Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945–1972 Flashcards
Communism
-Political, economic system, property is owned by the community
-No social classes
-A society where everyone shares resources and wealth equally
-Government controlling production and distribution of goods
Capitalism
-Economic system, businesses and property are privately owned
-Production of goods and services is driven by profit
-People earn money based on skills, investments, or business ventures
-Greater differences in wealth but majority have a high average standard of living
Russian Civil War
-Conflict between the Bolshevik Red Army (communist) and groups opposed to communism (White Army)
-The Reds ultimately triumphed, leading to the establishment of the Soviet Union
Relations between the alliances before 1945
-US feared a communist revolution outside the USSR
-Mistrust between capitalist and communist
-Had to put differences and form an alliance against their bigger threat: Nazi Germany
Tehran Conference
-Nov 1943
-To plan the liberation of Nazi-occupied France, discuss futures of Eastern European Countries and the creation of the UN
-Churchill (UK), Stalin (USSR) and Roosevelt (US)
-USSR said they would join the US and UK against Japan once Germany was defeated
Aims of Yalta Conference
-Feb 1945
-Decide what to do with Germany post their inevitable defeat
-To Demilitarise and Denazify Germany
-Winston and Roosevelt had similar aims for independent capitalist European nations whilst Stalin wanted communist countries
-Roosevelt had a close relationship with Stalin and wanted to co-operate with him
Outcomes of Yalta Conference
-Germany + Berlin divided into 4 zones (UK, US, France and USSR)
-Liberated countries of Western and Central Europe free elections
-UN formed to ensure future international cooperation
-Declaration of Liberated Europe signed
Changes between Yalta and Potsdam Conference
-Germany finally surrenders
-US still at war with Japan
-Anti- Communist Harry Truman becomes US President
-Half way through Potsdam, labour leader Clement Attlee wins vote and becomes UK Prime Minister
Aims of Potsdam Conference
-Finalise post war settlement
-Put actions from Yalta in place
-New US president Truman clearly disliked Stalin and communism
Outcomes of Potsdam Conference
-New boundaries of Poland and Germany split into 4 zones
-Truman told Stalin about US Atomic bomb increasing tensions
-Contrasting views on the Soviet sphere of influence on East Europe and how strong they wanted Germany to become
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
-US drops A bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Aug 1945
-Truman refused the USSR to take part in US occupation of Japan
-US was only country to have A bomb for 4 years (powerful)
-Stalin was intimidated, increasing tension and starting Arms Race
Soviet Sphere of Influence in Eastern Europe
-After WW2, Red Army occupied Eastern Europe
-1945-48: Stalin installs Soviet ‘puppet’ governments
-Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria etc
-These Communist govs removed opponents, holding fixed elections to ensure they stayed in control
Iron Curtain Speech
-6th March 1946
-Churchill makes a speech directly criticising USSR’s actions
-Accused them of attempting to spread their influence
-Described invisible divide between East and West as Iron Curtain
-“An iron curtain has descended across the continent”(divide in Europe)
Truman Doctrine
-Truman worried communism would spread to Western Europe
-Thought this would decline USA’s status and power in the world
-Doctrine announced March 1947 where US pledges to support any nation threatened by communist takeover
-Believe it’s their duty to contain communism and help those facing pressure from communist forces
Marshall Plan
-Announced June 1947
-George Marshall (Secretary of State) launches a huge recovery plan providing economic support to countries in Europe
-$13 billion between UK, France, Italy, Turkey, Greece, W Germany
-Soviets accuse US of ‘dollar imperialism’ to stop communism
-Creates markets for good trade in the fututre
Cominform
-Sep 1947
-Stalin feels threatened by Truman Doctrine so he sets up Communist Information Bureau
-Organisation bringing European Communist parties together, placing them under Soviet control
