Early Tensions Between East and West

Question 1

Describe the Differences Between the Leaders of the Grand Alliance

Answer 1

-Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin are often referred to as ‘The Big Three’ since it was their beliefs and ambitions that dominated world politics from 1941 until Roosevelt’s death in 1945.

-The suspicions that Roosevelt and Churchill had about Stalin and the suspicions Stalin had about Roosevelt and Churchill played a major role in shaping relations from 1941.

-The differences between the leaders’ personal political beliefs reinforced these suspicions and were a significant factor in the breakdown of relations as the Second World War ended.

Question 2

Describe Roosevelts’ Attitudes Towards the Grand Alliance

Answer 2

-Roosevelt believed strongly in democracy but compromised and formed an alliance with Stalin.

-After Japan bombed Peral Harbour in 1941, Roosevelt thought he would need Soviet support against Japan.

-His desire for Soviet support explains why he was not always as tough with Stalin as Churchill would have liked.

-Roosevelt believed any long term settlement would only be possible if the Soviet Union was accepted as a superpower and partner in peace.

Question 3

Describe Churchill’s Attitude Towards the Grand Alliance

Answer 3

-As a conservative from an aristocratic family, Churchill had very traditional values.

-He believed very strongly in the British Empire at a time when many others (including Roosevelt) thought colonies should be allowed freedom to rule themselves.

-His political attitudes made him deeply suspicious of Stalin. Throughout the time of the Grand Alliance, he saw his role as trying to stop Soviet expansion.

Question 4

Describe Stalin’s Attitudes Towards the Grand Alliance

Answer 4

-Stalin strengthened one party rule in the Soviet Union and cut back on people’s individual rights.

-He was convinced that the West wanted to destroy communism.

-This meant the Soviet Union would have to stand firm in any negotiations with the Western ‘superpower’, the USA, and its close ally, Britain.

Question 5

Describe the Differences Between the Nations of the Grand Alliance

Answer 5

-During the 1930s, both the USA and Britain had been very critical of the methods used by Stalin to industrialise the Soviet Union and the terrible cost in human lives that the reforms brought about.

-But Stalin was a strong opponent of German fascism and so it suited the USA and Britain to work with the Soviet Union to defeat Hitler.

-Once the war came to an end, however, it was clear that relations between the three countries were likely to become strained.

-The ideological differences between them meant it was almost impossible to agree on how post war Europe should be governed.

Question 6

Describe US Attitudes After the Second World War

Answer 6

-The USA believed defeating fascist Germany was a victory for their capitalist political system.

-They thought that to keep the peace in the future, they needed to support capitalism and democracy and prevent communism from spreading.

-The USA wanted people in European countries to have the same rights and freedoms as Americans.

-That way, those countries were more likely to support the USA and become their allies.

Question 7

Describe Soviet Attitudes After the Second World War

Answer 7

-The Soviet Union believed that victory over Germany was a victory for communism.

-The Soviet people made enormous sacrifices during the war so believed that gave them the right to introduce communism to Eastern Europe and eventually throughout the world.

-The Soviet Union wanted to make these countries into Soviet Satellite states, under its control.

-The satellite states would provide the Soviet Union with raw materials and help to protect it against future attacks from the West.

Question 8

Describe the Purpose of the Tehran Conference

Answer 8

-The Tehran Conference was held in November 1943.

-The Grand Alliance first met in Tehran to plan a winning strategy to end the war.

Question 9

Describe the Agreements Made at Tehran

Answer 9

-The USA and Britain would open up a ‘second front’ by launching an attack in Western Europe. This would ease pressure on the Eastern Front where the Soviets were suffering heavy losses.

-Stalin would declare war against Japan and supply Soviet troops to help the USA with the war against Japan- but only once the war in Europe was over.

-There was a general agreement that an international body should be set up to settle disputes through discussion and negotiation rather than war.

