence?

Answer 3

Stalin turned 6 more countries into satellite states which Truman saw as proof that he wanted to spread his influence.

Question 4

What was Czechoslovakia in 1919?

Answer 4

In 1919, Czechoslovakia das the only democratic country in the East.

Question 5

What happened in 1948 in Czechoslovakia?

Answer 5

In 1948, the democratic coalition was overthrown with support from the USSR. A new communist govt was imposed. The democratic govt was a coalition attempting to restore the democracy in 1919.

Question 6

What happened in Poland in 1944?

Answer 6

In Poland, in 1944, there was a German occupation. The poles rebelled. The soviets promised they would help but instead waited until the uprising was crushed. After this, they invaded Poland.

Question 7

What happened in Hungary between 1945-49?

Answer 7

In 1945, only some communists were elected. In 1947, voters were threatened by a campaign supported by Moscow. A communist party was elected. By 1949, Hungary was a one party communist country.

Question 8

What happened between 1944-45 in Bulgary, Romania and Eastern parts near Germany?

Answer 8

Soviet Union took control of them. They were frightened and threatened the voters so they would vote for communist party candidates.

Question 9

What was the Long Telegram?

Answer 9

It was a message sent by Kennan, the USA’s ambassador in Moscow. He sent a telegram discussing US-Soviet relations. His views were taken very seriously.

Question 10

What did Kennan report in his telegram?

Answer 10

He reported that Stalin wanted to see the destruction of capitalism and felt the world outside the Soviet Union was unfriendly and looking to destroy communism.
Kennan also believed the USSR was not self-destructive so if faced with strong resistance, it would soften its position.

Question 11

What was Novikov’s Telegram?

Answer 11

Novikov was a Soviet diplomat working in Washington. His telegram stated that the USA wanted to use its military power to dominated the world. He believed that after Roosevelt’s death, USA no longer wanted to cooperate with the USSR and American people would support their govt if this led to war.

Question 12

When was the Iron Curtain Speech given and where?

Answer 12

Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech was given in 1946 in Fulton, Missouri. He was no longer prime minister but still had immense influence.

Question 13

What did Churchill state in his Iron Curtain Speech?

Answer 13

Churchill stated that an iron curtain had fallen across Europe, dividing the Communist Eastern European countries from the Democratic Western European countries. He also said that the Soviet Union was a threat to world peace and freedom.

Question 14

What impacts did the Iron Curtain Speech have?

Answer 14

-Led to USA’s involvement in Europe and globally.
-Worsened the long-term political divide in Europe between the West and East.
-Increased tensions and worsened relations as Stalin believed it reflected how Americans felt as Truman must have read the speech prior.

Question 15

What was the Truman Doctrine in 1947?

Answer 15

The Truman Doctrine in 1947 was that the USA would provide economic and military aid to countries attempting to resist communism.

Question 16

What countries could Britain no longer support in 1947? Who would support them?

Answer 16

In 1947, because Britain was nearly bankrupt, it declared that it could no longer send aid to the Greek govt against the Communist guerrillas. This resulted in the USA sending $400 million in aid to Greece and Turkey . They also sent civilian and military personnel.

Question 17

How did America’s policy change?

Answer 17

After WWI, the USA was very hesitant in getting involved and had a policy of isolationism. This changed after 1946/47 as it developed its policy of containment. It wanted to contain communism and prevent the Soviet Union from extending its influence.

Question 18

What was the Marshall Plan in 1948?

Answer 18

The Marshall Plan was a practical outcome of the Truman Doctrine. It meant providing economic aid to help war-torn countries in order to stop communism from taking over in Western Europe.

Question 19

How much economic aid was provided between 1948-52? What countries received it?

Answer 19

Between 1948-52, $13.7 billion in aid, in addition to $13 billion already given before the Marshall Plan was inaction. Countries that received it included Belgium, Turkey, Iceland and Britain who received more than a quarter of the whole package.

Question 20

Did USA offer the aid to Eastern European countries?

Answer 20

They debated whether to offer it. They did but as in Western Europe, countries would have to agree to a thorough review of their finances with the USA knew that Stalin would never allow. So the East did not benefit.

Question 21

What was Dollar Imperialism?

Answer 21

Dollar Imperialism was what the Soviets viewed the USA’s policy. They believed the USA was dominating the world and extending its influence over Europe. They also believed that it was using economic aid to divide Europe in 2. Moreover, Stalin believed the USA was weakening the UN’s international position since it was suggested that it was USA’s job to protect the world.

Question 22

What were the consequences of the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan?

Answer 22

-USA’s increasing involvement in world affairs.
-Increased tension as the USA had set itself in direct opposition to the Soviet Union and asked other countries to join it.
-Marked end of the Grand Alliance.
-Marshall Plan successfully tied Western countries into supporting the USA. This challenged the USSR and led to them setting up their own economic plan, Comecon.
-History of Europe for next 50 years would be filled with extreme hostility and rivalry.

Question 23

Why were Comecon and Cominform created?

Answer 23

The Marshall Plan set Stalin an economic and political challenge. He therefore created his own 2 organisations for the communist countries of Europe.

Question 24

What was Cominform?

Answer 24

Cominform - a Communist Information Bureau, was a political organisation formed in 1947.
It was an association of communist parties all over Europe. It gave Stalin a way of directing and controlling the govts of the satellite states.
It was responsible for ending opposition to Moscow and ensuring the loyalty of Eastern European countries.

Question 25

When was Cominform formed?

Answer 25

1947.

Question 26

What was Comecon?