Comecon
-Jan 1949
-Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
-Placed industry and agriculture under state control
-Offered satellite states economic aid
Yugoslavia
-Stalin expected communist states to follow his policies and ideas
-Yugoslavia challenged Soviet domination
-It had freed itself from the Nazis without Red Army so had less loyalty to USSR
-It was communist but more open to the West
-Leader, Tito, refused to obey Stalin, causing great tension
-June 1948, Stalin expelled Yugoslavia from Cominform, becoming an independent communist state
-They later received economic aid from the US
Berlin Blockade
-June 1948
-UK, US and France unite their zones to create West Germany
-Introduce Deutschmark in W Germany to help economic recovery
-Stalin felt threatened as it made communism look weak
-Stalin blockades Berlin (cuts rail and road links to W Berlin)
-Meant food, fuel, water and medicine shortages in W Berlin and the people began to struggle
Berlin Airlift
-West saw an attempt to starve Berlin
-Decided to supply West Berlin by air
-318 days, 275,000 planes transported 1.5 mil tonnes of supplies
-Planes landed every 3 mins into Templehof airport
-Stalin unwillingly lifts Blockade in May 1949
-Gave US huge propaganda victory, looking strong and committed
-Germans gained respect for US
-2 separate states formed- Capitalist West and Communist East
Formation of NATO
-Formed in 1949 in response to Berlin Blockade
-National Atlantic Treaty Organisation
-An alliance of countries supporting USA
-If 1 country is attacked, all other countries would have to help
-Want to stop Soviet aggression and scare them
-US, UK, France, Italy, Canada etc
China becomes Communist
-Communists in China win the civil war in 1949 and Mao announces the creation of People’s Republic of China
-Nationalists fled to Taiwan
-Most heavily populated (500 million) country in the world were now communist
-Total surprise to the USA who thought China were their allies
Treaty of Friendship
-June ‘49= Mao announces he wants China to be allies with USSR
-Stalin was hesitant as the Chinese regime was very different but ultimately supported communism in China
-Feb ‘50= Signed treaty where $300 million loaned to China but 95% needed to be paid back and interest was high
-8000 Chinese students study science and tech in the USSR
-20k soviet experts sent to help develop China
-China had to give 2 major ports and the right to mine to USSR
NSC-68
-American report in April 1950
-Warned that the USSR aimed to dominate both Europe and Asia
-Recommended that the US became more aggressive in its effort to defend non-communist countries against soviet threat
-Prompted the US to expand its military and nuclear weaponry
Korean War
-1948= 2 governments, Communist North (Il-sung, USSR) and anti-Communist South (Rhee, US)
-Both leaders wanted to unite Korea and spread their beliefs
-1949= Il-Sung asks Stalin directly to support invasion of the South
-Stalin didn’t want to fight 7500 US troops stationed at the border so encouraged Chinese troops to go instead
-1950= Stalin sends weapons and North invades, crossing 38th parallel, capture Seoul forcing South down to Pusan
-US asks UN for a ceasefire but North refuse to stop
-UN (majority US and South) troops go to support South Korea
-UN leader Douglas MacArthur suggests invading China and using atomic weapons but Truman disagreed. He was fired in 1951
-Over next 3 yrs, fighting across 38th parallel, finally a stalemate as no side made progress, truce in 1953 with North and South
Background to the Vietnam War
-Vietnam was part of a French colony called Indochina
-In the 40’s, a group of rebels opposing French rule in Vietnam called the Viet Minh gained influence
-Led by a communist called Ho Chi Minh
-In the 50’s, French fought the Viet Minh
-Worried about the spread of communism, the US began to bankroll French war effort
-However, in 1954, the French were defeated by the Viet Minh
Vietnam War
-1955-1975
-After French are defeated, a temporary split is agreed, Communist North (Ho Chi Minh) and anti-Communist South (Ngo Dinh Diem) in 1955
-Communist force in the South, Vietcong (group of peasants) attempted to overthrow Diem and were supported by the North through tunnel networks