Question 10

Describe the Discussions About Eastern Europe Held at Tehran

Answer 10

-There was no formal agreement but it was agreed in principle that the aim of the war was to bring about the unconditional surrender of Germany and it should remain weak after the war.

-It was also agreed that Poland should receive land from Germany, but the Soviet Union could keep land it seized from Poland in 1939.

-This was very important for Stalin, whose ultimate aim was to secure his western border after the war.

Question 11

Describe the Impact of the Tehran Conference on International Relations

Answer 11

-Stalin arrived at the conference believing the USA and Britain were delaying opening a ‘second front’ so that the Soviet Union could be further weakened by having to fight Germany alone.

-Hence, he was pleased with the agreement to open a ‘second front’ in the West. Churchill was less pleased because he wanted the new front in the Balkans but Roosevelt had sided with Stalin.

-There was some tension between the USA and Britain- especially as Roosevelt seemed to view British colonialism as a bigger threat to world peace than the Soviet Union.

-It seemed that good relations between the USA and Soviet Union would create a position where the Big Three was becoming the Big Two and after 1945, the USA and Soviet Union would be the only global superpowers.

Question 12

Describe the Purpose of the Yalta Conference

Answer 12

-The Yalta Conference was held in February 1945.

-Two years after the Tehran conference, the Big Three held a second meeting to discuss winning the war and the government of post war Europe at Yalta in the Soviet Union.

-By then, the ‘second front’ had been launched in France and British and American led forces were pushing the Germans back towards Berlin.

-More importantly, the Soviets had defeated the Germans in the Soviet Union and now had control of most of central and Eastern Europe.

-Stalin was determined to keep this territory he had won between the Soviet border and Germany as a cushion against future German invasions.

Question 13

Describe the Agreements Made at Yalta

Answer 13

-After the war, Germany would be split into four zones. They would each be controlled by a different power, the USA, Britain, France and the Soviet Union.

-Germany would pay $20 billion in reparation, half of which would go to the Soviet Union. The Nazi Party would be banned and war criminals prosecuted.

-A United Nations would be set up, with the first meeting on 25 April 1945. All nations could join.

-However, the USA and France did not agree with Stalin’s suggestion that all Soviet republics should be given membership. Instead, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus were admitted.

-Stalin agreed to join the war against Japan, three months after the defeat of Germany.

Question 14

Describe the Discussions About Eastern Europe Held at Yalta

Answer 14

-Stalin agreed that future governments of countries in Eastern Europe would be decided in free elections.

-Poland proved to be a stumbling block at the conference though.

-It was agreed that the borders of Poland would be returned to their position in 1921 (which would give the Soviet Union significant gains) and that there would be free elections.

-However, Stalin expected those elections to bring about a pro-communist government, whereas the British supported the non-communist London Poles.

Question 15

Describe the Purpose of the Potsdam Conference

Answer 15

-The Potsdam Conference was held between July and August 1945.

-Although the conference at Potsdam only took place a few months after Yalta, a number of crucial events during that time influenced the mood of the conference:

-Germany had surrendered in May 1945 and a month later in June, the UN was created in the Treaty of San Francisco.

-The USA, France, Britain, China and the Soviet Union were made permanent members of the UN security council with the power to veto resolutions.

-Scientists in the USA had also developed an atomic bomb (which they tested successfully the day after the conference began).

Question 16

Describe the Tension Between Leaders at the Potsdam Conference

Answer 16

-The new personalities involved meant that relations between the leaders at Potsdam were different from the earlier conferences.

-Compared to Roosevelt and Churchill, Truman and Atlee were new to diplomatic discussions. It was much harder for them to get their way with Stalin.

-Truman was determined to take a ‘get tough’ approach with Stalin and deliberately delayed the date of the conference until the atomic bomb was ready. He thought this would give him an edge in discussions.

-The development of the atomic bomb soured relations and the defeat of Germany meant there was no longer a common enemy.

