History β³ | A chilling war begins π§ | 4.2 Flashcards
What was the Marshall plan?
The plan following Trumanβs Doctrine to support the new foreign policy that intended to help Europe recover economically.
Why was Stalin upset by the Marshall plan?
Parts of the Marshall plan were against soviet interests intended to help Europe recover economically and create ties with East European countries
Who announced the Marshall plan?
George Marshall
Between 1948 and 1953, how much money did the Marshall plan offer to European countries?
$13.3B
When was the Marshall plan announced?
June 1947
Which agreement did the Marshall plan break? Why?
The Potsdam conference, as the USA offered to help Germany.
What countries was aid in the Marshall plan limited to?
All countries in Europe, including both communist and capitalist countries.
What problems did George Marshall find when assessing the state of post-war Europe?
- That they owe $11.5B to the USA
- Extensive shortages of goods
- Extensive war damage
- Homelessness and refugees.
Why was the Marshall plan initially refused?
The congress thought it was silly to supply the countries who owed the USA money money that they can pay back the loans with.
What event made the USA congress pass the Marshall plan?`
The murder of anti-communists in Czechoslovakia in a coup.
When were the anti-communists in Czechoslovakia murdered?
1948
When splitting up Germany, what was Britain, France, and the USAβs aims?
- Avoid creating resentment in Germany (kindness pays back)
- Help the German economy recover from Marshall aid to ensure a European market (money is yummy)
When splitting up Germany, what were the USSRβs aims?
- Punish Germany, after being invaded in dang β14 and terrible β41 (and thatβs how β1β and β4β became cursed numbers in russia)
- Take much of their industrial resources so that they can get money ($20B)
How much reparations did the USSR want from Germany?
$20B
In 1945, what loan did the USA turn down?
The USSR request for a loan to cover occupying the eastern zone of Germany.
What was the BIzone?
The uniting of Britain and the USAβs zones in Germany into one economic unit.
What was the TRIzone?
When the French joined the Bizone.
When was the Bizone created?
January 1947
When was the Trizone created?
1948
When did the western zones politically unite?
March 1947
What was the result of the London conference of 1945?
It resulted in a deadlock of the future of Germany
What was the result of the Moscow conference of foreign ministers?
Again no agreements. The USSR made it impossible to make a decision of what do do about Germany.
When was the Moscow conference of foreign ministers?
March 1947
When was the london conference?
1945
How did the USSR react to Marshall aid being made available to Western zones of Germany?
He stopped and searched all freight shipments into west Berlin.
What made Stalin start the Berlin blockade?
The introduction of the new Deutshe mark currency.
When was the Deutsche mark introduced?
June 20 1948
When was the Berlin blockade?
June 24 1948
What did Stalin want to test with the Berlin blockade?
How far the policy of containment would go.
What was the Berlin blockade?
When Stalin cut off West Berliners. He blocks canals, roads, and railways, and turns off gas and electricity.
What was Stalinβs goal with the Berlin blockade?
To bring all of Berlin under Soviet rule.
How long did Stalin think it would take for the Western powers to surrender after the Berlin blockade?
Six weeks. No food. No fuel.
How did the Allies respond to the Berlin Blockade?
They airlifted food, clothing, oil, building materials. There still were shortages for months.
How many flights came to West Berlin over the course of the eleven months of the Berlin blockade/airlift?
277,000
What was the motives behind the Berlin airlift?
- Canβt use force as it may cause military response
- West Berlin was great for espionage and intelligence gathering
- Had to stick to the Truman doctorine!
How did Stalin try to stop the Berlin Airlift?
He blocked radio signals in hope that it would stop the planes. (futile, i say. FUTILE!!)
When did Stalin lift the Berlin blockade?
May 1949
What were the consequences of the Berlin blockade?
- It divided Germany more
- Was a symbol for βfreedomβ, instead of βdirty nazisβ in the USA | A symbol of cancer in the workers paradise for the USSR
- Showed a pattern of the cold war; nonconfrontational nature
When was West Germany (Trizone) officially unified?
