How did the Cold War in Europe develop? 1943–56

Question 1

Define capitalism

Answer 1

belief that everyone should be free to own property and businesses to make money,

Question 2

Define communism

Answer 2

belief that all properties should belong to the state to ensure that every member of society gets a fair share

Question 3

What was communism based on?

Answer 3

The writing of Karl Marx

Question 4

Who were the big three? How long were each of their rules?

Answer 4

Winston Churchill 1940-45 and 1951, Josef Stalin 1928-53, Franklin D Roosevelt 1933-45

Question 5

Explain each of the Grand Alliance conferences

Answer 5

Tehran (1943)
- USA and Britain agreed to a second front by attacking Germany
- The USA and Britain would invade France by May 1944

Yalta (1945)
- Agreed Germany would be split into 4- Britain, France, Germany, USA
- Agreed to go to war against Japan
-Britain wanted Poland to be non-communist, Stalin wanted it to be communist

Potsdam (1945)
- Truman (new president)
- Truman chose to inform Stalin that the US possessed a new weapon of unusual destructive force (the atomic bomb). Stalin complained that there weren’t supposed to be secrets between allies (though he knew through spies)

Question 6

What is the sphere of influence?
What are satellite states?

Answer 6

Sphere of influence= an area of Europe that the Soviet Union influenced/controlled but not part of the USSR

Satellite state= the countries that were part of sphere of influence. Have communist governments.

Question 7

Explain The long Telegram

Answer 7

1946
-Received by Truman from Kennan
Kennan said:
.The USSR
was heavily armed and feared the outside world
.There could be no peaceful co-existence between the USSR and the USA
-he USA was stronger than the USSR and so communism could be ‘contained

Question 8

Explain The Novikov Telegram

Answer 8

The Soviet response to The Long Telegram
.Warned that the USA had emerged from World War Two economically strong and bent on world domination

Question 9

Did the amount of countries becoming communist reflect what the people wanted?

Answer 9

Not always because most countries that became communist were because of corrupt voting, using violence, threats.

Question 10

What were the key points of the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 10

.They would intervene in other countries to fight communism across the world -contrary to how USA usually didn’t get involved (isolationism)
.They would stop the spread by ‘containing’ communism
.They would give money in aid to Greece and Turkey
.

Question 11

Explain the Marshall plan

Answer 11

In some of Europe desperate economic circumstances after WW2 meant support for communist parties was strong. The USA did not want this to happen. Marshall Aid
would be spent to help the economies of Western Europe to recover after World War Two and make them less likely to be won over by communism.

Question 12

What is Cominform?

Answer 12

Political organisation set on Stalin’s order. Gave a way to control the countries part of it. Spread propaganda accusing America of being no Nazi Germany.

Question 13

What is Comecon?

Answer 13

Comecon was Stalin’s attempt at deterring countries away from Marshall Aid.

Question 14

What was Trizonia?

Answer 14

Britain and USA joined their German zones to make Bizonia. Then when France joined theirs it became Trizonia.

Question 15

What was the east of Germany like? What was the west of Germany like?

Answer 15

East
- communist
- low standards
- often lacked basic goods
- secret police monitored and arrested people who went against movement

West
- wealthy
- high standards of living
- skilled worker were paid well for the work they did

Question 16

What was the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 16

In 1948, Stalin cut all land access to Berlin for the Allies. Allies didn’t want to risk. They decided that their sectors of Berlin would supply resources, fuel and food by planes.

Question 17

What was the Warsaw pact?

Answer 17

An alliance between the Soviet and the Satellite states as a response to NATO. In 1955.

Question 18

Explain the brain drain

Answer 18

In the west of Germany, skilled workers were well paid for the jobs that they did. The East weren’t and skilled workers such as engineers, teachers and doctors fled to the West for better conditions. By 1958 over a sixth of East Germany’s population had left to the West.

Question 19

What was Khrushchev’s ultimatum?

Answer 19

The brain drain made communism look weak. Khrushchev issued an ultimatum saying:
-Berlin should be demilitarised and Western troops withdrawn
-Berlin should become a ‘free’ country

Question 20

Why were the Hungarian people unhappy?

Answer 20

-Hungarians had no
freedom of speech. The secret police (AVH) arrested anyone against communism
-Thousands of Soviet troops and officials were stationed in Hungary, which were a drain on the Hungarian economy
-The Russian language was being forced upon the people

Question 21

Who was Khrushchev?

Answer 21

The new Soviet leader, (1956).

Question 22

What were Nagy’s reform in Hungary?

Answer 22

-Free elections to choose the government
-The total withdrawal of the Soviet army from Hungary
-Hungary to leave the
Warsaw Pact

Question 23

Why did Imre Nagy create these reforms?

Answer 23

He wanted to change how Hungary could be ruled instead of Rakoski’s rule.

Question 24

How did the USSR reacted to Imre Nagy’s reforms? How did it lead to his downfall? How was this a warning?

Answer 24

Khrushchev refused to accept Hungary leaving the Warsaw Pact. Thousands of Soviet tanks and soldiers entered Hungary and fought against supporters of Nagy. He begged the West for help but no help came. Nagy was arrested. This was a message o all satellite state leaders, forcing them to stay in the Warsaw pact.

Question 25

Explain the meetings between US and Khrushchev from 1959

Answer 25

Geneva
-1959
- President Eisenhower
-No agreement reached but decided to meet the following year

Camp David
-1959
-no agreement about how to deal with Berlin
-Soviets agree to withdraw ultimatum

Paris
-13 days before Americans were caught spying on Soviet union by plane
- At the summit, Khrushchev demanded an apology and Eisenhower refused
-Khrushchev walked out

Vienna
-J.F.K
-Khrushchev thought J.F.K was inexperienced so J.FK made no concessions (if you give this, I’ll give this)
-Relationship strained
-ultimatum is back