-As the new prime minister, Atlee’s main concern was to return to Britain to take charge. He did not want talks to drag on.

Question 17

Describe the Agreements Made at Potsdam

Answer 17

-Germany would be divided into four zones administered by the Soviet Union, USA, Britain and France, but the German economy would be run as a whole.

-Berlin would be divided into four zones, controlled by different countries.

-The Soviet Union wanted Germany to pay heavy reparations, but Truman was concerned that this would make it harder for the German economy to recover.

-It was agreed that each administering country should take reparations from its own zone.

-As the Soviet Union controlled the poorest zone, it was allowed to take a quarter of the industrial equipment from the other zones.

Question 18

Describe the Discussions About Eastern Europe Held at Potsdam

Answer 18

-Agreement was not reached over the government of Eastern Europe. Truman objected to the control that the Soviet Union had over the countries it had liberated from Nazi rule.

-He was beginning to see the Red Army as an army of occupation. However, without risking further war, there was little Truman could do.

-Truman also objected to the arrangements for Poland and the borders that had previously been agreed. He wanted to see a new government with less communist influence.

Question 19

Explain why Tension Between East and West Increased Immediately After the Second World War Ended

Answer 19

-Although the members of the Grand Alliance agreed on many issues at the conferences, by the end of Potsdam, it was clear that there were now significant issues they could not agree on.

-Stalin wanted control of Eastern Europe to ensure the security of the Soviet Union. In his view, getting control of Eastern Europe was a reasonable defensive measure.

-However, Truman believed that Stalin was trying to spread communism and looked upon Stalin’s ambitions as examples of communist aggression.

-In the years 1946-46, the basic disagreement and mutual suspicion turned the wartime alliance into peacetime hostility.

Question 20

Describe the USA’s Use of the Atomic Bomb

Answer 20

-On 6 August 1945, the USA exploded an atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. A second was released over Nagasaki on 9 August.

-It is estimated that over 120,000 Japanese civilians were killed by the two bombs.

Question 21

Describe the Purpose of the Atomic Bomb to the USA

Answer 21

-Some historians argue that the USA could have won the war against Japan without really using nuclear weapons.

-They say the USA really used the bomb to establish a stronger bargaining position with the Soviet Union.

-Knowing the USA could make atomic bombs made Truman feel more confident and determined at the negotiations at Potsdam.

-Also the development of the atomic bomb made the countries of Western Europe feel more secure about placing themselves under American protection, rather than looking to reach an agreement with the Soviet Union.

Question 22

Describe the Soviet Reaction to the Atomic Bomb

Answer 22

-Stalin now felt even more determined to make the Soviet Union secure.

-His immediate aim was to create a buffer zone of countries sympathetic to communism between Germany and the Soviet Union’s western borders.

-Overall, the effect the development of the atomic bomb had on US-Soviet relations was completely opposite to what the Americans had hoped for.

Question 23

Describe the Impact of the Atomic Bomb on Tensions Between the USA and the Soviet Union

Answer 23

-The USA’s nuclear monopoly did not last. Soviet scientists were already working on their own version of the atomic bomb and their first successful test was on 29 August 1949. By 1964, Britain, France and China also had an atomic bomb.

-The atomic bomb dramatically increased Cold War tensions A war that used atomic weapons could kill millions of people and destroy the world many times over.

-Equally, the terrible consequences of using an atomic bomb may have made both the USA and the Soviet Union reluctant to go to war.

-Instead, they entered an arms race, in which each side tried to make sure their nuclear weapons were more powerful than those of their rival.

Question 24

Describe Soviet Attitudes Towards the USA Expressed in Kennan’s Long Telegram

Answer 24

-When George Kennan sent a telegram discussing US-Soviet relations, his views were taken seriously by the US government. The Long Telegram contained a message that worried them.

-Kennan reported that Stalin wanted to see the destruction of capitalism and that he felt the world outside the Soviet Union was hostile and looked to destroy communism.

