Emerging Superpower Rivalry And Its Consequences 1945-49 Flashcards
What was the USA and USSR reaction to the Soviet creation of the E Bloc?
USA - Stalin acted aggressively, like a new Hitler annexing land
USSR - Stalin acted defensively - buffer zone to protect USSR from a 3rd Invasion
What was the USA and USSR reaction to the US creation of the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan?
USA - Truman wanted to defend Europe and stop the spread of communism by offering financial help
USSR - Truman acted aggressively to buy countries into capitalism
Name the countries in the E Bloc between 1945 and 1946
Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia
How did the USSR come to power in Albania?
Communists seized power in 1945, held an election with only communist candidates and purged the opposition
How did the USSR come to power in Bulgaria?
USSR didn’t at first control the government, but hundreds of communists were arrested, a communist ‘People’s Militia’ terrorised the population and the communists took power in a rigged election in 1947
How did the USSR come to power in Hungary?
Elected a non-communist government in 1945, but the communists lead by Mátyás Rákosi gradually took over the government departments, press and army
How did the USSR come to power in Poland?
Half a million red army soldiers stayed in Poland until 1947. Non-communist leaders were taken to Moscow and tried for treason. Elections in 1947 (claimed by the west to be fixed) put the communist party in control
How did the USSR come to power in Romania
Mass demonstrations forced a communist government into power in Romania in 1945. Opponents were arrested and the king was forced to abdicate
How did the USSR come to power in Yugoslavia?
Although Yugoslavia was already communist, its leader, Tito, was less inclined to do what Stalin told him. He had been a war hero in his own country and had enough support to stand up to the USSR. However, as far as the West was concerned, Yugoslavia was just another communist state.
Name the trends common to the USSR gaining E Bloc countries
USSR pressure to ensure that communists (many trained in Moscow) obtain key positions in the temporary governments set up after the war.
Suggesting radical changes to help economic recovery, leading to popularity
Controlling elections to ensure a communist victory
Controlling the population by the means of a secret police
What metaphor did Mátyás Rákosi use to describe the USSR’s gradual taking of power?
Slicing salami
When did Czechoslovakia become communist?
February 1948
Who helped Truman with the policy of containment?
George Kennan, American diplomat based in Moscow
What was the Truman Doctrine?
Containment - Where possible, USA would act to stop the further spread the further spread of communism
Where and when did Churchill make his Iron Curtain speech, what did it entail and what was Stalin’s reaction?
Fulton Missouri, 5th March 1946
Condemned Stalin’s attempts to control E Europe and demanded Anglo-American alliance to stop the spread of communism
Stalin was angry - USSR suffered during the war so it was natural to want to protect it from Invasion
What were the two sides in the Greek civil war?
Greek army and Greek communists
What happened in March 1947 and why was Truman worried about these events?
British government said they couldn’t afford funding Greek forces anymore
Truman was worried because he thought if Greece became communist, so too would neighbouring countries in the oil-rich Middle East
How much money did the US Congress release to provide support and equipment to end the immunise threat in Greece?
$400 million
Why was economic investment a large aspect of the Truman Doctrine?
Truman thought communism spread easier if countries were poor. If economic recovery happened, communism would fail to take control and countries could trade with the US, helping its economy
Name the US Secretary of State that proposed a massive investment of $13.3 billion into Europe for a four year period?
General George Marshall
What were the conditions of the Marshall Plan?
Money would be offered to all countries as long as they opened their markets to Western goods and made their economic records available for inspection
What was the reaction to the Marshall Plan?
Unconvinced at first, but events in Czechoslovakia made them change their mind.
Stalin said Marshall Plan was ‘dollar diplomacy’ - USA using investment to gain influence. He rejected the offer of finance and made sure all the countries he controlled did the same by establishing Cominform and Comecon
What events in Czechoslovakia made the US Congress change their mind towards the Marshall Plan?
In February 1948, in a planned coup, communist ‘Action Committees’ organised armed demonstrations and threatened a general strike. Czech president Edvard Beneš appointed a communist government. On 10th March, the only non-Communist official, Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk was thrown to death from a window, so on 31st March, US congress appointed the Marshall Plan.
What was cominform?
Communist information bureau (est 1947) to ensure communist nations work together more effectively
What was Comecon?
Council for mutual economic assistance (est 1949), Soviet version of the Marshall Plan