-USSR and China also supported North Vietnam
-In response, US sent aid and lots of miliitary advisors to South
-Diem is assassinated in’63 by own military for not doing enough
-1965= US combat troops sent to South and by 1968, 500k US troops are helping
-Involvement was disastrous for the US and their troops finally withdrew in 1973 without victory
-Vietnam became a unified communist country in 1975 but Southeast Asia did not fall to communism like the US thought
-USSR massively won, winning the war and losing no soldiers
-Failures of US include the My Lai Massacre
Arms Race timeline
-1945= US Atomic bomb used
-1949= USSR Atomic bomb
-1952= US Hydrogen bomb tested
-1953= USSR Hydrogen bomb tested
-1957= USSR ICBMs
-1958= US ICBMs
-1966= USSR ABMs
-1968= US ABMs
Arms Race on relations
-US and USSR both worried the other might use its nuclear weapons causing fear and suspicion
-Neither wanted to use but both felt the other couldn’t have an advantage
-By the late 1950s, both had the power to destroy each other several times over
-Deterrent and began MAD as both sides knew destroying the other would also mean their country was destroyed
Space Race timeline
-Oct 1957= USSR 1st satellite to orbit earth: Sputnik
-Nov 1957= USSR 1st animal Laika the dog in orbit
-1958= US 1st satellite launched and NASA founded
-1961= USSR Yuri Gagarin 1st to travel into space
-1961= US Alan Shepherd 1st space flight
-1963= USSR 1st woman Valentina Tereshkova in Space
-1969= US 1st man on moon Neil Armstrong
-1975= US and USSR first joint space mission
Space Race on relations
-After USSR launched the first Sputnik satellite, the US rushed to launch its own, starting the Space Race
-Success in the Space Race became linked to power and status
-Superpowers seem more technologically advanced
-Intensifies the Arms Race= the rockets used to launch satellites were also capable of carrying ICBMs
Warsaw Pact
-An alliance of countries supporting USSR
-After West Germany joined NATO in 1955, the USSR saw NATO as an even bigger threat
-USSR formed the Warsaw Pact and all their satellite states became members
-Aim was to improve the defensive capability of Eastern Europe
Stalin dies/ New leader Khrushchev
-Stalin dies in March of 1953
-His regime was repressive (his secret police killed anyone who was seen as a threat to communism)
-In September 1953, Nikita Khrushchev became the leader of the USSR (another communist)
-He wanted his party to improve life in the USSR to ensure the population benefitted more than they would under capitalism
Destalinisation
-1956= Khrushchev makes a speech criticising Stalin’s policies
-It shocked communism around the world
-Khrushchev tries to de-Stalinise the USSR
-Statues of Stalin taken down
-Stalin’s secret police have limited power
-Many prisoners jailed under Stalin are released and the death penalty was abolished
Peaceful co-existence
-1953= Eisenhower new US president, two new leaders meant there was an opportunity for a fresh start
-Khrushchev said he believed in ‘peaceful co-existence’ (exist together without conflict), contrasting Stalin who believed war was inevitable
-This created hope that relations would improve and there would be a ‘thaw’ in Cold war tensions
-US and USSR met in Geneva, 1955, to communicate openly
-Khrushchev was still competitive, carried on building weapons
Story of the Hungarian Uprising
-After WW2, USSR a brutal Stalinist, Rakosi in charge of Hungary
-His authoritarian regime became increasingly unpopular
-He was removed from power, replaced with Erno Gero in 1956
-People became frustrated with low living standards and lack of freedom under his gov
-Mass protests broke out in Budapest
-To end this, Khrushchev let the liberal Imre Nagy take over
-Nagy soon announced reforms like reviewing wages, securing withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary
-Nov 1956= Announces Hungary’s withdrawal from Warsaw Pact and holding free elections (ending Soviet control)
Soviet response to the Hungarian Uprising
-Hungary resisting communism= USSR fears others will follow
-Had to respond with force and make an example of Nagy
-Soviet tanks invade Hungary, killing thousands
-26,000 Hungarians were imprisoned
-Nagy hanged and replaced with Kadar
-West were shocked by USSR’s use of violence
