Flashpoints In Europe And The Impact On International Relations Flashcards
What did the western allies do in January 1947/48? What was the Soviet reaction to this?
Bizonia (47) and Trizonia (48)
A merging of the British and American (47) and French (48) economic zones in Germany and Berlin
This was perceived as the west grouping together against the USSR
What was the name of the West German currency introduced by the Allies
When was it introduced?
The Deutschmark
(Announced June 20th)
Introduced on 23rd June 1948
What was the name of the East German currency introduced by the USSR
When was it introduced?
The Ostmark
June 24th 1948
When did the Berlin Blockade start?
24th of June 1948
What did the USSR claim the Berlin Blockade was caused by?
Technical difficulties and essential repairs for the
- canal
- road
- rail
Links between East Berlin-West Berlin and West Germany-East Germany
Why did the USSR enforce the Berlin blockade in actuality? (3)
- To prevent devaluing of the Ostmark, which was only recently introduced
- to attempt to remove the Allies from Berlin and possibly Germany
- most importantly, to regain control
When was the FRG (Federal German Republic or West Germany) given a constitution?
(7th) June 1948
How was the Berlin Blockade enforced? (3)
- canal, rail and road links shut
- soviet troops surrounded West Berlin
- Gas, coal and electricity supplies were cut from the east
How many people lived in West Berlin in 1948?
2 million
What was the USSR’s stance on Germany, compare this with US.
USSR:
- wanted Germany weak
- also wanted to spread communism
US:
- felt rebuilding Germany would benefit US economy
- wanted to spread liberal democracy and capitalism
How long did the West Berliners have before they ran out of supplies?
6 weeks
How much money did the US invest in West Germany through Marshall Aid?
$1300 million
why was Berlin so important to the allies? (2)
- symbol for freedom - microcosm
- potential domino effect in Europe if Berlin became communist
What was the code name for the Berlin Airlift?
‘Operation Plainfare’
When did the Berlin Airlift formally start?
When did the first supplies arrive in Berlin however and where?
July 2nd 1948
June 26th, Templehof airfield.
By the end of the Berlin airlift, how much supplies were being delivered per day?
13000 tonnes
How long did the Berlin Airlift last?
324 days
Ended on 12th May 1949
What were the results of the Berlin Airlift? (7)
- propaganda defeat for the USSR
- 101 died
- Cost $224m
- led to NATO - April 4th 1949
- FRG (May 1949) and GDR (October 1949)
- arms race intensified
- containment appeared to be working
What is NATO and what is their key principal?
- The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
- Founded on the principal of defence of all attacked members
When did the FRG join NATO?
(May) 1955
At what stage did the USSR view NATO expansion as a threat?
When Italy, Turkey and Greece joined
When was the Warsaw Pact established?
What was its core principal and why was it established?
- May 1955
- Founded on the principal of defending all member states upon attack
- established in retaliation to NATO expansion
What communist country did not join the Warsaw Pact?
Yugoslavia
Who coined the ‘Domino theory’ and when?
Dwight D Eisenhower and his Secretary of State, Dulles, in 1954
What was significant about Eisenhower’s views on communism and his actions?
- He was a hardline anti-communist who inherited a similarly hardline republican congress
- he was not keen on intervention and prioritised cheap foreign policy i.e. alliances
- talked big, did very little
Despite Eisenhowers reluctance to spend, did he pledge to offer military and economic support?
Yes, only if absolutely needed
What smaller military alliances did the West form abroad?
- SEATO (south east Asia) - 1954
- Baghdad Pact (Middle East) - 1955
When did Stalin die, why was this especially significant?
- 1953
- he embodied soviet communism and his death provided hope for a thaw in the Cold War
Who succeeded Stalin as leader of the USSR and how long did he rule?
Georgi Malenkov
1953 - 1955
Who succeeded Malenkov in the USSR?
