Key topic 1: The origins of the Cold War, 1941–58 Flashcards
specific agreements at Tehran
- Stalin wanted USA and UK to attack Germany in France
- the USSR would declare war on Japan once Germany was defeated
- USSR have influences in Eastern Europe, USA and UK in Western Europe
- Poland would be restored with extra land from Germany
specific agreements at Yalta
- USSR would declare war on Japan 3 months after Germany’s defeat
- All allies would work for democracy in Europe
- the UN would be set up to promote peace
- The Nazi party should be banned
specific agreements/ disagreements at Postdam
- Germany ws to be reduced in size and divided up in four quarters shared between France, UK, USA, USSR
- Nazi persecuted as criminals
- Poland was part of the USSR influence which annoyed UK
- Truman tired to take charge and make demands because USA had the Atomic Bomb
What is the Truman Doctrine about?
countries had a choice between communism or capitalism
communism meant that people were not free
USA had to contain communism
What was the Truman doctrine?
Announced in March 1947
President Truman worried about the spread of Communism in Western Europe, where many countries were undergoing economic hardship after WW2. This made communism more appealing to them.
By early 1947, Britain told the USA that it could no longer afford to support the Greek and Turkish governments.
The USA decides to intervene and try to contain the spread of communism
President Truman made a speech to the US Congress. It was said in that speech that he would support any nation threatened by a communist takeover. This support could be diplomatic, military or financial.
eg 400m dollars of aid was given to Greece and Turkey to stop the spread of communism
marshall plan
the practical outcome of the Truman Doctrine
(announced June 1947)
- This promised 17 billion of aid to European countries to help rebuild their economies - the areas of Germany under Western occupation benefited massively.
- Stalin ordered all his satellite states to eject the plan as he believed the USA was using economic incentives to lure Eastern Europe away from USSR
- the money was distributed according to population and how industrialized they were before the war
Cominform
the communist information Bureau - 22 Sep 1947
the organization brought together all European communist parties and placed them under the control of Moscow
more control consolidated the power of the USSR
Comecon
the council for mutual economic assistance - 25 Jan 1949
stop US influence in E Europe direct competition with marshall plan
the drastic increase in trades between satellite states
eastern European countries became dependent on the USSR
nationalizing industries, collectivizing agriculture and offering economic aid
Churchills iron curtain speech
5 March 1946
Churchill’s speech demonstrates the breakdown of the grand alliance = Britain and the USA now viewed the Ussr as a threat
what was the soviet’s response to the marshall plan
saying America is imitating Hitler and calling it blackmail
Dollar imperialism - soviet’s response
- the USA extending their influence and establishing power in Europe and undermining the role of the UN
consequences
- USSR furious at US attempt to split Europe
- Stalin insisted satellite states refuse it
- 16 countries accepted it and were given significant help in recovery
- division of E and W Europe cemented
How the USSR became influential in E Europe
at the end of WW2, the red army occupied E Europe
these countries would pass into the USSR’s sphere of influence
between 1945 and 1948, Stalin installed pro soviet ‘ puppet’ governments in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia
it seemed that Czechoslavakia might remain democratic at first. But when the communist party was losing in the election, they seized power in Feb 1948
Yugoslavia was an exception to this they managed to free themselves from Germany without the red army
what was the Iron curtain
Increasing tensions between the USA and the USSR became known as the cold war. There was no direct fighting - both sides were afraid of another war especially after 1949 when USSR had its own nuclear weapons
countries in W Europe tended to support the USA. Most countries in eastern Europe were dominated by the USSR. In a famous speech in 1946 by Churchill warned that there were an ‘iron curtain’ dividing Europe.
what about Europe’s future is discussed at Tehran and Yalta
1943 Tehran
- mainly focused on plans to defeat the Nazis but also started to discuss Europe after the war
- the differences between the USSR and the other two were put aside due to the common enemy
- Churchill and Roosevelt agreed USSR could claim a ‘sphere of influence’ after the war.
1945 Yalta
- free elections would be held everywhere (allies had different interpretations of this as for USA and Britain there were many parties competing for vote but in USSR there were only one party)
- UN would replace the failed League of Nations
how did the first cracks reveal in the Potsdam conference
after Germany’s surrender in May 1945, the allied met at Potsdam over July and August
agreements:
- boundaries of Poland
- division of Germany
- Nazi’s leader would be tried for war crimes at Nuremberg
undecided:
- when zones would rejoin
tensions were high - Roosevelt died and Truman became president who was suspicious of the USSR
Britain and US were also alarmed by Stalin’s actions in Poland - he had installed a government consisting of only pro-communist members. Britain and US felt this went against Yalta agreements
Where did churchill make his iron curtain speech
Missouri, USA
