Consolidation of Rival Blocs 1948-55 Flashcards
Why were the USA keen on western European integration?
- To deter people from wanting Communism
- To boost world trade
- To provide valuable markets for US exports
- To eventually draw the Eastern European states out of the Soviet bloc
How did the USA’s interest in western European integration affect their attitude towards the question of Germany?
Would accept German partition
Why did the USSR try to avoid western European integration?
Their attitude to Germany?
To prevent the formation of a strong capitalist group
Wanted united Germany so they would move towards Communism
After the failure of the London Conference of Foreign Ministers 1947, which countries agreed to a West German State?
- Britain
- France
- USA
- Benelux
What persuaded France into agreeing to a West German State?
The Occupation Statute:
- Gave France, Britain, and the USA powers over W. Germany
- There would be troops in W. Germany to prevent a rise of power
What did the Western Allies do on the 20th June 1948 to upset the USSR?
Introduced the Deutschmark into their occupied zones without consulting the USSR
What did the USSR do in response to the new Deutschmark in W. Germany?
Immediately introduced their own new currency: the Ostmark
What did the Soviets do on 24th June 1948?
Why?
Formed the Berlin Blockade
To pressure the West to stop the creation of the new W. German state
What was the Western response to the Berlin Blockade?
An Airlift of supplies through three air corridors
Give two reasons why Stalin called off the blockade in 1949
- The Airlift had been so successful
- American C-54 planes, by April 8000 tons reaching Berlin and 1000 aircraft
- The West had responded with a counter-blockade of exports to the Soviet zone and declared Deutschmark only legal tender of West Germany, which was damaging Soviet zone’s economy
What was the West German state called?
The Federal Republic of Germany
What was the East German state called?
The German Democratic Republic
When were the FRG and GDR set up?
Summer 1949
When was the GDR set up?
Why?
October 12th 1949
Because of poor results for the Communist party in the West German elections
Who was made first Chancellor of the FRG in 1949?
Conrad Adanaeur
Who did Stalin appoint as leader of the GDR?
Walter Ulbricht
What was created by the US on 4th April 1949?
NATO
Which two events caused the US to believe they needed a defensive military alliance in the form of NATO?
- The takeover by Communists in Czechoslovakia 1948
- The Berlin Blockade 1948
What about NATO caused the French + others some alarm?
Its vague wording
What did the USSR achieve in September 1949?
Exploded its first atomic bomb
In what year did the Korean War begin?
1950
Why did the Korean War speed up western European moves for integration?
The West feared this marked the beginning of a Communist world takeover
What made Germany such a crucial part of Europe for the East and the West?
Its geographic location as the gateway between the two, where cultural contrasts and tensions were most striking
Why did the West attempt to pacify the French around W. Germany?
W. Germany was seen as a vital country in the ‘defense’ of western Europe - French consent to integration would make their position stronger
What was the original plan to pacify French fears about Germany regaining power and threatening them?
To create supranational European Defense Comunity (EDC)
What became of the EDC?
A treaty was signed in 1952, but it never came into effect because of its unpopularity
What was the compromise instead of the EDC?
Bonus point! Who came up with this plan?
The FRG became part of NATO, and small units from each NATO country would form a large force
Charles Spofford!
Which two topics split NATO?
- Fears of US use of the atomic bomb in the Korean War
- French concerns over German rearmament in the early 1950s
When did the US create the Hydrogen Bomb?
1952
How did the US cause political and economic problems in Europe in the early 1950s?
The US diverted Marshall spending to rearmament in Western Europe
What does OEEC stand for?
Organisation for European Economic Co-operation
What did OEEC organise, and why?
The policy of ‘guns and butter’, to improve European economies after diverting Marshall spending to rearmament
How did Stalin react to the reamament of W. Europe?
Why?
