Reasons For Cold War

Question 1

2 Reasons for Cold War pre-1939

Answer 1

1. Ideological differences
2. Historical distrust

Question 2

Reasons for Cold War During WW2 1940-1945

Answer 2

1. Delay in opening 2 front war
2. Post war conferences (Breakdown of wartime alliance)

Question 3

5 Reasons for Cold War after WW2 (after 1945)

Answer 3

1. Satellites states
2. Policy of containment
3. Iron curtain speech
4. Berlin Blockade
5. Military alliances

Question 4

How did ideological differences play a role in starting the Cold War? (Give Eg of historical distrust)

Answer 4

USA: Democratic. USSR: Communist

USA: Free elections. USSR: Dictatorship

USA: Free market econ with private wealth. USSR: Planned market economy with govt-owned wealth.

USA: People lived freer lives, can travel anywhere. USSR: People lived with more restrictions.

Hence, due to ideological differences, each country was suspicious of the other.

Each country thought that both wanted to convert the world to their own ideology to weaken the other.

This led to the start of tensions with hostility between USA and USSR and led to the Cold War.

Question 5

How did pre-1939 historical distrust led to the start of Cold War?

Answer 5

Eg1: Russian Civil War
- War between Reds (communists) & Whites (demo)
- USA supported the Whites

Exp
- This is an event USSR would never forget.
- USA was showing support to their enemy.
- made USSR suspicious of USA

Hence,
- Straining of tensions
- More distrustful of each other’s ideological differences

Question 6

How did delay in opening 2nd front led to Cold War?

Answer 6

• 1941, Germany attacked USSR
• USSR requested for help from USA
• but help only came in 1944

Exp
- USSR was suspicious of USA
-USSR thought that USA wanted to let Nazism and communism kill each other off.

Hence,
- USA’s reluctance to help USSR made USSR more suspicious of USA
- further strained tensions

Question 7

June 1948. Berlin Blockade After WW2

Answer 7

Intro: After WW2, Germany divided into 4, each part given to one Allied power
- Br, Fr, USA and USSR
- Berlin also divided into 4
- But Berlin in Soviet zone
——-
- Stalin wanted Germany to be communist
- 1948, Br & Fr introduced new currency to Germany
- Tensions rose
- Stalin retaliated with currency Ostmark, worsened tensions
——
June 1948 BLOCKADE:
- June 1948, Blockade on West Berlin
- Cut off railway, road & ferry connections
- Stalin wanted to starve West Berliners into submission
- Rest of Allies retaliated with Berlin Airlift
- 11 months of dropping supplies like food, milk, through air travel into W.B