ORIGINS OF COLD WAR Flashcards
Attitudes in Grand Alliance
Stalin - suspicious of west as they go against his ideals, survival against west
Churchill - pragmatic during war, didnt want USA to return to isolationism (need help against USSR)
Roosevelt - willing to negotiate with Stalin, end colonialism
What happened at Atlantic conference 1941
Offended n why?
- Churchill - usa unwilling to open second front, unwilling to accept colonies wanting independence
- Stalin - not included
Key details/agreements
- Churchill proposes opening of second
- formal recognition that usa and uk have working relationship (raises morale)
- causes major problems in British colonies
What happened with second front 1941
Offended
- Stalin - wants second front in arctic circle and another in Europe, Churchill delaying so Stalin takes more hits
What happened at Tehran conference 1943
Offended
- Churchill - no second front in Europe prefers balkans/Africa
- dday July 1944 - lack of trust, 3/4 of nazi damage was caused by ussr (doing all work)
Details/agreements
- debate where to open second front - open in may 1944
- Eastern Europe will be in soviet sphere of influence
What happened when Stalins actions exposed in Katyn 1943
- soviet troops murdered polish and german people
- bad relations between ussr and west - ussr can easily take over without polish army forces
What happened at Moscow conference 1944
Offended
- Roosevelt isn’t invited
Key details/agreements
- Churchill goes to Moscow to discuss how Europe divided
- percentages agreement - who has power over Europe
What happened with Stalins reoccupation of Baltic states 1944
Offended
- Stalin takes over Baltic states from nazis, presented ultimatums to govts of countries to accept soviet friendly govts
- runs relations with usa and uk
Key details/agreements
- usa and uk fearful that they will be used to create satellite states
What happened at bretton woods conference 1944
Offended
- Stalin - refuses to sign treaty, highlights capitalism
Key details/agreements
- establishing imf (international monetary fund)
- follow up to Atlantic charter - better relations between usa and uk
What happened in Stalins actions during Warsaw uprising
Offended
- Soviets aware of uprising yet let Nazis defeat uprising before moving on
- Churchill and Roosevelt - shocked at Stalins actions
What happened at Yalta conference
4-11 February 1945 (detailed)
- second front opened
- un decided to be set up
- Germany, Berlin and Austria occupied temporarily
- free elections in Europe promised by Stalin in principle - he expected them to result in pro-communist govt (however British supporte the London poles)
- ussr join war against japan
- no agreement yet over Poland
- Germany split int 4 zones (french, British, American, soviet)
- Germany to pay $20 billion reparations, $10 goes to ussr
- Nazi party banned and war criminals executed
- Stalin
What changed between yalta and Potsdam?
- 12 April - Roosevelt dies, Truman takes over and has harsher approach (less politically stable, so have to)
- 8 may - end of ww2, VE Day
- 16 July - atomic bomb tested first time
- 26 July - Attlee wins in uk, not ready for international summit of great importance, less inclined to be harsh (labour)
what happened at Potsdam conference
17 July-2 august 1945 (detailed)
- usa had successfully tested atomic bomb *16 july)
- Truman casually mentioned bomb to Stalin -> mistrust didnt tell him straight away
- usa and uk annoyed with Stalins actions in Eastern Europe
- 5 million Germans expelled from Poland to Germany
- Berlin divided into 4 zones despite it being well into soviet territory
- stalin wants harsher reparations - each country gives reparations from zone, Stalin only gets 25%
- Stalin allowed to take 1/4 industrial equipment from other zones (East Germany was poorest)
Why did tensions increase in 1945?
- usa successfully tested bomb -> seem powerful, pose threat to ussr if communism made global
- division of Germany -> make Stalin power hungry (aim to get Poland next to form buffer zone whilst its still undecided)
- Stalins control over Baltic states -> not trustworthy, west less willing to work with him
Give explanation of Stalins actions in 1945
- trying to ensure his country’s future security -> satellite states/buffer zone
- took back control of Baltic states - occupied by red army, leaders deported, rigged referendums
- Nazis rule was less sever than soviet
- Stalin lies about holding referendum in Baltic states on topic of ussr control
