High Stalinism 1945-53 Flashcards
1947
Truman doctrine, Marshall Plan
1946
‘Iron curtain’ speech
1948
Beginning of Berlin Blockade
Causes of Berlin Blockade
Merging of France/Britain/USA’s parts of Germany into one economic ‘trizone’ with a new currency
Total cost of Berlin airlift
$224 million
Length of Berlin Airlift
318 days
Planes landing during Airlift
Every 3 minutes
Symbolism of Berlin Airlift
West would not relinquish hold on it, symbol of resistance to Stalin/communism, beginning of Cold War, testing Wests resilience
Political event 1949
Leningrad purge
Causes of Leningrad Purge
Attack Zhdanov’s power base of supporters, encourage rivalry between Stalin’s most powerful supporters
Consequences of Leningrad Purge
200 party officials killed
Social event 1949
Stalin’s 70th birthday, massive propaganda campaign, projection above Kremlin
1950 foreign policy
Korean War, escalation of Cold War
Date politburo replaced with praesidium and reasons
1952, to reduce power of old guard
Date of stalin’s death
March 1953
Date of doctors’ plot
January 1953
Causes of doctors plot
Zhdanov’s death, stalin’s paranoia and though that a coup was going to take place
Consequences of doctors plot
Open anti-semitism, top kremlin doctors arrested
Foreign policy occurrence 1953
East German workers uprising, 300 on strike, military intervention
People in power following stalin’s death
Khrushchev - party secretary, malenkov - secretary to CC and chair of council of ministers, Beria - MVD, Molotov - foreign affairs
Krushchev’s first move to power
Arrest and death of Beria
Economic event 1949
Testing of first soviet A-bomb
Economic event 1953
Testing of first soviet H-bomb
Impact of the Cold War on the USSR
Economic burden of arms race and maintaining military presence in satellite states, social clampdown and terror, propaganda campaigns, political control heightened and stalin’s paranoia, no travel/materials from abroad
