Early part of Cold War(1941-56) Flashcards
When was the Tehran Conference
November 1943
When was the Yalta Conference
February 1945
When was the Potsdam Conference
July 1945
Tehran Conference agreements
Agreed about spheres of influence after the war -USSR influenced Eastern Europe, USA + UK influenced Western Europe
Western allies agreed to launch attack on Germany from the West(D-Day), easing pressure on the Eastern front where the Soviets suffered heavy losses during WW2
Tehran Conference signs of tensions
Stalin thought the western allies deliberately delayed D Day
Yalta Conference agreements
Work for democracy in Europe-
set up United Nations(first meeting on 25 April 1945)
Russia would help US defeat Japan
Yalta conference tension
Disagreement on issue of Poland - Stalin expected Poland to have free elections with a pro-communist government, while Britain supported the non-communist London poles
Potsdam Conference agreements
Divide Germany and Berlin into 4 zones(USSR, Britain,France,USA)
Ban Nazi party and prosecute war criminals
Potsdam conference tension
Different leaders - Attlee(for England) and Truman(USA): Truman didn’t tell Stalin about the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Iron Curtain Speech
This occurred on 1946, Churchill made a famous speech to warn about the spread of communism in Europe
Long Telegram
22 February 1946, sent from Moscow to Washington by US ambassador George Oennan to the Soviet Union , claimed Stalin wanted to destroy capitalism but USSR would back down if America were strong
Novikov Telegram
1946- Claimed USA didn’t want to work with USSR any more and wanted to use military advantage to take control
Truman Doctrine
Occurred in 1947- Truman wanted the USA to contain communism and Truman gave an economic aid package to Greece and Turkey of $400 million, sending American civilians and military people there as these were countries in Europe who struggled to rebuild economies from WW2 and communism looked attractive to them.
Troops and economic aid helped countries resist communism.
Marshall Plan
Occurred in 1947, provided $17 billion aid to help Eastern European countries recover, but USSR ordered them not to take it. This provoked Stalin and increased the East-West divide.
Cominform
Set up in 1947, a Communist information Bureau to co-ordinate Communist parties across Europe under the control of the USSR
Berlin Blockade
The USSR blocked supplies to Berlin in June 1948 so Trizonia(the Western-combined zones of Berlin) to show Germany shouldn’t be divided and for propoganda for the Western zones to give up control of their zones in Berlin, allowing the capital to be controlled by the Soviet Union.
The USSR wanted Germany to be a divided country so it would never attack USSR, but USA wanted Germany to be a strong, capitalist country which it could trade with
Berlin Airlift
The Western allies flying 1,000 tons of supplies to Berlin until on 9 May 1949 the Soviet Union lifted the Berlin Blockade
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in April 1949 consisting of the Western powers to stand up against communism
Comecon
Set up in 1949, Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, aimed to co-ordinate Eastern European countries and was a response to the Marshall Plan
Death of Stalin
Occurred in 1953, he was replaced by Khruschev in 1956 who criticised Stalin’s policies and believed in peaceful co-existence/de-Stalinisation
Warsaw Pact
Set up in 1955, in response to West Germany joining NATO in May 1955 and was an equivalent communist defensive alliance.
Hungary 1956 features
24 October 1956- Khruschev replaced Rakosi, a brutal leader, with Imre Nagy, a former prime
3 November 1956- Nagy tells Khruschev he will leave the Warsaw Pact, which Khruschev didn’t like as other eastern european countries may follow
4 November 1956- The Hungarian Uprising where the Soviet Union invaded Hungary and re-established control,20,000 Hungarians were killed. Later on Imre Nagy was executed.
