Reasons & early developments 1945-49

Question 1

Long-term rivalry between US & SU

Answer 1

‘undeclared’ Cold War..

Between ‘17 & ‘41, America propagated ideology emphasising COMM as her ‘mortal enemy’

Question 2

Tensions during WWII

Answer 2

Alliance = fragile marriage of convenience

1 S. felt Allies had delayed opening second front.. / resented lack of international representation

2 Disagreements over which countries fell in zones of influence

Question 3

TEHRAN CONF. Nov ‘43

Answer 3

• Coordinating GER.’s defeat
  1 Allies agreed to open 2nd front
  2 S. agreed to join war against JAP

‘Post- war’ world
1 Poland be given land from GER. but lose some from USSR
2 Discussed creation of UN

Tensions..
Delay opening 2nd front
Churchill’s invasion of Balkans

Question 4

YALTA CONF. FEB ‘45

Answer 4

War was nearly won
1 Surrender of GER.
- Four zones of occup.
2 Set up UN
3 S. agreed to hold free elections.. govt. of national unity in Poland

Tensions..
S.’s intentions to establish pro-COMM govts

Question 5

POTSDAM CONF. JULY ‘45

Answer 5

War had been won..
+ Changes in leadership

1 Disagreements over size of REPS. Ger had to pay
2 Future of Poland
3 News of atomic bomb

Question 6

Stalin & E EUR

Answer 6

S. continued to tighten control in occupied countries
- COMM = hostile & expansionist

LONG TELEGRAM.. Kenman warned Truman S sought to expand power

Question 7

Churchill’s iron curtain speech

Answer 7

‘46: ‘an iron curtain has descended across Europe’
TWO CAMPS

Question 8

Truman doctrine ‘47

Answer 8

Tr. gave a speech committing to containment & defence from COMM
- Pledged econ. assistance to war-torn EUR countries & $400M to Greece & Turkey for immediate econ. aid

Question 9

Marshall Plan ‘48

Answer 9

Promised in Tr Doctrine..
- $13B of financial aid to W EUR countries for reconstruction
- In return, agreed to invest in US products & companies

S.: ‘dollar imperialism’

Results.. Comecon ‘49 & EUR divided into two diff econ systems

Question 10

S.’s control of E EUR

Answer 10

1 Fixed elections.. pushed out Hungary’s pop ‘Smallholder’s Party in ‘47
2 Elimination of pol. opponents.. assassination of Jan Masaryk in ‘47
3 NVKD; Red Army
+ ‘Gulags’
4 Censorship

Question 11

Cominform ‘47

Answer 11

TO moniter political & ideological evolution of satellite states
- Led investigations against ministers & employers in E EUR
Banned states from accepting Marshall aid + encouraged EUR comm parties to boycott it
.. HOWEVER, Tito expelled from group in ‘48

Question 12

Comecon ‘49

Answer 12

Gave S. control over E EUR econ. systems / trade links
- Banned states from accepting Marshall aid
FAILURES.. stunted develop.. outdated goods
Differences between countries

Question 13

Disagreements over GER. / BIZONIA

Answer 13

Potsdam.. disagreements over size of reps. GER had to pay
Agreed to take reps from occupied zone

‘47: creation of Bizonia
& intro of deutschmark in June ‘48
‘48: TRIZONIA
Sep. econ. unit

Question 14

Causes of BER. crisis

Answer 14

1 POLITICAL
S. feared Allies were building up GER. to wage against USSR
2 ECONOMIC
econ prosperity… undermined own zones

Question 15

EVENTS of BER blockade

Answer 15

24 June ‘48: blocked all land routes around GER.
Allies organised BER AIRLIFT..
at its height (Jan ‘49) supplied over 170 000 tonnes of supplies
Prop. success
May ‘49.. Stalin ended blockade

Question 16

EFFECTS of BER blockade

Answer 16

1 GER. separated into two nations
2 Allies set up NATO April ‘49
.. + SU set up Warsaw Pact in response in ‘55