History β³ | The Cold Story of the Grand Alliance π§ | 4.1 Flashcards
Who were the allies in WW2?
Britain and France and USA and USSR
Who were the axis powers in WW2?
Germany and Japan and Italy
How many battle deaths were in WW2?
15M
What was the economic damage of WW2?
$1.29 Trillion.
How did the defeat of Germany increase tensions between the USA and the USSR?
- Different ideas on how to punish Germany
- Two superpowers with opposing ideas were put together
When were the two invasions of the USSR?
1919 and 1941
What was the USSRβs response to Munich?
They were angered by it because Britain and France wouldnβt fight Hitler.
What were the ideological differences between the USA and the USSR?
- The USA, Britain, and France were capitalist democracies with voting rights and multi-party elections
- The USSR was a communist one-party state with no opposition
Why was lend-lease needed?
The USSR didnβt have the necessary funds to continue being influential against Germany in WW2.
What is a cold war?
A state of political tension and military rivalry between nations that stops short of full-scalewar, especially that which existed between the United States and Soviet Union following WorldWarII
When did WW2 end?
Sept 2 1945
What was lend-lease?
When the USA government began to loan its military equipment, industrial material equipment, and food equipment to help the USSR.
By 1945, what did the supplies loaned in lend-lease add up to?
$11 Billion
Under lend-lease, how many locomotives and wagons were the USSR supplied?
- 2000 locomotive
- 11,000 wagons
How many air crafts did the USSR receive from the USA in lend-lease?
18,700
Why was the USSR frustrated with the USA in WW2?
They kept on delaying the invasion of western Europe to relieve pressure on the red army in the east
How much did the USA and Britain delay the creation of a second front?
From 1942 to 6 June 1944
Who were the Bigger Threeβ’?
Roosevelt (later replaced by Truman), Churchill, and Stalin.
What were Rooseveltβs (FDR) aims?
- Democracy in Eastern Europe
- Freedom of speech
- To trust Stalin, because he trusted him (aww how naive)
What were Churchillβs aims?
- To not trust Stalin
- To protect Poland
What were Stalinβs aims in the peace conferences?
- Keep the USSR secure (Buffer zone)
- Keep Polish territory from the Nazi-Soviet pact
- Have a zone of influence
- Weaken Germany
- Have reparations that match losses
When was the Tehran conference?
28 Nov - 1 Dec 1943
When was the USSR given a date on the Anglo-American invasion of German-occupied France?
During the Tehran conference.
What was to happen to Polandβs border in the Tehran conference?
It would move west, restoring the Brest-Litovsk border with Poland.
What disagreements surrounding Germany came from the Tehran conference?
Stalin wanted to weaken Germany; Roosevelt & Churchill wanted to rebuild Germany.
When was the Yalta conference?
4-11 Feb 1945
What was the Yalta conference about?
- The shape of the post-WW2 world and the nazi-controlled areas
- Who to own Poland?
In the Yalta conference, what agreements were made on the War of Japan?
The USSR agreed to join the war against Japan after defeating Germany, receiving the Sakhalin and Kurile islands as compensation.
What discussions were made about the UN in the Yalta conference?
The USSR would have only 3 seats in the UN. And the idea of the UN was created.
What would happen to Germanyβs land after WW2, at the time of the Yalta conference?
A temporary division of it and Berlin into Soviet, American, British, and French occupation zones.
What were the reparations decided for Germany in the Yalta conference?
$20B reparations, 50% to the USSR. This changes in Postdam.
What changes would be taken in Germany according to Yalta?
- The 5 steps in all 4 zones implemented
- War crimes trials for all nazis
What were the 5 steps?
- Demilitarization
- Democratization
- Decentralization
- Deindustrialization
- Denazification
How did Stalin feel about the reparations agreed on in Yalta?
He wanted higher reparations, apparently $10B was nothing to him. Bit hypocritical for a communist guy~
What was agreed on regarding Poland in the Yalta conference?
- Poland is given German territory in the west in compensation to regained Soviet territory
- Early elections
What tension remained in the ownership of Poland at Yalta?