Answer 26

Comecon - a Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, was an economic organisation in 1949.
Members included: USSR, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and etc. It was in direct opposition to the Marshall Plan and aimed to support economic development in its member states. It also discouraged trade with the USA and Western Europe.

Question 27

When was Comecon formed?

Answer 27

In 1949.

Question 28

What were the consequences of the creation of Cominform and Comecon?

Answer 28

-Stand-off in Berlin in 1948.
-USA and Western countries creating a new military alliance known as NATO in 1949.

Question 29

When was NATO created?

Answer 29

In 1949.

Question 30

What happened at the first meeting of Cominform?

Answer 30

At the first meeting, the Marshall Plan was rejected.

Question 31

What was the central organisation for the 4 zones in Germany/Berlin?

Answer 31

ACC (Allied Control Commission).

Question 32

Where were the disagreements between the Western countries and the Soviet Union over Germany?

Answer 32

The Soviet Union wanted to take as much material as possible to rebuild the Soviet Union while the Western Countries wanted to build up Germany’s economy so that it could become a better trading partner and be able to resist communism.

Question 33

What happened in 1947 between the foreign ministers of the occupying powers?

Answer 33

Talks between the foreign ministers of the occupying powers broke down and the Soviets stormed out.
The Soviets were no longer cooperating so the remaining powers had to decide how to run their part of Germany.

Question 34

Who combined their parts of Germany in 1947?

Answer 34

In 1947, USA and Britain combined their parts of Germany to form Bizonia.

Question 35

Who combined their parts of Germany in 1948?

Answer 35

In 1948, France added their part to Bizonia (USA and Britain). So it became Trizonia.
Germany and Berlin were now split into two parts, Western Trizonia and Eastern Soviet-controlled Germany.

Question 36

What did the three allies (France, Britain and USA) create in June 1948?

Answer 36

In 1948, the three allies created a new currency - The Deutschmark. This would connect Trizonia and mean there is economic unity.

Question 37

Why were the Soviets angry at the Deutschmark currency in 1948?

Answer 37

-The single currency in Trizonia created a separate economic unit from the East.
-It accepted that there were in effect, two Germany’s: West and East.
-Stalin believed this was further proof that they were ‘ganging up’ on him. He saw the the developing of Trizonia as an attempt to force the Soviet zone into poverty.
-He was now even more determined to stand firm and protect Soviet interests. He believed Germany should be one country and follow communist ideology.

Question 38

What was the Berlin Blockade in 1948?

Answer 38

The Berlin Blockade was an attempt in 1948 by the Soviet Union to limit the ability of the United States, Great Britain and France to travel to their respective sectors of the city of Berlin, which lay entirely inside Russian-occupied East Germany

Question 39

What did Stalin do in 1948? (Berlin)

Answer 39

He shut off the land routes across Soviet-controlled Germany into Berlin. He wanted to show the USA, Britain and France that a divided Germany would not work. Trizonia would no longer be able to communicate with the capital, Berlin and the people of Berlin would soon run out of food.
-a direct challenge to Truman, since Stalin knew he could not ignore the blockade because of his speech about containment.

Question 40

How did the West respond to the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 40

They knew that if they attempted to force the supplies into Berlin along the closed land routes, it would be considered an act of war. So instead, they flew supplies into their zones in Berlin as the only way they could be stopped was if they were shot down. Truman doubted Stalin would do this.

Question 41

When did Operation Vittles/Berlin Airlift begin? What did they fly? What were the risks involved?

Answer 41

In 1948. They flew food, coal and other supplies into the city from the Allied zones, along the air corridors. The pilots were taking huge risks as it could not be sure whether the Soviets would not shoot them down.

Question 42

What was created in Tegel? and by who?

Answer 42

The people of West Berlin and Western troops came together to create a new airport at Tegel so that the supplies would be landed.

Question 43

How many supplies could the Americans fly in every day? What about the British?

Answer 43

The Americans flew in at least 1000 tonnes of supplies every day and the British achieved a similar rate.

Question 44

When did the Soviets give in to the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 44

In May 1949, the Soviets finally gave in and lifted the blockade. The airlift had worked and the West had survived. Stalin’s attempt to win a propaganda victory over Britian, France and USA had not worked and the blockade looked like a foolish and agressive act.

Question 45

What happened three days after the end of the Berlin blockade in 1949?

Answer 45

Trizonia became a state known as the Federal Republic of Germany.

Question 46

What else happened in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949?

Answer 46

The German people were allowed to elect their own parliament.
The first democratically elected chancellor was Adenauer.

Question 47

What was the new capital of the Federal Republic of Germany?

Answer 47

Born was the new capital city. The West Country was much bigger than East Germany.

Question 48

How did Stalin respond to the creation of the Federal republic of Germany?

Answer 48

Stalin responded by creating the German Democratic Republic in 1949. However, only the communist bloc countries recognised it as a nation.
For the next 40 years, people would talk about West and East Germany but, for most of this time, each German regarded their own state as the real one.

Question 49

Why was NATO created?

Answer 49

-Stalin’s threat to Berlin.
-Communist takeover in Czechoslovakia
both convinced the Western powers that they needed a formal military alliance to protect themselves from the USSR.
-Also wanted to send a message to Stalin about their determination to stand firm against communism.

Question 50

When was NATO created? What did they agree?

Answer 50

NATO was created in 1949. It included the USA, Britain, France and 9 other Western countries. The members agreed that if any member was attacked, all members of NATO would come to its assistance.
-Bevin, British foreign secretary played a huge part in this.