-However, Kennan also believed that the Soviet Union was not suicidal so if faced with strong resistance would back down.

-This was a really important message which played a key role in American policy towards the Soviet Union in the coming years.

-The US government believed there should be a determined policy of ‘containment’ to stop communism spreading.

Question 25

Describe American Attitudes Towards the Soviet Union Expressed in the Novikov Telegram

Answer 25

-Novikov’s telegram to the government in Moscow shows that the Soviet Union thought equally poor of the West: each side distrusted the other.

-His telegram said the USA wanted to use their massive military power to dominate the world.

-He believed that, since Roosevelt’s death, the Americans no longer wanted to co-operate with the Soviet Union and the American people would support their government if this led to war.

-Such a view had a major impact in Moscow. If this was how the USA was thinking, it was vital to develop as much protection as possible in Eastern Europe.

Question 26

Describe the Attitudes In and Towards Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech

Answer 26

-In his speech (March 1946), Churchill made clear that he thought the Soviet Union was a threat to freedom and world peace.

-He was provoked to make this speech by the fact that communist governments had recently been set up in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.

-Churchill was speaking in the USA so must have cleared his speech with Truman first. Thus, Stalin interpreted what Churchill said as reflecting American beliefs too.

-This speech, along with the Novikov telegram, increased tension and mistrust and led to the Soviet Union to strengthen its forces and step up a campaign of anti Western propaganda.

Question 27

Describe the Creation of Soviet Satellite States

Answer 27

-In 1944 and 1945, the Soviet Red Army freed many countries in Eastern Europe from the Nazis as it advanced west towards Germany.

-When the war was over, Stalin was reluctant to give up control of these countries as they were a useful buffer zone between the Soviet Union and Germany.

-He turned many of them into satellite states with communist governments and little genuine independence from the Soviet Union.

-Truman saw this as evidence that the Soviet Union wanted to spread communism worldwide and relations between the USA and the Soviet Union became worse.

Question 28

Describe how the Baltic States Became Soviet Satellite States

Answer 28

-Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were conquered by the Soviet Union in 1940.

-They were treated as part of the Soviet Union.

Question 29

Describe how Yugoslavia and Albania Became Soviet Satellite States

Answer 29

-Yugoslavia and Albania were also satellite states but they were never occupied by the Red Army.

-This meant they had more independence than countries neighbouring the Soviet Union.

Question 30

Describe how Bulgaria and Romania Became Soviet Satellite States

Answer 30

-In 1944 and 1945, the Soviet Red Army took control of Bulgaria, Romania and eastern parts of Germany.

-There were ‘free’ elections held but in reality, voters were intimidated.

-All the elections brought in communist governments.

Question 31

Describe how Hungary Became a Soviet Satellite State

Answer 31

-In Hungary, there were elections in 1945. Some communists were elected but not enough to form a government.

-In the 1947 election, voters were intimidated in a campaign supported by Moscow and a communist government was elected.

-By 1949, Hungary was a one party communist state.

Question 32

Describe how Poland became a Soviet Satellite State

Answer 32

-In 1944, Poles staged a rebellion against German occupation known as the Warsaw Uprising.

-The Soviets had promised to support them but instead of helping, the Red Army waited until the uprising had been crushed.

-Only then did they invade Poland and put a communist government in place.

-At first it included some of the London Poles, but after supposedly free elections in 1947, they were forced to flee or face imprisonment.

Question 33

Describe how Czechoslovakia Became a Soviet Satellite State

Answer 33

-From 1919 to 1938, Czechoslovakia was the only democracy in Eastern Europe.

-After the war, a coalition government led by Benes tried to restore the pre-war democracy.

-Stalin saw this as a threat to the secure buffer zone he was trying to set up.

-Supported by the Soviet Union, communists staged a coup in February 1948.

-Benes and other non-communists were removed from power and a pro-Soviet communist government was set up under the leadership of Klement Gottwald.