Origins of Cold War/ Foreign policy in Europe

Question 1

What were all the events in Europe and within the USA that contributed to the Cold War ? (6)

Answer 1

1) Kennan’s long telegram

2) Truman Doctrine

3) the Marshall plan

4) Berlin Airlift

5) Creation of NATO

6) NSC 68

Question 1

What 3 things did Kennan’s long telegram argue ?

Answer 1

1) USSR is illogical

2) If force is shown to the USSR, they will back down

3) USA should make alliances

Question 2

How long was Kennans’ long telegram ?

Answer 2

8000 words

Question 3

When was Kennan’s long telegram ?

Answer 3

Feb 22nd 1946

Question 4

How did Kennan’s long telegram increase tensions between the US and USSR ?

Answer 4

This is because it isolated communism as a threat and shaped Truman’s foreign policy on how to deal with it.

Question 5

What were the 2 driving factors that influenced Truman to introduce the Truman doctrine ?

Answer 5

1) Soviet troops failed to leave Iran in search of oil

2) Greek communists started to receive support

Question 6

When was the Truman Doctrine ?

Answer 6

12th March 1947

Question 7

What did the Truman Doctrine do ?

Answer 7

It requested $400 million in military and economic assistance to Turkey and Greece.

Question 8

What did the Truman Doctrine mean for the US’s foreign policy ?

Answer 8

It declared that the US policy was to ‘support free peoples resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures’.

Question 9

How can the Truman Doctrine be seen to be significant ?

Answer 9

This is because it shaped US foreign policy for the next 40 years.

Question 10

What was the Marshall plan the ‘action’ of ?

Answer 10

the Truman Doctrine

Question 11

What was the aim of the Marshall plan ?

Answer 11

A plan to provide financial aid to European countries to help rebuild their shattered economies after WW2.

Question 12

When was the Marshall plan ?

Answer 12

April 1948 - December 1951

Question 13

How did Congress initially feel towards the Marshall plan ?

Answer 13

they were reluctant to grant the financial aid to European countries.

Question 14

Why did Congress become willing to grant financial aid to Shattered European economies when they were initially hesitant ?

Answer 14

This is because the Communist party seized power in Czechoslovakia.

Question 15

When did Congress approve financial aid to shattered European countries with the Marshall plan ?

Answer 15

Feb 1948

Question 16

What was the Marshall plan officially known as ?

Answer 16

European Recovery Programme

Question 17

Why did Truman introduce the Marshall plan ?

Answer 17

To rebuild European economies after the wake of WW2 as poorer countries would be more willing to accept communism.

Question 18

How much money was given to European countries including those who were already communist as part of the Marshall plan ?

Answer 18

$13.3bn

Question 19

How can the European recovery programme be said to be successful ?

Answer 19

The 4 years in which it operated for saw the fastest growth of European History with Industrial production increasing by 35%.

Question 20

Which countries were forbidden for applying for Marshall aid and why.

Answer 20

Stalin prohibited Eastern European countries from applying for Marshall aid.

Question 21

What were USA, Britain and France discussing in early 1948 about the future of Germany ?

Answer 21

France, Britain and USA were discussing about uniting their zones in Germany to create a West German government and a new common money system called the deutschmark

Question 22

When was the Deutschmark introduced ?

Answer 22

20th June 1948

Question 23

What did the introduction of the Deutschmark in West Germany mean for the future West Germany ?

Answer 23

This would stabilise the West German economy

Question 24

Was Berlin divided among the four countries ?

Answer 24

Despite being in East Germany, Berlin (the capital) was divided amongst the four countries: France, USA, UK and the USSR.

Question 25

Why did the introduction of the Deutschmark in all western zones of Germany on the 20th June 1948 anger Stalin ?

Answer 25

As Berlin was also divided into 4 zones, Stalin's control was slipping as East Berliners saw the wealth of the West Berliners.

Question 26

What action did Stalin take due to his control of East Berlin slipping as a result of the introduction of the Deutschmark in West Berlin ?

Answer 26

on the 14th June 1948, Stalin blocked access to West Berlin cutting rail and road links. This became known as the Berlin Blockade.

Question 27

How did Truman react to the Berlin blockade ? (24th June 1948)

Answer 27

Truman decided to supply West Berlin via aircraft.

Question 28

How did Truman supply West Berlin via aircraft ?

Answer 28

RAF and US planes took off from West German bases and for the next 10 months, supplied food, clothing, oil, building material and other supplies to West Berlin.

Question 29

How many supplies were flown into West Berlin by RAF and US planes and by how many flights ?

Answer 29

1.5 million tonnes of supplies by 275,000 flights

Question 30

How long did the Berlin Blockade last ?

Answer 30

324 days (24th June 1948 - 12th May 1948)

Question 31

What military technique did Truman use during the Berlin Blockade to come out on top over the USSR ?

Answer 31

brinkmanship

Question 32

Which group was formed as a result of the Berlin Blockade ?

Answer 32

the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

Question 33

How many countries were responsible for the creation of NATO ?

Answer 33

12 member states

Question 34

Give three examples of countries responsible for the establishment of NATO.

Answer 34

1) France 2) Britain 3) US

Question 35

What was the purpose of NATO ? (at the time when it was created)

Answer 35

Formed an alliance in which other member states would defend any member attacked by the USSR.

Question 36

What was NSC 68 ?

Answer 36

was a top secret policy paper outlining American foreign policy.

Question 37

According to Scholar, Herman Wolk, What impact did NSC 68 have on the Cold War ?

Answer 37

The blueprint for the militarization of the cold war from 1950 to the collapse of the USSR at the beginning of the 1990s.

Question 38

What 3 things did NSC 68 argue for ?

Answer 38

1) increased military spending 2) work on a hydrogen bomb 3) roll back of communism rather than containment

Question 39

What was the increased military spending that NSC-68 recommended ?

Answer 39

suggested was from $13 billion up to $50 billion by 1950

Question 40

How was NSC-68's recommendation of work on a hydrogen bomb fulfilled ?

Answer 40

By 1952, the US had developed a hydrogen bomb and tested it.

Question 41

What was operation Paperclip ?

Answer 41

A secret United states intelligence program whereby more than 1,600 German scientists, engineers and technicians were taken from former Nazi Germany to the US government for employment after end of WW2 in Europe

Question 42

From what Time period did operation Paperclip last ?

Answer 42

1945 - 1959

Question 43

Give an example of a German engineer who came to the US in 1945 as part of operation paperclip

Answer 43

Wernher Von Braun - aerospace engineer