facts and info to learn for superpower/ sov bloc topic

Question 1

When was the Tehran conference

Answer 1

November 1943

Question 2

What point can be made about Tehran conference in Superpower question

Answer 2

Fact that Stalin was involved in the grand-alliance and was able to have great influence in the ‘post-war’ conferences demonstrates Stalin’s abilities to negotiate with other foreign powers. Whilst his open criticism of the allies at Tehran was damaging to relations with war-time allies, and when examining alongside the other conferences was detrimental to East-West relation and any future potential cooperation, actually does much to highlight Stalin’s confidence and a potential feeling of a certain dominance as made demands of opening 2 fronts and when demands not fulfilled, he felt secure enough in his position to criticise his allies.

Question 3

When was the Moscow Conference and who was it with

Answer 3

Stalin met Churchill at Moscow in 1944

Question 4

When was the Yalta Conference

Answer 4

February 1945

Question 5

When was the Potsdam Conference

Answer 5

July 1945

Question 6

Why is Yalta conference important in arguing USSR was a superpower

Answer 6

Clearly highlighted ideological divisions of USSR and US. Such divisions played a fundamental role in intensifying international relations and damaging chance of future coop between the 2 ‘superpowers’. The fact that such disagreements over war torn Europe led to the US’s policy of anti-Sov containment (US had previously been about isolationism) and an interventionist- seen via establishment of NATO in 1949 as a means of influencing Western powers in face of fears of Sov expansion. Demonstrates fact that Sov’s expansion and growing dominance in Eastern Europe posed a grave threat even to the established ‘superpower’ that was the US, thus demonstrating that the US surely felt that the USSR’s expansion placed them on the path to becoming a potential rival, due to emerging superpower status. With regard to question at hand, fact that US feared Stalin and USSR’s growing hegemony and influence shows that the USSR was at very least a major power and a major player in foreign diplomacy towards end of WW2.

Question 7

When was NATO set up

Answer 7

1949

Question 8

What pointy can made about how Stalin’s increased influence in international affairs as part of ‘big three’ allowed him to ensure his position as a founding member of the UN

Answer 8

Stalin’s increased influence in foreign affairs and his status as one of the ‘big three’ ensured was a founding member of UN, as well as having a position on the then-permanent security council. This exacerbates that the USSR was clearly one of the most influential European powers as was one of only 5 permanent members, thus emphasising the importance of Stalin’s ability as a statesman to offer power and influence in Europe. Furthermore, the fact that Stalin was granted a single member veto as a condition for joining the Security Council demonstrates his ability to manipulate the status and influence of USSR in order to ensure sole dominance over the council, thus bestowing a keen level of power upon Stalin and USSR as had power to block majority decisions from Western powers.

Question 9

What year did USA reveal 1st atomic bomb and why did they use it. What does this show

Answer 9

1945
To end war w/ Japan
Shows US’s greater military might immediately after WW” and shows why was regarded a ‘world power’

Question 10

How did Stalin place in charge of accelerating the production of nuclear arms in USSR

Answer 10

Beria

Question 11

When was USSR’s 1st successful test of atomic bomb and where

Answer 11

29 Aug 1949

Kazakhstan

Question 12

What did USSR have capacity to manufacture by 1953

Answer 12

Hydrogen bombs

Question 13

Point can be made on USSR’s keeping up in the nuclear arms race

Answer 13

USSR= one of only 2 natiosn to possess nuclear weapons, hence had a huge level of influence and threat
Offered protection vs and competition to military might of US
Fact this was a deciding factor in establishing and consolidating US’s status as a ‘world power’ means USSR should certainly be viewed as such, at least in terms of international security.
Often viewed as the factor that confirmed the USSR’s world power status.

Question 14

Where did USSR establish pro-Sov gov in 1947

Answer 14

Hungary

Question 15

Describe how USSR gained control over Eastern Germany

Answer 15

Became a Soviet Zone of occupation in 1945 following WW2 and post-war conferences. Pro-Moscow agents infiltrated gov in 1946

Question 16

USSR satellite states list

Answer 16

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Yugoslavia, East Germany and more.

