Outbreak Of Cold war Flashcards
1
Q
What were the terms at Yalta for Germany?
A
- February 1945
- Only unconditional surrender would be accepted
- No separate peace between the Soviet Union and Germany or Germany and Britain and France
- Germany temporarily divided into four zones of occupation shared between the victorious nations ( USA, USSR, Britain, France)
- Berlin would also be split into four areas as it is in Soviet area
- Reparations of 20 billion dollars would be taken from Germany in kind and half would be given to the USSR for its heavy losses.
2
Q
What is the Marshall plan and the Truman Doctrine?
A
- Marshall plan -> A European recovery program that was offered to stabilise the economies of Europe and prevent the growth of communism in European democracies, although this was not said out right.
Truman Doctrine -> A commitment to help any country threatened by armed minorities primarily through economic and financial aid. cough cough communism.
3
Q
Reasons for the blockade
A
Reasons for blockade - Deutschmark, Bizonia and Trizonia all felt aggressive to Stalin and it made it seem as if the west was ganging up against the east.
4
Q
Yalta terms for Poland
A
- February 1945
- Soviet Union would be given the eastern part of Poland if improve its defences and thereby regain land it had originally seized following the Nazi-Soviet Pact.
- A provisional government established would include the ‘Lublin’ poles backed by the USSR and the ‘London’ poles who fled during the war in 1939
- In return, Poland would gain land from eastern Germany
- Free elections would take place in Poland
5
Q
Yalta terms for Japan
A
- Once Germany was defeated Soviet armies in the Far East would invade Manchuria and help with the invasion of Japan (as a reward, the Soviet Union would gain land in the Far East)
6
Q
Yalta terms for United Nations Organisation
A
- A new international organisation would be created to keep and promote world peace.
- At first it would consist of all nations that had fought against Germany
- The Security Council would consist of five permanent members into a power of veto
- The first meeting will be held in San Francisco in June 1945
7
Q
Why does the west not trust the USSR?
A
- 1917/18 Soviets ceased power and pulled out of WWI
- 1922 Russia merged with five neighbouring countries to form a new country called the Soviet Union 
- 1936 five more states to join the Soviet Union
- 1939 Soviet forces marched into eastern Poland and the Baltic states
- 1939 Russia signed Nazi soviet pact
8
Q
Why did the USSR not trust the west?
A
- 1918 Western powers sent armies to Russia in attempt to remove the Communist government
- World War II dash Stalin believe Western powers were purposely delaying opening of second front in Europe in 1942–3
- 1942-3 Britain and USA do not tell Stalin that they have broken the German code called the Enigma
- 1944-5 The USA did not share details of the Manhattan project

9
Q
What were the terms at Yalta for liberated Europe?
A
- Allowed to hold free elections and form independent government
-This would also happen in countries they had liberated in Eastern Europe including Poland
10
Q
Potsdam terms for Germany
A
- Confirmed Germany and Berlin would be divided
- confirmed Germany would pay reparations
- Germany to be disarmed, Nazi party abolished and war criminals put on trial
- Germany to be governed by an Allied control council in Berlin in which each decision would require a unanimous verdict and Germany would be treated as a single economic unit.
11
Q
Potsdam terms for Poland
A
- Poland‘s borders to be moved west to the rivers Oder and Neisse, thereby confirming land to be taken from eastern Germany
12
Q
Potsdam terms for liberated Europe
A
-Germans living in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia should return to Germany
13
Q
Potsdam terms for Japan
A
- The USA was reluctant to provide the Soviet Union with land in the Far East
14
Q
Potsdam terms for UNO
A
- creation and initial structure confirmed as agreed at Yalta
15
Q
Disagreements or problems with Germany after WWII
A
- No peace treaty drawn for defeated Germany
- Stalin wanted to dismember Germany but Britain and the US opposed this
- Soviets wanted access to Germany’s industrial heartland of the Ruhr but this was rejected by Britain and the USA
16
Q
Disagreements or problems with Poland after WWII
A
- Disagreement about the Polish government which was being run by the Soviet-backed Lublin Poles.
- No firm confirmation from the Soviet Union of free democratic elections in Eastern Europe
17
Q
Disagreements or problems with Liberated Europe after WWII
A
- No confirmation from the Soviet union of free democratic elections in Eastern Europe
18
Q
Disagreements or problems with Japan after WWII
A
- Truman rejected Stalin’s demand for land in Japan
19
Q
What changed between Yalta and Potsdam?
A
- LEADERS -> Churchill is replaced with Attlee and Roosevelt is replaced with Truman while Stalin is at both, meaning that the USSR is at an advantage.
- ATOMIC BOMB -> 16th July 1945, the USA tested their first atomic bomb (Manhattan project) meaning that Stalin no longer has the military upper hand. Stalin also worries as it could be used against the USSR and the information was not shared with him.
