Conflict over Germany 1947-49 Flashcards
What was the ACC
The allied control council- co ordinated the 4 zones of occupation in Germany
What party was created in Febuary 1946 after the KPD an SPD were merged?
German socialist Unity party (SED)
The soviet aim to influence and control German politics in any future united Germany had failed
What was the SPD
German social democrats
What was the KPD
the German communist party
What kind of unilateral policies did the Soviets introduce in East Germany?
- unification of left wing parties
- land reform
- nationalisation of large industrial production
- compulsory tuition in the Russian language for German school pupils
How many people were in the British zone and how did this affect the British?
22.5 million and the large population was costly to feed and increased British dependency on the USA
What was the significance of British possession of the Ruhr
It was the industrial heart of Germany and key to its economic recovery. Therefore Soviet influence over it would provide access to further reparations from Germany and delay economic recovery.
What was the administrative organisation set up by the US to manage it’s zones of Western Germany and West Berlin called?
OMGUS- Office of military government, United States
What did the Americans disagree with?
- The Soviet demand that the Ruhr should be placed under joint control
- The continued social and economic deprivation of the German population in the US and British zones
- The soviet desire to create a centralised germany
Why was a new currency introduce into the Western zone? What was it called?
- move the zones towards greater economic stability
- represent the beginnings of the formation of a separate and distinct West German state
- Deutsch mark!
When did Stalin end the Berlin blockade?
May 1949
Who was the first elected leader of the new Western German state?
Konrad Adenauer
When was NATO formed?
April 1949
Why was NATO formed?
-For the USA, it was a means of reassuring Western European states against possible soviet aggression.
- Gave them a regional defence organisation that would put containment in place
- political defence system
- ‘The parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all’
What was the Soviet response to NATO?
It was argued that NATO was an aggressive organisation designed to force states into complying with the interests of the allies
