reasons for the cold war

Question 1

Causes of the Cold War

Answer 1

1. Ideological Differences:
   Communism is the belief that wealth should be distributed and that the state should take complete responsibility in this action: including the implementation of a one-party state and the nationalisation of industries. The West ( especially Britain) had supported the opposition to the Bolsheviks which proved that the West was firmly opposed to the USSR. Arguably, this intervention would lead to the Cold War as it proved that the West saw the USSR as an innate enemy.
2. Mistrust during World War 2:
   Late opening of the second front
   Britain and France’s appeasement tactics during the pre-War years especially regarding Czechoslovakia - stalin ha dnot been consulted on this.
   Nazi-Soviet Pact - an agreement of neutrality between Germany and the USSR.
3. The conferences Yalta and Potsdam including differing aims regarding post-war Europe and expansion
   Yalta: agreements made regarding ‘Soviet sphere of influence’ and ‘free elections’ about Eastern Europe were interpreted differently.
   The differing opinions on how Germany should be treated. USA believed it had to revive the economy and bring about peace so that the people would never return to Fascism. USSR believed it had to bleed Germany dry/ cripple its economy and army so that it would never be able to rise to a position of power again. Arguably led to the division in Europe and the formation of the Iron Curtain.

Question 2

Nazi-Soviet Pact (a.k.a The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) - 1939 late august

Answer 2

Previous to World War 2, the Germany and the USSR signed this pact which agreed that Germany would not invade Poland if a war broke out as well as an agreement of neutrality.

1. This led to extreme mistrust from the West as these two strong powers could join together to try to overcome the West (despite them being on opposite sides of the political spectrum) . This was hugely worrying for the West.
2. It showed that Stalin felt that the Allies would not protect or come to aid the ussr if this was needed which showed the distrust between the two sides. It was Stalin’s personal belief that the West wanted to see the USSR and Germany fight a long war and thereby destroying the other. This was a deal although Hitler immediately broke it to protect the security of the USSR.

Question 3

Key Features and Outcomes of Tehran Conference

Answer 3

Impacts:
The decision to open the western front led to stalin feeling relieved as he had been concerned that the west were purposefully delaying this in order to let germany weaken russia. Russia knew the west wanted to see it destroyed as it had acted in favour of the opposition in the russian revolution.

Increased tension between the uk and the usa as roosevelt viewed british colonialism as a threat to world peace but britain was very eager to keep its colonies.

Good relations between the us and the ussr indicated that britain may no longer be a superpower in the future.

Agreed:
Second front opened in west to ease pressure
Stalin declare war on japan
Something like the united nations should be set up

Disagreed:
Britain wanted the border in the balkans
Us sees british colonialism as a threat to world peace
Seems britain was becoming less and less of a superpower

Question 4

Key features and outcomes of Yalta Conference

Answer 4

Outcomes:
Division of germany into 4 parts - shows how they are unable to work together due to different ideologies.

Creation of the soviet sphere of influence (as russia had lost 20 million men and wanted to protect itself) in eastern europe which later led to distrust between the us and ussr as the us felt the ussr had misinterpreted that while the ussr didn’t feel it had done anything wrong

Creation of the united nations decreased tensions and showed that both sides were eager to avoid war

Agreed:

Stalin agrees to enter war against japan once war in europe is won
Germany divided into 4 zones as would berlin
Find and punish people responsible for the holocaust
Countries liberated from german would hold free elections
Eastern europe should be a soviet sphere of influence

Disagreed:

Stalin wanted to move ussr’s border further into poland (matter of national security) but britain and usa were unhappy
They agreed a long as stalin didn’t interfere in the uk trying to prevent communism in greece
Also decided that the government would have lublin poles and london poles

Question 5

Key Features and Outcomes of Potsdam Conference

Answer 5

Outcomes:
Tension over varying opinions of how to treat germany - weaken it or strengthen it

Britain and the us unhappy with the manipulation and russian expansion into eastern europe , claim that this was not what was meant by sphere of influence

Us reveals that it has tested atomic bombs - tension with russia who are concerned that the us did tell russia before and are worried the underlying reason is that the us wants to use the nuclear weapons on russia, this was the start of what eventually led to the arms race

Clarification of boundaries and areas of influence in eastern europe

Agreed:
Germany divided into 4 zones as would berlin
Countries would take reparations form their own section but ussr would get 10% of western reparations
Nazi war crimes would be tried
Germany would be governed by an allied control council
Ussr’s border further into poland confirmed and in turn more germany becomes poland

Disagreed:

Stalin wanted to weaken germany while the west wanted to strengthen it
Soviet crippled their zone with reparations
West made sure that germany had the resources it needed to rebuild itself
Poland didn’t get the independance the west had required from stalin - london poles had very little say and there were no democratic elections
Soviet union wanted to share in occupation of japan but us refused.
Uk and us wanted greater say in eastern europe. Felt that ussr had no right to set up a pro-communist government