-The invasion undermined the ‘peaceful co-existence’
-UN voted for USSR to withdraw but USSR vetoed the vote
-West took no further action, in fear of a nuclear war (stalemate)
U2 Crisis story
-US had effective U2 spy planes to take photos of USSR from 23,000ft where they couldn’t be shot down
-They violated Soviet territory and risked military response if seen
-1st May 1960= Gary Powers (US pilot) was met with the new Soviet anti-aircraft gun who shot him down and captured him
-US claimed it was only to gather weather data
-USSR gave clear evidence it wasn’t (cameras, photos etc)
-Eisenhower accepted but refused to apologise or promise it wouldn’t happen again
-This annoyed Khrushchev and made him leave the Paris Peace Summit after a day
Paris Peace Summit
-No agreement on Test Ban theory
-US no longer hold the ‘moral high ground’ after lying
-Nothing resolved on East Berliners moving to the West or Cuba’s recent revolution causing a possible communist government on their doorstep
The “Brain Drain”
-West Berlin was an economically stable unified zone whilst East Berlin had a slow economy and limited resources
-Although border from East and West wasn’t strictly open, it was permitted
-1949-61= 2.2 million move (15-20%)
-The loss had a huge effect on industry and was embarrassing for Khrushchev that people preferred capitalism
-Educated and highly skilled moved over for more money
-USSR were so worried, making a speech in Moscow giving the West an ultimatum to withdraw troops from Berlin within 6 months but they refused
The Vienna Summit
-3rd June 1961
-4 months into JFK’s presidency, he met Khrushchev in Vienna
-Tried to repair relations after U2 Crisis and Paris Peace Summit
-Kennedy was committed to keeping West Berlin capitalist
-Khrushchev tried to overpower Kennedy in discussions
-Little was achieved but it set the tone for superpower relations in the following years
The Berlin Wall
-13th August 1961= East German troops lined the border and no East Berliners were allowed to pass
-Barbed wire fences and trains no longer crossing the border
-Over the following 7 days, a concrete wall was built around East
-No protests took place and people mostly stayed at home
-Split families as it was illegal to cross
-Kept the city divided for almost 30 years (1961-1989)
-US condemned the wall but didn’t take action, Kennedy was relieved as it meant USSR wasn’t taking force on West Berlin
-86 killed trying to get across
Checkpoint Charlie
-Oct 27th 1961
-Red Army tanks refuse to let Americans pass into East
-All day long, both sides face each other in a tense standoff lasting 18 hours until a diplomatic agreement was reached and both began to back down
-Clear the US wouldn’t take military action in the Soviets political sphere of influence and risk open conflict
Kennedy’s ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ speech
-Kennedy visits West Berlin in June 1963
-Gave him the chance to get his foreign policy back on track
-Visits the wall and looks over into East Berlin
-Makes a speech to 120,000 West Berliners outlining his beliefs about the evils of communism
-He made clear his commitment to fighting communism
-Sent a clear message to Khrushchev and the soviets
Cuban Revolution
-Since 1952, a ruthless military dictator, Batista, ruled Cuba
-He let American businessmen and the Mafia make huge profits in a country where most people lived in poverty
-1956= a rebel, Fidel Castro, began a guerrilla war
-1959= he had enough support to take the capital Havana and overthrow the government
-Castro nationalises US companies, increasing taxes angering US
-Castro signs trade agreement with USSR
-Worries US who had a long economic history with Cuba
-US owned half of Cuba’s land and held most shares in industries
Bay of Pigs
-US trained Cuban exiles planned to invade Cuba with support of US air force to inspire other Cubans to overthrow Castro
-Just before invasion, it was clear they supported Castro
-US armed forces doubted but CIA couldn’t abandon the plan after spending $5 million training the exiles
-They landed on the Bay of Pigs on 17th April 1961
Outcomes of the Bay of Pigs
-US was humiliated and tried to hide involvement in the invasion but failed
-They had pushed Castro even closer to the USSR
