Development of the cold war 1948-56

Question 1

What was the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 1

1949 when Stalin blocked roads into West Berlin to try and make the USA, Britain and France give their zones up

Question 2

What were the long term causes of the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 2

• Western zone wanted to speed up German recovery, but the soviets didn’t want them to be strong so they couldn’t attack so USSR refused to allow its zone to trade with other zones
• Berlin was far into East Germany, but the allies had to be let in to get to West Berlin, and Stalin didn’t like this, as his zone was then exposed to capitalism and he was worried it would spread

Question 3

What were the short term causes of the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 3

• Western allies encouraged economy growth and received lots of Marshall aid
• In 1948, all the western zones combined into trizonia
• Western allies set up free elections, Stalin feared the spread of this

Question 4

What were the key features of the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 4

• Stalin closed all road and rail connections from Berlin to West Germany, hoping to force the allies out of the city
• Tanks were put on roads and rail tracks
• Truman wanted to stand up to Stalin, and to make Berlin a symbol of freedom behind the Iron Curtain
• Allies began airlifting supplies for 10 months with over 600 flights a day, such as coal and food, even taking sick children out of Berlin to seek treatment

Question 5

What were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 5

• May 1949 USSR lifted the blockade
• Victory for the USA
• Relations were in tatters
• Confirmed divisions
• Lead to creation of NATO

Question 6

What does NATO stand for?

Answer 6

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

Question 7

What was NATO and what was it set up to do?

Answer 7

A military alliance between most of the states in Western Europe and USA and Canada set up in 1949, with its main purpose being to defend its members, and to stop the spread of communism, especially after the USSR developed an atomic bomb in 1949

Question 8

Why was NATO important?

Answer 8

• The USA was now fully involved in European affairs
• Stalin didn’t see it as a defensive alliance but as a threat
• The USA could now build bases in western Europe where planes armed with nuclear weapons could be stationed

Question 9

What was the Warsaw Pact and what was it set up to do?

Answer 9

A military treaty and association formed in 1955 between the Soviet Union and its satellite states, set up in response to west Berlin joining NATO to defend its members if they should be attacked

Question 10

In what year did Stalin die and who succeeded him?

Answer 10

1953, Khrushchev established himself as leader in 1955

Question 11

What was the arms race?

Answer 11

A race between the USA and USSR to own the best weapons

Question 12

In what year did the USA and USSR develop atomic weapons?

Answer 12

USA-1945

USSR-1949

Question 13

In what year did the USA and USSR develop hydrogen bombs?

Answer 13

USA-1952

USSR-1953

Question 14

What were the causes of the Hungarian uprising?

Answer 14

• Hungary had gone from Nazi dictatorship to Soviet dictatorship
• Rakosi (leader of Hungary) ruled through fear and oppression
• Crops and livestock shipped to USSR so people starved
• The Arvo (secret police) unfairly arrested people
• Death of Stalin
• The secret speech by Khrushchev

Question 15

What was Khrushchev’s secret speech?

Answer 15

A speech made by Khrushchev denouncing Stalin and promoting destalinisation, which was later found out to be a trick to bring out those opposing to communism

Question 16

What were the key features of the Hungarian uprising?

Answer 16

Day 1 -Peaceful demonstrations

      - Statue of Stalin pulled down
      - Workers striking
      - Rebels got weapons
      - Destroyed any Stalin symbols - By day 5, rebels controlled the streets
            - Stormed Arvo headquarters
            - Press uncensored
             - Demanded to leave Warsaw Pact - Soviet tanks entered, rebels threw molotov cocktails at them, but were crushed, and no help was sent from the west

Question 17

What were the consequences of the Hungarian uprising?

Answer 17

• Thousands of Hungarians were killed
• Because the west didn’t respond to help, other countries knew they couldn’t count on the west’s support
• Over 200,000 fled the country
• Pro-soviet govt established in Hungary
• Other countries deterred from uprising
• Showed the USSR could be broken, even if only for 45 days

Question 18

When was the Hungarian uprising?

Answer 18

1956