Key Facts (Cold War)

Question 1

Yalta Conference (4-11 Feb 1945)

Answer 1

surrender
- unconditional surrender of Nazi Germnay
zones
- agreed to the need to de-nazify germany and divide the country into four zones: US, french, british and soviet
united nations
- the creation of the united nations
reparations
- stalin wanted harsh demands but others didn’t agree
japan
- stalin agreed to enter the war in the Pacific against japan
justice
- nazi war criminals were to be brought to justice
democracy
- free electrons to be held in countries that the nazi’s controlled
poland
- polish borders to be changed

Question 2

Potsdam Conference (17 July- 2 Aug 1945)

Answer 2

agreed
- division of germany
- japanese unconditional surrender
- nazi war criminals to be prosecuted swiftly
- humane and orderly transfer of germans
controversial
- political system of poland
- stalin wanted to cripple germany but truman disagreed
- atomic bomb

Question 3

Berlin Blockade

Answer 3

• germany was divided into four quarters (US, Britain, France, USSR)
• US quarter was assisted in rebuilding industries which stabilised the economy
• Stalin saw as a threat and his solution was to force Americans out through a blockade
• he cut rail and road links from the allied zones in germany and disrupted water and power supplies
• he believed they would leave but they did not
• allied forces supplied berlin with coal, food and medicine by air for almost a year
• blockade was lifted in May 1949

Question 4

Berlin Wall

Answer 4

• in an attempt to stop mass defections from East Berlin to West, a wall was erected during the night (August 12-13, 1961)
• became a physical representation of the cold war
• it was very well guarded

Question 5

Marshall Plan

Answer 5

• rebuild economies
• resources
• successful
• france, west germany, austria, italy