- Created the World Peace Movement for disarmament
- Sent a note to Adanaeur in 1952 offering German reunification
To exploit divisions, hopefully gaining some support by appearing like the ‘good guy’
Why was the European Coal and Steel Community formed?
To interlock the industrial economies of Western Europe, making them stronger than the Soviet threat
Also to tie-in Germany so they would never invade West again - no economic inscentive
Who didn’t join the ECSC, and why?
Britain, because they feared they would lose control of industry
What was the Soviet response to the ECSC?
What did it do?
COMECON
- Integrated Eastern economies
- Satellite state armies were linked together under Soviet control
Which country was expelled from Cominform following disagreements with Stalin + when?
Tito’s Yugoslavia 1948
What did Yugoslavia’s move towards the West after its expulsion from Cominform lead to?
A proaganda offensive by the West in eastern Europe to try and cause further rifts to form
When did Stalin die?
1953
Who replaced Stalin in 1953?
A collective leadership of
- Beria (soon executed)
- Molotov
- Malenkov
- Khrushchev (a little later)
Who replaced Truman as US President in 1953?
President Eisenhower
Why did the public elect Eisenhower?
Because of his strong anti-Communist rhetoric
(Secretly more peaceful because aware of damage to economy from arms race and danger to world from nuclear weapons)
What did:
- The collective leadership
- President Eisenhower
offer?
- Detente
- Would only improve relations if elections held in the East
What happened in the GDR in 1953?
A zone-wide uprising against Ulbricht raising quotas
Why was it kind of ironic that there was an uprising against Ulbricht’s harsh policies?
Stalin had tried to make him relax them so as to prevent such unrest - obviously he failed
How did the USSR get the GDR uprising back under control?
By sending in Soviet tanks
How did the West react to the GDR uprising?
Did not interfere
BUT
taken as an opportunity to use propaganda
When did the FRG join NATO?
May 1955
How was France pacified about the FRG joining NATO?
- Britain promised to keep British troops in Germany
- Adanaeur promised to restrict German troop levels
How did the USSR react to the FRG joining NATO?
By signing the Warsaw Pact between itself and the eastern European states
Give examples of why it could be argued there was a ‘Thaw’ in 1953-55
- Geneva Conference 1955 (first since Potsdam 1945)
- Austrian independence agreed on at conference
- 1955 USSR returns FRG POW
- ‘Open Skies’ suggested
Why could it be argued that there was not a ‘Thaw’ from 1953-55?
- Big topics not resolved e.g. divided Germany, arms control, etc.
- FRG rearms + joins NATO
- Hallstein Doctrine ends FRG/GDR relations
- Open Skies rejected
What were the main reasons for tensions in 1948-55?
- Germany
- Nuclear Weapons
- Changing leadership
When was the East German uprising?
17th July 1953
What caused the East German uprising?
Increased work hours
Collectivised farms
Poor conditions
Weak economy
What happened during the East German uprising?
50,000 went on strike, 100,000 protested in East Berlin
GDR forces too weak so Soviet tanks sent in
100 killed
How did nuclear weapons cause tensions between 1948-55?
H-bombs developed by 1952-3
U2 spying
How did Western Europe integrate militarily?
NATO- FRG allowed units by 1955 under US + UK supervision
What impeded Western European military integration?
Vague wording of NATO
Failure of EDC
French fear of FRG
Fear of US use of nukes in Korea
Stalin World Peace Movement + notes
How did Western Europe integrate economically?
OEEC Guns + Butter
International Ruhr Authority -> ECSC
What impeded Western European economic integration?
UK didn’t join the ECSC
How did Eastern Europe integrate militarily?
Warsaw Pact 1955
Increase in military spending + hardware nos.
Cominform
How did Eastern Europe integrate economically?
COMECON - Stalinist industrial planning + collectivisation
How was Eastern European integration impeded?
Tito expelled from Cominform 1948 - ‘Non-Alligned’ + links to West
Radio Free Europe propaganda
Unpopularity in Eastern states