- JAPAN -> The USA no longer need the USSR’s help to defeat Japan as they have an atomic bomb. This means the USSR isn’t going to gain the land it was promised in exchange for its help.
- RED ARMY -> Remains in Eastern Europe and puts pressure for Communist governments to be voted in. This means that many communist governments will rise in Eastern Europe.
20
Q
Why did the USA Commit to the Truman doctrine and the Marshall plan?
A
- They were worried that communists would win the Greek Civil War as Britain announced that it could no longer sustain it
- They were also worried that France and Italy may also turn Communist as they were economically weak due to the war and the poor harvest of 1946–7
- The US states that it is logical to do whatever they can to help the recovery of Europe because they trade with Europe and without economic health there would be no political stability and no assured peace.
- America would benefit from the Marshall plan as by providing loans of the countries it would create stronger markets for US exports
21
Q
How did Stalin view the Truman doctrine and the Marshall plan?
A
- Stalin saw it as a smokescreen for expansion.
He thought that countries had to trade with USA as they are relying on the USA for money and so they are controlled by the USA. They called this dollar imperialism and was seen as an attempt to split Europe into two parts. - Directed against the USSR and communism and hostile
- Feared the economic recovery of Germany
22
Q
Why did Stalin put up the Berlin Blockade?
A
- Britain, France and the USA combined the zones of Germany to create trizonia
- Britain and the US introduced a new currency called the Deutschmark
- The Marshall plan meant Germany was growing stronger
- Stalin worried that Germany was becoming too rich and strong and may be able to threaten the Soviet union again.
- He also worried that West Berlin would highlight economic weaknesses of East Berlin
23
Q
How did Stalin react to the Marshall plan?
A
- Stalin banned countries in his control from accepting the Marshall aid as it would undermine his control of them.
- He tightened his control and Czechoslovakia, the only country which retained political independence
- Created COMMNIFORM which was an organisation that maintain the unity of the assembled nations that were under Moscow’s control.
24
Q
What happened during the Blockade and Airlift?
A
- June 1948 Soviet forces closed all railways, roads and canals leading from the zone into the western sectors of the city, claiming they weren’t in good condition.
- Take it off of food and fuel supplies, leaving the people of Berlin in starvation.
- The west gathered the huge fleet of aircraft to take food, coal and clothing to Berlin.
- Soviets attempted to disrupt them by flying close by and shining torches into eyes of pilots.
- This lasted for nearly a year, until Stalin lifted the blockade in 1949.
25
How did the USA view Soviet control over Eastern Europe?
- Fear of a communist Europe.
- Soviets breaking promise of free elections
- Rigged elections
- Red Army turn to violence and arrests and it seems they are imposing communism
- Aggressive expansion of communism
26
How did the Soviets view their control over Eastern Europe?
- Defensive
- Eastern Europe viewed as a barrier to protect USSR from invasion
- Liberated Eastern Europe so able to improve governments
27
What were the consequences of the Berlin Airlift?
- Bought Western Germany closer to western powers
- Soviets create Warsaw Pact
- Both the east and the west turn their section of Germany into its own country
- Western powers formed NATO
- First clearly aggressive act from the Soviets which heightened fears of them in the west
28
How did Stalin take control of Poland?
- Soviet troops remained after liberation
- New government formed in June 1945 dominated by ‘Lublin’ Poles
- Opposition leaders arrested and murdered
- Rigged elections in 1947 gave communists 80% of the vote
29
How did Stalin take control of Romania?
- Soviet troops remained after liberation
- Soviets accepted a coalition government in 1945, accepting key positions for communists
- Gradually took over the police and security forces
- Rigged elections in 1946 gave the communists and their allies 90% of the vote.
- Show trial of main opposition leader in October 1947
- King Michael forced to abdicate in December
30
How did Stalin take control of Bulgaria?
- Soviet troops remained after liberation
- Initially joined a coalition with other parties, the Fatherland Front
- Purged rival group from the Fatherland Front
- Monarchy abolished in 1946
- New constitution in 1947 effectively destroyed parliamentary democracy and opposition parties were disbanded
31
How did Stalin take control of Hungary?
- Soviet troops remained after liberation
- Communists won 17% of the vote in November 1945 elections but were given control of the Ministry of the Interior
- Used secret police to discredit and persecute rival politicians and parties
- Rigged elections in 1947 gave communists control of a coalition government
- Social Democratic Party and Communist Party merged in 1948
32
How did Stalin take control of Czechoslovakia ?
- Soviet troops left after the war
- Post-War elections gave communists leadership of a balanced, coalition government.
- Gradually assumed control of key government ministries allowing them to arrest political opponents
- Foreign Minister Jans Masaryk, a popular and non-communist politician, murdered in May 1947
- All non-communist members of the government resigned in February 1948, with communists filling vacant positions.
33
Details on Berlin Airlift
- USA spent $350 million and Britain £17 million
- At the height of the Airlift a plane landed at Berlin’s Templehof Airport every minute
- Berlin only had food for 36 days