- Who would win? The communist Lublin Poles, or the FDR London Poles?
- Stalin didnβt help the Polish resistance fighters attacking German army in Warsaw so Lublin poles could take over. (let them die)
What tension remained regarding Germans in Poland at Yalta?
Soviet demands to repatriate Germans in Poland to Germany were rejected.
What was agreed on in ownership of Eastern Europe at Yalta?
Early elections in EE countries by Soviets to decide ownership.
What tension remained about Eastern Europe at Yalta?
Stalin worried that free elections couldnβt provide governments friendly to the USSR.
When did Roosevelt die?
12 Apr 1945
Who replaced Roosevelt?
Truman
When was the Potsdam conference?
16 Jul - 2 Aug 1945
What was the Potsdam conference about?
- The fate of post-war Germany
- A harsher treatment to the USSR
What was agreed on in Poland in the Postdam conference?
- Stalin let more London Poles join the now in place Lublin Poles.
- Trumanβs request for elections in Poland was turned down.
Define Veto.
The right to stop a bill from being passed.
What would happen to Germanyβs land, at the time of the Postdam conference?
- It would officially be divided into 4 zones
What were the confirmed reparations in Germany in the Postdam conference?
- A confirmed amount, though reduced reparations
- Limited reparations for the Soviets
How were industrial goods given as reparations at Potsdam?
- Industrial goods had to come from each powerβs own zone, the USSR providing agricultural goods in return for industrial goods from western zones.
When were the 5 Ds and war crimes trials confirmed?
Potsdam conference.
What tension remained around Germany after Potsdam?
- Disagreements about denazification led to each zone implementing it differently (Stalin worried they could return to power in west)
- West wanted a quick economic recovery for Germany; Stalin wanted to keep it weak.
- Stalin concerned about impact of capitalist zones on Eastern zone.
What land did the USSR receive in Eastern Europe according to Potsdam?
- Land from Germany, Romania, Czechoslovakia
- Baltic republics (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) join USSR
What happened to Germans in Poland Hungary and Czechoslovakia according to Potsdam?
They would move to Germany
What concerns did the USA have over developments in Eastern Europe in Potsdam?
They were concerned by the land the USSR gained, as it would increase the communist sphere of influence.
What developments were made with the UN at Potsdam?
- It was formally created
- USA, USSR, Britain, and France were the 5 permanent members of security council
- They each had a veto
What is the UN security council?
An organ of the UN that approves if a peace operation should continue.
How many USSR soldiers and civilians died in WW2?
30 million.
How many homes were destroyed in the USSR in WW2?
25 million.
Define buffer zone.
A group of countries surrounding a major state and acting as a protective barrier.
What did the Bigger Three actually AGREE on?
- Limiting Germanyβs power to prevent another war.
- Cooperation to continue in peacetime
- World peace organization to follow the League (UN)
When was the UN created?
October 1945
Where was the UN created?
New york
What was the difference between Roosevelt and Truman?
Trumanβs policies were a lot more harsh, and he didnβt trust Stalin as much.
What were Trumanβs aims?
- CONTAINMENT
- Democracies stand up to dictators
- Free trade to prevent depression 2.0
Define containment.
Keeping USSR with certain boundaries and borders, prevent them from advancing infulence.
What was the iron curtain?
A term created after Churchillβs speech that said communism was separated from capitalism.
By 1946, which countries had communist governments?
Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania.
What did the cominform mean?
Communist Information Bureau.
When was the cominform established?
October 1947
What was the job of the cominform?
- To coordinate work of communist parties
- To fly leaders to moscow and keep an eye on them
How did Stalin maintain a loyal inner circle during the Soviet Bloc?
He spotted independent people and replaced them with loyal ones
When was Tito expelled from the soviet bloc?
1948
What was the soviet bloc?
The group of socialist states of Eastern Europe under the influence of the Soviet Union
What were the terms of the Stalinist system?
