Early cold war Flashcards
Three conferences
Tehran (Nov, 1943)
Yalta (Feb, 1945)
Potsdam (July- August 1945)
East Germany (How it became communist)
Original soviet zone of occupation in Germany, 1949
became a communist state in 1949
Hungary (How it became communist)
1945: Rakosi took control of the secret police,
he also executed and imprisoned his opposition
Poland (How it became communist)
Stalin promised to set up a communist Government
16 non-communist leader were arrested
by 1947, non-communists won the election
Romania (How it became communist)
A communist-led coalition took over
However, by 1947 communists had taken over Romania
Bulgaria (How it became communist)
communist Government was elected in 1945
non-communists were executed
Communism and ‘Free elections’
Stalin promised at Yalta conference to hold ‘fair’ elections
However, elections were fixed to make sure the communists won
Novikov telegram (1946)
USA wanted world domination
USA was preparing for global warfare (WW3) with the Soviet Union
Long telegram (1946)
Soviet Union saw capitalism as a threat to society
Soviet union was strengthening its military power
Peace between the USSR and other capitalist countries was not possible
Soviet Union and other Communist Countries
Individuals are not as strong as everyone working together for the same goal
State should take control of the economy
USA, Britain and other capitalist countries
everyone should be free to make money themselves
Trade between countries makes everyone more wealthy
Ideology
set of political objectives on how society should be run
End of the Grand alliance:
Truman trusted Stalin even less, as Stalin broke his promises
Stalin disliked the way in which Truman pushed him around
USA dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
This lead to an increase in tension between both superpowers
Potsdam conference (July-August 1945) agreements:
Nazi party banned and war criminals prosecuted
Germany divided into four zones (USA, USSR, UK, France)
Berlin also divided into four zones
Yalta conference (February 1945) agreements:
United Nations would be set up
Poland would be in the Soviet ‘Sphere of influence’
Soviet would declare war on Imperial Japan
Truman’s concerns
Europe was devastated after WW2
Communism was attractive in France and Italy
Greece and Türkiye could fall to communism
Truman Doctrine (1947)
The USA must try and contain the spread of communism
USA should provide money and arms to countries if necessary
Marshall Plan (1947)
$13 billion from USA to help rebuild Europe
Soviet Union criticised the Marshall plan
Cominform
Stood for the Communist Information Bureau
Stalin set it up in 1947
Arranged all communist countries to discuss their leadership
Cominform (2)
Encouraged Western countries to block the Marshall Plan
Cominform got rid of any opposition to the USSR
Comecon
Stood for the Council of Mutual and Economic Assistance
Stalin set this up in 1949
Alternative to the Marshall plan
Comecon (2)
Built up trade links with Communist countries
Prevented communist countries from signing up to the Marshall Plan
Comecon included all Soviet Union countries
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) 1949
Military alliance that consisted of USA, Canada, UK, France and West Germany
NATO was a directed against a possible attack from the USSR
Bizonia and West Germany
The UK and the USA gave up their land in order to form Bizonia
Later the French occupation was added which made West Germany
Stalin thought that it went against the agreements made at Potsdam
East Germany and Berlin Blockade
East Germany grew almost without all the food that West Berlin ate
Berlin was deep in Soviet- controlled Germany and divided into four zones (USA, UK, France, USSR)
East Germany and Berlin Blockade (2)
June 1948, Soviet Union blocked all supplies into Berlin which showed the USSR’s dominance
The Soviet Union also blocked any supplies coming into Germany
Impact on Soviet’s rule in Hungary
Hungary suffered a lot under Stalin’s regime
Rakosi was a brutal leader
Communist rule became very unpopular
Imre Nagy as Hungary Prime minister
Leave the Warsaw pact and become a neutral country
UN protection from Soviet Union
Hold free-elections in Hungary
