origins of the cold war -> the centrality of europe

Question 1

why was Europe important for international relations?

Answer 1

• it was on of the most economically productive and industrially advanced regions in the world.
• the wars, revolutions and violence that Europe was often prone to meant that control of the continent was contested- it was not quiet and stable but control of it shifted due to violence. Examples of violent eruptions and conflicts that shifted power in Europe include: World Wars, Russian Revolution (1917) and the Spanish Civil War (1936-39)
• between 1900 and 1960, Europe controlled most of the rest of the world through imperialism. Many European countries (UK and France) had empires- areas where they exercised political and economic hegemony (In Africa + Asia)

Question 2

why was Germany important?

Answer 2

• Germany is Europe’s economic, industrial and cultural powerhouse (hegemon)
• because of its location, it is extremely central to power in Europe.
• Who controls Germany, controls Europe.

Question 3

why was Poland so sought after in the 20th century?

Answer 3

• The Bolsheviks sought to create a worldwide communist community.
• They wanted to link the revolution in Russia with an expected revolution in Germany and assist other communist movements in West Europe.
• The newly-independant state of Poland was the geographical bridge between that the Red Army would have to cross to provide direct physical support.

Question 4

what was the tragedy of Poland?

Answer 4

• in 1920, Polish forces halted the Red Army outside Warsaw. This proved that controlling Poland was central to whether the USSR could access Western Europe through Poland.
• In September 1939, Hitler seized Poland to use as a stepping stone towards other parts of Eastern Europe and Russia, where he wanted to acquire lebensraum (the territory that nation believes is needed for its natural development)
• Poland is the bridge between the East + West, between Russia and Germany so plays an important part in both ww2 and in the Cold War after 1945.

Question 5

what was the situation in Europe after ww2?

Answer 5

• Germany was annihilated, became a demolition state by the USSR to its east and UK/USA from west
• Germanys defeat and the Fall of Berlin (may 1945) created a power vacuum
• USA + USSR competing to fill the void left by Germany, causing the Cold War

Question 6

implications of the Great Patriotic War (1941-45) on the Soviet Union

Answer 6

• 25m dead (19% of population)
• 25m rendered homeless
• 70,000 villages and 2,000 towns and cities wiped off the map
• 65,000km of railroad destroyed
  vs approx. 450,000 British deaths