May 1949
What was officially unified west Germany called?
Federal Republic of Germany
if someone wants the german name, which aakash told me about: Bundesrepublick Deutschland
When was East Germany officially created?
Oct 1949
What was East Germany officially called?
The German Democratic Republic
How many west Berliners were cut off by the blockade?
2 million
What does NATO stand for?
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
When was NATO founded?
April 1949
What was NATO?
A military pact between the USA, Britain, and 10 other countries with the principle of collective security (u attack me, WE attack u).
Why was NATO founded?
Western Europe feared an invasion by Stalin. They wanted some capacity to defend.
What were the countries in NATO?
USA, Britain, France, Canada, Italy, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg.
Why was the Trizone formally unified?
They were tired of waiting on Stalin coming up with an agreement regarding the fate of Germany.
When was COMECON created?
Jan 1949
What was COMECON?
The council for mutual economic assistance (imagine making a long acronym that doesnt even fit the meaning), it increased control of economies in the Soviet Bloc so that they had similar economies to the USSR.
When did the USSR first test an atomic bomb?
August 1949
When was the Warsaw pact?
May 1955
What was the Warsaw pact?
As a response to NATO, it would also employ collective security in Eastern Europe, heavily run by the USSR.
When were Trumanβs 12 points?
Oct 1945
What were Trumanβs 12 points about? (not the actual points)
- His foreign policy revealed in a speech
- Promises the USA didnβt want territory and wouldnβt go to war
- He didnβt share atomic bomb secrets
Give 7 of Trumanβs 12 points. (these are the ones I am studying, sorry for other flashcard users)
- Makes sure of Preservation of peace by the UN. Members of which should be willing to use force if necessary.
- Good unneighborly cooperation by sovereign states of western hemisphere in solution of their common problems
- No territorial expansion or selfish advantage or aggression against any state
- Refusal to recognize any government imposed by any nation by force by any foreign powers
- Freedom of seas for all nations
- Promotion of freedom of expression and religion through peace-loving world (awww)
- All peoples prepared for self-government to be permitted to choose their own government without outside interference.
Summary: Peace, Freedom, I hate dictatorships, Democracy
How much aid did the USA give to the USSR throughout?
$11B
When was the Bretton woods system created?
1944
How much did USA economic output grow between 1940 and β44?
90%
When were the two atomic bombs of the USA exploded?
6 Aug 1945 - Hiroshima
9 Aug 1945 - Nagasaki
How did the USSR see the atomic bombs on Japan?
They saw it as a way of ending the war against Japan without Soviet assistance, restricting demands they could make for influence in Asia.
When were the Secret Telegrams?
1946
When was the long telegram?
Feb 1946
What were the Secret Telegrams?
When the USA and the USSRβs contrasting political ideologies were revealed by embassies, creating fear and exaggerated tension.
What was the long telegram?
When after some people interpret a speech by Stalin as threatening war, Kennan (man in the American embassy) sends an urgent βlong telegramβ to Washington, worried that Russiaβs was always hostile to the outside world.
What were the conclusions of the long telegram?
- That Soviet leaders assumed that one day the two ideologies would fight
- That Stalin would constantly seek to expand and Ruin capitalism
- That the USA should resist with containment
The long telegram caused theβ¦
Iron curtain speech.
What percentage of the population did the USSR lose in WW2?
Around 13%
What percentage of the population did the USA lose in WW2?
Less than 1%
What were the three sectors of the Bretton woods system?
- The International monetary fund (IMF)
- IBBD
- Pegged exchange rate.
What does the IBBD stand for?
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
What was the goal of the IMF at Bretton woods?
- To initiate exchange rates, and lend reserve currencies
- Commit countries to free trade
- Revive the European market
What was the goal of the IBBD at Bretton woods?
To help Europe recover then evolve to provide underdeveloped nations with Capita.
What was the pegged exchange rate at Bretton woods?
It pegged all currencies to the US dollar, which was pegged to gold.
