Origins of the cold War

Question 1

What were the 2 conflicting power bases driven by?

Answer 1

Ideological division and possession of nuclear weapons

Question 2

What are the historical interpretations of the cold war?

Answer 2

Soviet communist ideology and territorial expansion forced the US to devlop a defensive stance. In this view the US is presented as having a gentle response to Soviet provocation
Soviet actions are a legitimate response to the US economic and imperialistic action in Eurpe and a historic fear of Westen intrusion

Question 3

Were the origins of the cold war ideological or about territory expansion

Answer 3

Communism v capitalism
Formation of alliances to build international power

Question 4

How did the US build alliances?

Answer 4

Though a system of protection based on its economic power and nuclear might

Question 5

What was Churchill’s view?

Answer 5

Gave a speech in Misouri 1946 saying that communist parties were seeking totalitarian control and this was not the liberated Europe they fought for, He said it threatened peace
He accused the Soviets of wanting the fruits of war and to expand their power and doctrine

Question 6

When were European states liberated by the Soviet Union after ww2?

Answer 6

Jan 1945

Question 7

When did ww2 end?

Answer 7

May 1945

Question 8

When was the Potsdam conference?

Answer 8

July 1945

Question 9

When were the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Answer 9

Aug 1945

Question 10

When did Japan surrender to the US?

Answer 10

Sept 1945

Question 11

When did Japan surrender to the US?

Answer 11

Sept 1945

Question 12

What did Hitler say in his political testament speech before his suicide?

Answer 12

After the collapse of the German Reich there are only 2 powers ib the world the US and Soviet Russia these giants are detined to struggle with each other through war or rivalry in economics and political ideas

Question 13

What did the capitalist democracies of the US and UK believe?

Answer 13

An individual had a fundamental right to liberty. Every citizen should have equal opps, but not neccesssarily equal outcomes.
Liberty was based on free market economics

Question 14

These countries had never fought or exchanged ammunition so why were they opposed to each other?

Answer 14

1914 - Russian debt to entente countries 20 million dollars
1918 Russia pulled out of ww1 - blow to the allies
Bolshevik govt refused to pay 20 million dollars
Nationalisation of foreign owed businesses in Russia - no compensation given. Went against core belief of capitalist society - respect for private property

Question 15

Why did the Soviet Union dominate Eastern Europe?

Answer 15

Devastating impact of WW2 - Soviets lost 40 million people in the war
6 November 1941 - Stalin declared we must help these nations of Easter Europe in the struggle for liberation with no interference

Question 16

How did the position of capitalism v communism arise?

Answer 16

Each side felt thats its ideolgy should dominate as many other nations as possible
Each side viewed the expansion of the other as a threat