Question 17

USSR territory gained in 1948

Answer 17

pro-Sov govs in Romania, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia

Question 18

When did USSR gain control over Poland

Answer 18

1945: Provisional gov set up in Lubin, dominated by pro-Moscow communists

Question 19

Example of terror of “salami-slice” tactics

Answer 19

Anti-Sov Czechoslovakian foreign minister Jan Masaryk ‘fell’ from a high window in 1948

Question 20

Why vital to have ‘buffer zone’/ points to make on why Sov Bloc can be beneficial in making USSR a ‘world power’

Answer 20

1. Buffer zone=protection from any future Western invasion, had already been invaded 2x from West Germany in 20th Century therefore protection offered by ‘buffer zone’ vastly enhanced security of USSR. Offered protection and potential allies from invasion, as well as preventing neigbouring nations to mount iffensives by controlling them
2. Extended territory, provided resources, heavy metal, terrain and workers to help with economic expansion.
3. Rigged elections used, as where regular purges to ensure control over Eastern Bloc.

Question 21

Negative impact of WW2 on agriculture

Answer 21

1. 98,000 collective farms destroyed
2. 49,000 combine harvesters lost
3. 70,000 towns, villages and cities destroyed
4. 1/4 of terrain destroyed so only 75% of land under cultivation when compared to 1940 level> severe labour shortages
5. 7 million horses lost
6. 17 million cattle lost

Question 22

Point on what -ve impact of WW2 on agriculture and economy demonstrates

Answer 22

Shows that immediately after WW2 USSR was far from being a world power in an agricultural or economic sense, as was confronted by run and major losses which crippled society.

Question 23

Negative impact of WW2 on economy

Answer 23

1. Mining production fell by 1/2 in comparison to 1940 level
2. Electricity production fell by 52%
3. Steel production fell by 48%
4. GDP fell by 34%
5. Work force exhausted

Question 24

Grain production stats

Answer 24

1940- 95.6 tons
1951-78.7 tons
Grain: 95.6>78.7

Question 25

Potatoes production stats

Answer 25

1940: 76.1 tons
1951: 58.7 tons
Potatoes: 76.1> 58.7

Question 26

Coal production

Answer 26

1940: 165.9 tons
1945: 149.3 tons
1950- 261.1 tons
165.9>261.1

Question 27

Steel production

Answer 27

1940: 18.3 tons
1945: 12.3 ton
1950: 27.3 tons
1950 still less than 29 tons level of 1913 so shows true lack of economic advancement by1950 and was no closer, in an economic sense, than had been during the struggles of WW1.

Question 28

How much did Marshall Aid offer in comparison to COMECON

Answer 28

Marshall Aid (began 1948)= $13 billion
COMECON offered economic advice to Eastern European states but no monetary/ financial aid.

Question 29

When was COMECON established

Answer 29

January 1949

Question 30

When was Marshall Aid introduced

Answer 30

3 April 1948

Question 31

When was the Truman Doctrine introduced and what was its aim

Answer 31

Introduced 12 March 1947. Was anti-Sov in nature and aimed at containment of USSR

Question 32

Name of anti-Sov foreign minister in Czechoslovakia

Answer 32

Jan Masaryk

Question 33

When was Tito-Stalin split

Answer 33

1948

Question 34

Reasons behind 1948 Tito-Stalin split

Answer 34

1) Tito broke from Stalin’s dominance and refused to follow Stalin’s orders. Had own version of Communism
Nevertheless, was no more anti-Marxist than Polish ideogology so suggests
2) Tito’s expanding territory and power in Eastern Europe caused Tito’s expulsion from Comintern as fear was becoming a rival power to USSR therefore contradicts idea of Stalin’s hegemony over USSR.

Question 35

Reasons behind 1948 Tito-Stalin split

Answer 35

1) Tito broke from Stalin’s dominance and refused to follow Stalin’s orders. Had own version of Communism
Nevertheless, was no more anti-Marxist than Polish ideology so suggests
2) Tito’s expanding territory and power in Eastern Europe caused Tito’s expulsion from Comintern as fear was becoming a rival power to USSR therefore contradicts idea of Stalin’s hegemony over USSR.

Question 36

Where did Tito capture from Italy

Answer 36

Istria

Question 37

Where did Tito expand his influence

Answer 37

Communist Greece following emergence of civil war in 1946.