Key Events Flashcards
Potsdam conference
July 1945-
- Truman is now the president of America
- Stalin went against the agreement at
Yalta by setting up a communist
government in Poland
- Stalin refuses to demilitarise
- Germany was to pay reparations to the
allies- prevent Germany from ever being
in a position to wage war again
- Stalin wanted to damage Germany
significantly, the West didn’t want to
damage them too severely.
Tehran Conference
1943-
- Held in Iran, which is closer to the Soviet
Union (an effort to appease Stalin and
improve relations between the three
countries)
- Britain and the USA agreed to open up a
second front by invading France in 1944
- Stalin agreed to enter the war against
Japan once Germany had been defeated
- Borders of Poland shifted
- UN set up and USSR was to join
Yalta Conference
February 1945-
- Aimed to decide what would happen to
Germany and the rest of Europe
- Germany’s military rights were to be
revoked
- Germany was to Pay reparations
- Germany was to be divided among the
three countries
-Poland was now under soviet rule
- Hungary,Czechoslovakia and Poland
would be under Soviet sphere of
influence.
Buffer Zone Between Western Europe And USSR
- Stalin established a buffer zone using
Governments that were sympathetic to
communism. - POLAND- a coalition of several parties
was set up - HUNGARY- communist party seized
control of the police during an economic
crisis - CZECHOSLOVAKIA- Stalin staged a
coup to remove Benes from power and
establish a pro-soviet government.
Iron curtain speech
- Churchill made his ‘Iron Curtain Speech’
in the USA in 1946, which spoke of an
imaginary line dividing the Western
Capitalists and Eastern Communists.
Telegrams
February 1946-
- Kennan, a US official, sent a Telegram to
Truman, warning him of the Soviets
intention to expand.
- Greatly influenced Truman’s policy of
Containment.
September 1946-
- Soviet Ambassador, Novikov, sent a
telegram to Stalin in retaliation to the Long Telegram prior.
- Spoke of the US intent to carry out world
domination
- Hardened Stalin’s attitude to the US
Truman Doctrine
March 1947-
- Introduced policy of containment
- Civil war in Greece pushed him into
action
- HUNGARY- Communist Party voted into
power; achieved as a result of a coup
against opposition party- Rakosi gained
control
-CZECHOSLOVAKIA- communists
carried out an armed takeover on the
government
comINFORM
1948-
- Communist information bureau
- introduced to control satellite states
- introduced in retaliation of the Truman
Doctrine
Marshall Plan
1947-
- Planned and co=ordinated by George
Marshall
- By 1953, USA donated $17 billion to
Europe
- Involved loaning money to countries in
Europe to aid in their reconstruction
- Aimed to make communism look less
attractive
- Any country that recieved US money had
to spend it on US goods.
- Ties them together long term
- Western countries became loyal to the -
USA
ComECON
1949-
- stands for Council for Mutual Economic
Assistance
- Soviet response to the Marshall plan
- Soviet would provide financial support for
communist countries in Eastern Europe
- Different to Marshall plan as it involved
the countries working together rather than
one country providing money.
- 1953- each country was given a 5 year
plan to nationalise industry and
collectivise agriculture.
Berlin Blockade
1948-
- caused by Trizonia and the
reformation of the currency into
‘Deutschmark’, which infuriated Stalin
- Stalin therefore blocked land and rail
routes across soviet controlled
Germany.
- Trizonia could no longer communicate
with Berlin
Berlin Airlift
- 10 month period
- 275,000 flights
- costed America $350 million
- Increased tension as stalin put greater pressure on the West Berliners,, cutting off their electricity
- By 1949, Stalin called off Blockade as it was deemed ineffective
- NATO formed during height of crisis
- Warsaw pact formed in retaliation
Name the Arms race dates
1945- America develops atomic bomb
1949- Soviet developed atomic bomb
1953- America tests hydrogen Bomb
1953- Soviet tests hydrogen bomb
1954- ICBM America tests
1954- Soviet makes first successful ICBM
Effect of Nuclear Arms Race
Spendings-
- In 1949, America had spent 13.6 billion;
Soviet 13.4 billion
- In 1953, America had spent 49.6 billion;
Soviet 25.5 billion
America’s ongoing fued with vietnam and the spending of the arms race was a great hit to the economy.
What did Krushchev do when he came to power in 1955?
- Ended Cominform
- Continued to create a buffer against
attacks from the west - Created warsaw pact in 1955
- relaxed laws controlling freedom of
speech
-freed political prisoners
De-stalinisation- - statues of Stalin were pulled down
across eastern europe after Krushchev
criticised stalin in a secret speech
What was the Invasion Of Hungary?
In 1944, the Soviet Union invaded Hungary, in 1947 , they intimidated voters to ensure a communist party was put into power.
When Hungary, Nagy, attempted to leave the Warsaw pact, Krushchev sent in 1000 tanks into Budapest, killing 20,000 Hungarians.
Nagy was executed to set an example.
What caused the Invasion of Hungary?
Comecon-
controlling of trading and prevention of receiving marshall Aid
Poland-
Krushchev agreed to reforms in Poland following a revolt; this inspired Hungarians to protest
Nagy-
announced reforms and installed non-communist parties in the government.
announced leaving of warsaw pact
Describe America’s involvement in the Hungary invasion
Couldn’t directly be involved as the risk of nuclear warfare was too great
What were the results of the Hungarian Uprising?
-Nagy executed
- 200,000 refugees fled Hungary
- $6 million raised in American charity
What was the Berlin Ultimatum?
1958-
Krushchev said:
- All western troops had to leave Berlin
-Berlin would become a free city
-The west had six months to leave berlin