Nikita Khrushchev
Why did many see Khrushchev as a reformist? (4)
He seemed to look to mend relations with the West:
- Austria was de-militarised
- Geneva July 1955, first meeting of the West and USSR since Potsdam 10 years prior
- Cominform dissolved
-
Feb 1956 secret speech
1. ‘peaceful co-existence’ and
2. denouncing Stalin
Explain briefly what happened in Poland June 1956 (5)
- low wages and high food prices
- saw Khrushchev as weak
- rebelled - 53 killed in riots
- tanks sent to Warsaw at request of communist leader
- Gomulka appointed as Polish leader - moderate
Explain the origins of the Hungarian Uprising 1956 (6)
- became communist 1947
1. Religion frowned upon
2. Schools nationalised - Magyar culture suppressed - opposition to communism
- police (AVO) really unpopular
- Red Army presence, occupying force, really unpopular
- allegedly USSR stealing Hungarian resources
- Khrushchev appeared weak
Explain how the 1956 Hungarian uprising panned out (7)
- Rakosi (hardliner) replaced by USSR - July 1956
- Oct 23rd 1956 - riots in Budapest (workers, students, soldiers)
- Imre Nagy appointed, turns to UN for assistance
- Oct 28th 1956 - soviet tanks withdrew, protestors confident
-
November 1st - Nagy reforms
1. Free elections
2. Leave Warsaw Pact
3. US/UN help -
November 4th - soviet clamp
1. 3/4000 dead
2. 150 000 exiled
3. Nagy tried and executed in 1958 - no west intervention, Janos Kadar appointed, reforms introduced but did not leave W.P.
What were the results of Hungary 1956 (in terms of international relations)? (6)
- Hungary strictly controlled by communists
- warning to satellite states to not mess with USSR
- ‘peaceful coexistence’ Khrushchev seemed meaningless
- Khrushchev appeared weak, criticised in USSR
- Eisenhower appeared weak and unwilling to act
- Cold War intensified
Why did the 1958 Berlin standoff happen? (4)
- West Berlin had appeared more attractive than the East - more money
- between 1949 and 1958, 2 million East Germans crossed
- demonstrated an avenue for disaffected Eastern Bloc members to go West
- a lot of propaganda and espionage occurred due to easy passage
What did Khrushchev’s 1958 ultimatum state? (2)
- That the West had 6 months to leave West Berlin
- or the east would block western access to Berlin
What were the demands of the ‘Prague Spring’ (April 1968) (7)
- Equal rights,
- trade with non-communist countries,
- no censorship of media, more democratic elections,
- reduced powers for secret police,
- less state control of economy,
- freedom of travel and
- parliament allowed to criticise the government
What was the Brezhnev Doctrine and when was it enforced?
Proclaimed in 1968 after the Czechoslovakia crisis
Truman Doctrine in reverse:
- Any Communist country which attempted to make capitalist reforms,
- then other communist countries would act together to prevent this
What did Khrushchev do (after the 1958 ultimatum) which seemed to ease tensions?
He visited the US in 1959
When did Khrushchev reissue his threat of blockading Berlin? Why? (3)
- In 1961 after JFK became president
- China had criticised him for backing down previously
- also, Khrushchev thought JFK would be weaker than Eisenhower after the bay of pigs
When was the first fence erected on the East/West Berlin border?
Aug 13th 1961
What was the immediate effect of the Berlin Wall?
- families separated
- jobs lost
- no more crossings and no more East Bloc citizens leaving easily
What was the situation like in Czechoslovakia in 1968 (pre riots) (3)
- high inflation
- food shortages
- decline in living standards
How did reformists describe the ‘Prague spring’ reforms?
‘Socialism with a human face’
What 3 assurances did Dubcek give the Soviets about Czechoslovakian reforms? Why?
Czechoslovakia would:
- not leave the Warsaw Pact
- not leave Comecon
- remain in the Eastern Bloc
He did this to emphasise his loyalty to communism and the soviets - stop an invasion
Why did the Soviets fear liberal reforms in Czechoslovakia?
They feared they would cause instability and would threaten the Soviet security system
Which now hardline regimes saw the Prague spring reforms as dangerous
- Poland
- East Germany
Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during the Czechoslovakia crisis in 1968?
Leonid Brezhnev
Why was Dubcek in such a precarious situation?
- if he backtracked over reforms he risked causing uprisings at home
- if he continued with reforms, he risked USSR confrontation
When did the Czechs and Soviets reach an agreement?
Late July 1968
How did the Czech invasion pan out? (4)
- 5 Warsaw members involved
- on 20/21st of August, 400 000 troops entered Czechoslovakia
- disguised as training manoeuvres
- before Czech communist conference
What name was given to East and West Germany?
- west - FRG - Federal German Republic
- east - GDR - German Democratic Republic
When did riots begin in Hungary?
23rd Oct 1956
when were tanks removed from Hungary (during protests)
28th Oct 1956
