Origins of the Cold War Flashcards
When was the Long Telegram written
1946
Which countries were in the Grand Alliance?
USA, Britain, and Soviet Russia
What were the opposing economic ideologies of the USA and the USSR
capitalism, and communism
Name properties of capitalism
Free market, freedom of press and speech, democratic
elections, several political parties
name properties of communism
one party system, no democracy, censorship and state controlled media
When was the Tehran conference
1943 (Nov-Dec)
What were the objectives of the Tehran conference
To discuss the group’s planned invasion of Nazi occupied France.
What were the outcomes of the Tehran conference
- USA and Britain would invade France by May 1944
- The USSR would join the USA and Britain in the war against Japan once Nazi Germany was defeated.
When was the Yalta conference
February 1945
Who were the leaders of the Big Three
Winston Churchill
Franklin D Roosevelt
Joseph Stalin
What was the main objective of the yalta conference
To agree on a post war settlement and decide what to do with Germany once it had been defeated
What were the outcomes of the Yalta conference
- Germany split up into 4 zones, with the USSR, France, Britain and the USA controlling a zone each.
- Berlin (the capital) would also be split into 4 zones with an ally controlling each.
- Countries freed from Nazi control would be allowed to have free, democratic elections
- Stalin committed to joining the war against Japan once Germany had been defeated, as the Americans were suffering heavy losses in the pacific.
- All the leaders committed to pursue and put on trial Nazi war criminals
- The allies agreed to the setting up of the United Nations
What was the United Nations
An organisation dedicated to international cooperation and the prevention of war
What was the “Declaration Of Liberated Europe”
A statement saying that all countries freed from Nazi control would be allowed to hold free democratic elections.
What month did Germany surrender WW2
May 1945
Why was France included in the Yalta conference
-Britain wanted a European ally whom it could share the
cost of the post war reconstruction of Germany with
- Pressure from French leader: General de Gaulle
Who was the new British PM at the Potsdam conference
Clement Atlee
Who was the new USA president at the Potsdam conference
Harry S Truman
Why was the relationship between Stalin and Truman tense
Truman made clear his dislike for communism and Stalin personally
What remarks did Truman make about the USSR?
Truman was “Tired of babying the Soviets”
On what date did the USA successfully drop an atomic bomb in the New Mexico Desert?
16th July 1945
When Truman was informed of the nuclear threat at his disposal what remark did he supposedly make?
“If it works, [The Bomb] I’ll be sure to have a hammer on those boys”
How did Stalin know about the USA’s nuclear threat before Truman told him
Through his spy networks
What “agreements” were made at Potsdam?
To put into practice the agreements made at Yalta
During the 1940s, what types of committees did Truman lead ?
Exposing fraud and corruption within the military
Truman was a “Wilsonian”, what does this mean?
He admired Woodrow Wilson’s hopes for American intervention in Europe
What was the Manhattan project?
The scheme developing the USA’s nuclear weapons
What date did the USA drop the bomb on Hiroshima?
6 August 1945
How many people were murdered in the Hiroshima bombing?
around 140,000
What percentage of buildings were destroyed in the Hiroshima bombing?
Over 60%
What date did the USA drop bombs on Nagasaki?
9th August 1945
How many people were murdered in the Nagasaki bombing?
74,000 people
On what date did the Japanese government surrender WW2?
14th August 1945
The USA’s official justification for dropping the bombs on Japan were to force their government to surrender, however for what other reason could they have done this?
To send a warning to the Soviets about the strength of the USA’s nuclear arsenal
What is nuclear Hegonomy?
Only one country being in possession of nuclear arms
What is a buffer zone?
A neutral area serving to separate hostile forces or nations
Why did the USSR want a buffer zone around them?
They had been invaded during both world wars
When and how did East Germany become communist?
1945,
East Germany was part of the Soviet Zone of occupation agreed at Yalta, and a communist regime was set up