Early Tentions Between East And West Flashcards
What was the alliance which was made between the USSR, USA a Britian called?
The Grand Alliance
What reason may have causes increased tention in the grand alliance in WW2?
The allies may have delayed the D-Day landings so that the Russians spent more time fighting the Germans and therefore becoming weaker.
Who were the “Big Three”
FDR
Churchill
Stalin
After WW2 what were the differences of how the west and east wanted post war Europe to be run
The East wanted single party rule in the european states whilst the west wanted free elections with multiple political partys
(Politics)
The east wanted everyone to be equal (communism) however the west wanted some people to have more powers to others (captalism)
(Communism Vs Captalism)
The east wanted all property to be owned by the state and not the people whislt the west wanted private ownership of land and a competitive workplace
(Economy)
The east wanted rights of a workers as a group however the west wanted individual rights for everyone
(Rights)
Explain FDR’s views?
President of the USA 1933-1945
He belived in democracy. However Churchill wanted FDR to be more hard in negotiations with Stalin (could be because he wanted Soviet help to deffeat Japan)
He joined WW2 after the Pearl Harbour attacks of 7 December 1941
He belived that long term co-existance would only be achived if the USSR was accepted as a global superpower
Explain Chruchill’s views?
Prime minister of Britian 1940-45 and 1951-55. He was a conservative and belived strongly in the British Empire (however this was a time where many people (including FDR thought colonies should be given freedom.
He was deeply suspicious of Stalin. He would always try and stop Soviet expansion
Explain Stalin’s views?
He was leader of the Soviet Union 1920s-1953.
He strengthened the 1 party rule in the USSR and he reduced the people’s rights in the USSR.
He was convinced that the west wanted to destory the Soviet Union and communism.
Stalin was very firm in negotiations with the USA and Britian
How many German troops invaded Russia?
When?
4 million
In June 1941
What were the 3 war time conferences in order?
Tehran (November 1943)
Yalta (Febuary 1945)
Potsdam (July 1945)
What happened at the Tehran Conference?
In November 1943
They discussed a plan to win WW2
USA and Britian would open a second front (D-Day) to ease pressure on the Russian troops
After the war in Europe was over Stalin would declear war on Japan
No formal agreements were made over Germany’s land however it was discussed and decided that the USSR would keep the land it took from Poland
Agreements were made that lead to the creation of the United Nations
How did Tehran influence the realtions between the Grand Alliance?
Stalin was happy as he got to sure up his boarder with the west and he got the west to agree to open up a second front.
Churchill wanted to open the second front in the Balkans not in France however FDR agreed with Stalin and overrode Churchill
It seemed like FDR saw Britians colonialism as more of a threat to world peace than the USSR.
How did WW2 effect the superpowers?
The superpowers before WW2 were Britian and France.
After WW2 ending in 1945 the 2 superpowers were the USA and the USSR
What happened at Yalta
Febuary 1945
Agreements: Germany would be split into 4 zones each controlled be either the USSR, USA, France or Britian. Germany would play $20 billion to pay for war damages (half of which would go to the USSR).
The nazi party would be banned and war criminals would be prosecuted.
United Nations set up and Stalin agreed to join the war against Japan
Stalin agreed to let the satalite states hold free elections
How were relations between the superpowers develope in Yalta?
It was agreed that Polands boarders would be returned to there original positions in 1921. (This benifited the USSR) and that they would hold free elections. However Stalin wanted Poland to have a communist government however the British wanted a non-communist government
However ultimately the other agreements made relations better with the exception of Poland
What tentions were created with the United Nations
It’s first meeting was on the 25th April 1945
All nations could join but the USA and France denied Stalins suggestion that all 16 Soviet republics should be given individual memberships (votes).
In the end only the republic of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus were given memberships
Who was at the Potsdam conference?
Stalin
Clement Attlee was the new labour British Prime Minister (as Churchill lost the 1945 general election)
Harry S Truman replaced FDR as he died in April 1945
What world events had happened between the Yalta and Potsdam conferences?
Germany had surrendered
USA had developed the atomic bomb through the Manhatten project
The United Nations had been created in the Treaty of San Francisco in June 1945 with 51 members joining it
How did changes in persenal and world events effect relations with the superpowers?
Attlee and Truman were new to polotics and wanted to have a tough aproach with Stalin although they found it had to get him to agree to things
The development of the atomic bomb made Truman more confident
What agreements were made in Potsdam?
It was again agreed that Germany would be split into 4 zones however the economy wouod be run as one.
Berlin would also be divided into 4 zones even though it was bases inside the Soviet part of Germany
How did Potsdam effect superpower realtions?