- Supremacy of a single power
- Personalisation of power (each was a βlittle Stalinβ)
- Predominance of police over all sections of party and state organisation
- Ultra-secret police organisation infiltrating the local government to enforce` the Soviet part and governmentβs leadership.
When did Stalin begin to set up coalition governments to build up his soviet bloc?
1944
When was the Czechoslovakian coalition government elected?
May 1946
What tactics were used for THE Stalin to take power in Czechoslovakia?
- Took control of key departments such as law and order
- Arresting opponents
- Blocking elections in 1948, filling positions with communists
Who in Czechoslovakia signed a treaty with the USSR? What was it?
Dr Edward Benes signed a treaty with Moscow, and it returned to Prague with a Moscow-approved coalition government
What were Czechoslovakiaβs feelings to the USSR before joining the bloc?
They were positive to them as they felt betrayed by Munich.
With how much of a vote did the communist coalition government of Czechoslovakia win?
31%
When did Hungary join the Soviet Bloc?
`1948
What were Hungaryβs feelings towards the USSR prior to joining the bloc?
They were a wartime German ally strongly anti-communist.
How much of the vote did the communists win in the 1945 Nov elections in Hungary?
17%
What tactics were used for communists to take control of the coalition government in Hungary?
- They are given the post of the ministry of interior, using the secret police to persecute non communists
- In 1947, falsified elections give them control of coalition government
How did the communist party take full power in Hungary?
They merged with the Social democratic party and took power.
When did the Communist party merge with the Social democratic party in Hungary?
1948
What were Polandβs feelings to the USSR before joining the bloc?
- History of conflict
When were Polandβs elections held
Jan 1947
How did The communists win the elections in Poland?
- It was stage-managed, to give impression of the government having the backing of the people.
- Falsified vote
- Intimidating, arresting, killing, murdering, hurting, stabbing and mean to opponents.
- Taking control of important positions
What were Romaniaβs feelings to the USSR before joining the bloc?
They were a wartime German Ally: anti USSR
What tactics were used to create a powerful coalition government in Romania?
- Communist prime minister
- Communists held important positions
When was the coalition government of Romania formed?
1945
When were the falsified elections of Romania?
1946
Who was the king of Romania before 1947?
King Michael
When was the king of Romania forced to abdicate?
December 1947
What were Bulgariaβs feelings to the USSR prior to joining the bloc?
They were a former German ally.
What was the coalition in Bulgaria called?
The fatherland front.
How did Bulgaria get to a full communist government?
- Fatherland front purged of anti-communist rivals.
- Monarchy abolished
When was Bulgariaβs monarchy abolished?
1946
When was the new constitution in Bulgaria implemented?
1947
What did the new Bulgaria constitution do?
Purge the opposition to communists.
Which countries didnt join the soviet bloc?
Yugoslavia, Iran, Turkey
Who led Yugoslovakia?
Tito, another communist.
Why didnβt Yugoslovakia join the soviet bloc?
The leader, Tito was independent with his own version of communism. Stalin wanted to invade but Titoβs popularity discouraged him.
Why didnβt Iran join the Soviet bloc?
- They break an agreement with Britain to leave Iran 6 months after WW2
- Pressure of the UN security council and the USA makes them leave.
How did Stalin try to bring Turkey into the Soviet bloc?
- He demands a naval base for the USSR on Dardanelles, linking the black sea and Mediterranean.
- He sent ships to increase pressure on Turkey
Why couldnβt Turkey join the Soviet bloc?
Stalin found out Turkey was supported by the USA and Britain and backed out.
What was the USAβs reaction to the Soviet bloc?
They were alarmed. It was breaking policies of democracy and spreading fast!
What was the Truman Doctorine?
The UA foreign policy that would send money to any country βthreatened by communismβ
When was the Greece civil war?
1947
What was the Greece civil war?
The war between Monarchists (supported by Britain) and the communists, both resisting nazis.
How did the Greece civil war lead to the Truman doctorine?
The British are unable to afford supporting the monarchists, so the US sends them $400M for them to stay.
When was the Truman doctorine?
12 Mar 1947
When did Britain want to back out of the Greece civil war?
Feb 1947