-It led Castro to decide that Cuba needed Soviet military assistance to defend itself (sparked CMC)
-Dec 1961= Castro publicly announces he is a communist
Cuban Missile Crisis
-April 1962= US places missiles in Turkey
-July 1962= Khrushchev puts nuclear missiles in Cuba
-Oct 1962= US U2 planes spot nuclear missile bases in Cuba
-Kennedy chooses to avoid attacking Cuba but orders for a naval blockade instead, stopping Soviet ships bringing missiles to Cuba
-180 ships, troops etc stationed, 20 soviet ships retreat
-26th Oct= USSR sends letter 1, promising to remove launch sites if US removes blockade
-27th Oct= USSR sends letter 2, promising to remove launch sites if US removes missiles in Turkey
-Kennedy responds to 1st letter accepting the terms
-Kennedy privately agrees to remove missiles in Turkey but only if it could be kept a secret
-28th Oct= Khrushchev publicly announces to dismantle missiles
Changes made due to the Cuban Missile Crisis
-Powers made efforts to defuse tension
-1963= Telephone line set up between Washington and Moscow to talk directly and more quickly in a crisis
-Limited Test Ban Theory signed 1963(led to end of nuclear weaponry)
-Outer Space Treaty 1967 countries couldn’t place WMD in space
-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 1970 agreeing not to supply nuclear weapons to countries that didn’t have nuclear arms
Prague Spring
-Czechoslovakia became communist in 1948
-1960’s people unhappy with lack of freedom, poor quality goods
-Alexander Dubcek becomes leader of Czechoslovakia in 1968
-Introduces reforms to decentralise industry, freedom of speech allowed, travel to the West and workers given more power
-Called his new communism ‘Socialism with a human face’
-He was still communist and stayed in Warsaw Pact
-For 4 months, his new policies were tolerated by the USSR and they enjoyed relative freedom
USSR’s response to the Prague Spring
-Brezhnev became worried it would lead to a rejection of communism in the Eastern Bloc
-USSR received a letter from communists in Czech asking for help
-21st Aug 1968= 500k soviet troops invade Czechoslovakia
-Czechoslovakians respond with non-violent demonstrations with anti-invasion banners and a student burning himself alive
-April 1969= Dubcek removed and replaced with Gustav Husak (a loyal Soviet style communist)
How Prague Spring affected East and West Relations
-Showed West that Brezhnev was determined to keep control of USSR’s satellite states
-West criticised the USSR but took little action against them
-They were worried about interfering with the sphere of influence
-Lyndon B Johnson cancelled summit meeting with Brezhnev
-UN proposed withdrawal of soviet troops in Czech bu was vetoed
Brezhnev Doctrine
-Brezhnev reads out letter from Czechoslovakians
-USSR would protect communism in any country where it was under threat and wouldn’t allow any Eastern European countries to reject communism
-Strengthened USSR’s control over its satellite states
-Mao feared Soviets could use the Doctrine to justify an invasion of China (relations between USSR and China worsened)
-Relationship of US and USSR continued to strain
-Annoyed many communist countries (China and Yugoslavia)
Tensions before Detente
-US was critical of the USSR’s record on human rights
-Soviet leaders denied citizens religious and political freedoms, freedom of speech and the right to emigrate
-Suspicion and distrust between the powers was fuelled by developments like US’s involvement in Vietnam and USSR’s intervention of Prague
Detente
-Both powers realised the importance of avoiding conflict
-To improve relations, they followed a policy of Detente
-Both powers were struggling financially so both were keen to reduce military spending
-Both saw economic advantages of increasing trade
-Despite the progress, this wasn’t the end of the cold war with tensions reigniting in 1979
Aims of Nixon and Brezhnev in Detente
-Nixon needed a foreign policy success to draw attention away from criticism he was facing in the US for the Vietnam War
-Brezhnev was worried by Nixon visiting China in Feb 1972, wanted to make sure US and China wouldn’t turn against them
SALT 1
-Strategic Arms Limitation Theory
-Limited number of ABMs each country had and placed a temporary limit on the number of ICBMs on both sides