Made them worse as Attlee and Truman were harsher on Truman
Stalin wanted Germany to pay reperations for the war however Truman thought this would lead to another WW. It was decided that each country could take reperations from there quater of Germany. Because the Soviet Union controlled the poorest parts they were alloud to take 1/4 of industry from themother 3 zones
Agreements on the future of eastern Europe were not decided. Truman was starting to see the “red army” (USSR’s army) as an army of occupation but without risking war there was little Truman could do
Truman tryed to change Polands boarders however this didn’t happen
How did the war time confrences effect the Grand Alliance?
The confrences lead to the alliance breaking up. It was clear that they couldn’t decide on things like the controll of Eastern Europe as Stalin wanted them to be communist to act as a buffer Zone between the west. However Truman saw this as Stalin trying to spread communism.
When did the USA first use the atomic bomb?
With it’s first sucessful test on the first day of the Potsdam conference
It was first used over Hiroshima on the 6th August 1945 and over Nagasaki on the 9th August 1945
How many Japanese civilians are estimated to be killed by the 2 bombs?
120,000
How many tons of TNT was the atomic bomb over Hiroshema equal to?
12,000 tons
Give a reason why Truman may have used the atomic bomb to deffeat Japan?
To increase his barganing position with Stalin
What were the effects of the atomic bomb?
Western countrys were more happy to associate with the USA as they felt safer with the USA having the atomic bomb
It made Stalin more determined to create a buffer zone between with the west
It increased tentions between the west and east
It started an arms race which would effect the economys of the USSR and the USA
When did the USSR make the atomic bomb?
29 August 1949
By what year did Britian, France and China all have atomic bombs?
1964
What was the Long Telegram?
Sent by George Kennan it was a long telegram which warned the USA that Stalin wanted the destruction of captalism
What were the effects of the Long Telegram?
It made the US paranoyed about containing communism and they started a policy of containment
What was the Noviok telegram?
Sent by Nikolia Noviok from the USA. It said that the US wanted to use it’s massive military to dominate the world. He belived that after the death of FDR the US no longer wanted to co-operate with the USSR and that the people would support a war against the USSR
Churchill made a speach in USA what was it called?
The Iron Curtian speach
When was the Iron Curtain speach made?
March 1946
Where was the Iron Curtain speech made?
Fulton in Missouri
How influencial was Churchill at the time?
Although he was no longer the Prime Minister of Great Britian although he still had a lot of influence.
What was the Iron Curtain speech about?
He made it clear that he thought that the USSR was a threat to freedom and world peace and that a Iron Curtain was sepperating Europe.
What may have causes Churchill to make his speech?
Communist governments being set up in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria
What were the effects of the Iron Curtain speech?
Churchill must of cleared his speech with Truman so it looked like Truman supported Churchills ideas.
It increased tentions
It made the USSR start to imcrease spending on it’s military
They started anti-western propaganda
What did Stalin want to do with the countrys that the Red Army were occuping?
What eventually happened?
Keep occuping them as they were a usefull buffer zone
But he was forced to give them up although he turned them into satalite states with communist governments and little freedom from the Soviet Union
How did the creation of the satalite states effect relations?
This violated the agreements made at Potsdam as the elections wern’t free and fair as many had only 1 communist government running or they were fixed…
Truman saw this as evidence that the Soviet Union wanted to spread communsim and worsened relations
What were the different satalite states?
Poland East Germany Hungary Romania Bulgaria Czechoslovakia
How did Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia become part of the Soviet Union?
They were concered in 1940
How did Czechoslovakia become a satalite state?
A coup was staged against the Benes government in Febuary 1948. This brought up a pro-communist government lead by Klement Gottwald
What is unique about Yugoslavia and Albania?
Theu were never occupied by the red army so they wern’t controlled by the USSR although they were communist.
They had more freedom than the Soviet controlled satalite states
How did Poland become a satalite state?
In 1944 the poles stages the Warsaw Uprising against the Gemans. The Soviets promised to help but waited untill the rebelion had been crushed by the Germans to then invade and install a new communist government.
At first this government included London poles but then they had to flee in 1947 after “free elections” forced them to leave or face imprisonment
How did Hungary become a satalite state?
In the 1945 election some communists were elected but not enough to form a communist government.
In 1947 new elections were held and people were intimidated into voting with the communist party.
By 1949 there was a communist one party rule in Hungary
Hwo did Bulgaria and Romania become satalitle states?
In 1944 and 1945 the Red Army took controll of Bulgaria and Eastern Germany. They held “free elections” but in reality the voters were intimidated. These elections brought communist governments into eastern europe
What is a satalite state?
A country that is formally independent but is polliticaly and economicly influenced by another country
In the berlin airlift what was the most transported in 1 day?
13,000 tones
In the berlin airlift how mi h supplies was sent in January?
170,000 tones
When did the berlin blockade end?
May 1949
