Origins of the Cold War Flashcards
When was the Tehran Conference?
November-December 1943
When was the Yalta Conference?
February 1945
When was the Potsdam Conference?
July - August 1945
What was agreed at the Tehran Conference?
1) USA ad Britain agreed to open a second front
2) SU agreed to declare war on Japan once Germany defeated
3) Boundaries of Poland move westward, gaining territory from Germany and losing it from the Soviet Union
4) Agreed to the setting up of the United Nations (in theory)
What was agreed at the Yalta Conference?
1) When Germany was defeated, it would be reduced in size, divided and demilitarised. It would have to pay reparations.
2) Europe to be rebuilt along the lines of the Atlantic Charter. Free elections.
3) UN would be set up
4) Soviet Union to declare war on Japan once Germany defeated
5) Poland to be under the ‘Soviet sphere of influence’ but run on a broader democratic basis
What was agreed at the Potsdam Conference?
1) Council of foreign ministers set up to organise the rebuilding of Europe
2) Nazi Party banned and war criminals to be prosecuted
3) Germany to be reduced in size and divided into four zones
4) Berlin to also be divided into zones
5) Soviet Union to receive 25% of output from other three zones
Whose death led to the Potsdam Conference being less successful than previous conferences?
Roosevelt
Who replaced Roosevelt as leader of the USA?
Truman
When did the USA drop the atomic bombs on Japan?
August 1945
What new development cast a shadow over the Potsdam Conference?
The atomic bomb
In which year were both Kennan’s Long Telegram and the Novikov Telegram sent?
1946
What did Kennan’s Long Telegram argue?
1) The Soviet Union wanted to destroy capitalism
2) The Soviets were building their military power
3) Peace between the Soviets and the USA was impossible
What did the Novikov Telegram claim?
1) The USA wanted world domination & was building up its military
2) The Soviets were the only country who could stand up to the USA
3) The USA was preparing its people for war with the Soviet Union.
Did the Soviet Union deliver the free elections they promised to at the Yalta Conference? Why?
No, because most people would not have chosen Communism, so the elections were rigged.
What is meant by the phrase ‘salami tactics’?
Fixing elections and then shutting down opposition parties
How did the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe affect relations?
1) USA saw it as a betrayal of Yalta
2) Others feared it was a stepping stone to taking over Western Europe
3) Led to the Truman Doctrine & Marshall Aid
4) USSR argued it was a buffer zone. USA disagreed.
How did the Soviets ensure Bulgaria became Communist?
Elections in 1945. All elected non-communists executed.
How did the Soviets ensure Poland became Communist?
Set up a joint communist/non-communist government, as promised at Yalta. Invited 16 non-communist leaders to Moscow & arrested them. Thousands of other non-communists also arrested. Another election 1947, which the communists ‘won’.
How did the Soviets ensure Czechoslovakia became Communist?
Coalition government set up. Communists control the army, radio and secret police. 1948 seize power and turned into a communist state.
When were the Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan introduced?
1947
What was the aim of the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan?
To prop up weak economies following WW2, to ensure they did not ‘fall’ to communism
What was promised under the Marshall Plan?
1) $13 billion to help rebuild Europe
2) Must trade with USA to get any money
What was Cominform, and when was it set up?
Communist Information Bureau. 1947
What was the purpose of Cominform?
1) Organised the communist parties of Europe
2) Got rid of any opposition within the satellite states
3) Encouraged communist parties in the west to block the Marshall Plan
What was Comecon, and when was it established?
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. 1949
What was the role of Comecon?
1) Soviet alternative to the Marshall Plan
2) Trade links between Comecon countries
3) Prevented members joining the Marshall Plan
What were the consequences of Cominform/Comecon and the Marshall Plan?
Europe divided into two camps. Increased tension between the superpowers.
What does NATO stand for and when was it established?
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. 1949
What was the purpose of NATO?
1) Military alliance of western powers
2) Collective security - if one member attacked, everyone goes to defend
Why was the development of NATO so significant?
1) Demonstrated an unwillingness to accept Soviet aggression (after Berlin & atomic bomb)
2) Led to the Warsaw Pact in 1955
3) Two clear military alliances in Europe
What was Bizonia?
The combination of the British and American zones of Germany. Very unpopular with Stalin.
What was the Berlin Blockade?
When Stalin closed all road, rail and canal links into West Berlin. Hoped to force the Americans, French and British to leave.
When did the Berlin Blockade begin?
June 1948
How did the Western Powers respond to the blockade?
The Berlin Airlift
What was the code name for the Berlin Airlift?
Operation Vittles
When was the Berlin Blockade lifted?
May 1949
What were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade?
1) USA seem peaceful and generous
2) Sept. 1949 West Germany (FRG) officially formed
3) NATO established
4) USSR seem aggressive
5) Oct. 1949 East Germany (GDR) officially formed
6) Warsaw Pact
When did the USSR test its first atomic bomb?
1949
When did the USA develop the H-Bomb?
1952
When did the USSR develop the H-Bomb?
1953
What was MAD?
Mutually Assured Destruction. The idea that both sides having weapons kept the world safer as no one would want to use them.
When was the Warsaw Pact established?
May 1955
What was the trigger cause for the founding of the Warsaw Pact?
West Germany joining NATO.
When did Khrushchev come to power?
1953
When was the Hungarian Uprising?
1956
What was Hungary like before the uprising?
1) It had suffered a lot under Stalin’s rule
2) Food and industrial products were shipped to Russia
3) Any opposition was ruthlessly wiped out
4) The leader (Rakosi) was brutal
5) Communist rule was unpopular
What was Rakosi’s nickname?
Bald Butcher
How did Khrushchev’s ‘secret speech’ lead to the Hungarian Uprising?
Suggested the Soviets would relax control. Gave the Hungarians courage to demonstrate against communism following bad harvests and bread shortages.
How did the Hungarian Uprising begin?
The people of Hungary began demonstrating against Rakosi’s harsh rule following food shortages. Statues of Stalin were pulled down.
Who did Khrushchev appoint to replace Rakosi, and why?
Imre Nagy. He was more moderate and popular. Hoped the situation in Hungary would calm down.
What did Nagy do to upset Khrushchev?
State he wanted reforms including:
1) Leaving the Warsaw Pact and becoming a neutral country
2) Hold free elections, leading to the end of communist rule
3) UN protection from the Soviet Union
Why did Nagy’s proposed reforms worry Khrushchev so much?
Feared it would open the flood gates for more countries to rise up against control by Moscow.
How did the Soviets respond to Nagy’s proposed reforms?
Sent 200,000 troops to Hungary to get rid of Nagy in November 1956. Replaced Nagy with Kadar.
What were the consequences of the Hungarian Uprising?
1) Kadar was relatively moderate, so better living standards in Hungary than many other satellite states
2) The UN condemned Soviet actions
3) Some countries boycotted the 1956 Olympics
4) Soviet control of Eastern Europe tightened
5) Evident that the USA would not help
