SP Beginnings of the cold war consequences Flashcards
The Tehran Conference - 1943
1) Agreed that Russia could keep land in Poland in order to keep Germany as weak as possible once the Nazis were defeated.
2) The USA and Britain would launch D-Day in 1944 to give Russia more support in fighting Germany in the East.
The Yalta Conference Feb - 1945
1) It became clear the USA and the USSR were the true Superpowers, as Britain and their leader - Churchill - were isolated from big decisions.
2) Germany would be divided into four zones and any country that had been taken over by the Nazis would get free elections to determine their own future.
The Potsdam Conference - July - August 1945
1) Relations between the USA and the USSR got worse because the meeting was held in the context of the USSR refusing to remove troops from Poland.
2) The USSR would get reparations from East Germany and it was finalised that there would be four zones in Germany and Berlin would be in four zones too.
Atomic Bombs on Japan - August 1945
1) Relations between the USA and USSR got considerably worse because the USSR believed the USA was using the bomb to show off their superiority.
2) It catalysed an “Arms Race” because the USSR were determined to show the USA they could build their own bomb. They successfully tested one in 1949.
Long Telegram - 1946
1) Truman was inspired by this telegram to set out the policy of Containment.
2) Inspired the USA to be more aggressive in standing up to Communism because the writer of the telegram believed the USSR would backdown in a show of strength.
Novikov Telegram - 1946
1) Formalised the belief that that the USSR had that the USA wanted to use their military power to dominate the world.
2) Led the Russians to believe that the best way to secure themselves was to occupy as much land in Eastern Europe as possible.
USSR’s Satellite States
1) Increased tension because it fuelled the belief that the USSR was an aggressive country determined to takeover Europe with their ideas.
2) Led to Winston Churchill giving his “Iron Curtain” speech and increased the idea that the USA needed to work to “contain the spread of Communism”.
Truman Doctrine - 1947
1) Once and for all got rid of the idea of a friendly Grand Alliance - the USA was positioning Communism as the enemy.
2) Containment became a reality. Any country not wanting Communism would receive military and financial support.
Marshall Plan - 1947
1) The USSR became convinced that the USA wanted to takeover Western Europe with its financial power.
2) The USSR formed Cominform in an attempt to take closer control of the Satellite States and they were told to refuse offers of the Marshall money.
Cominform - 1947
1) The political power of Eastern Europeans to determine things for themselves were heavily restricted. They became less self governing.
2) It revealed just how scared the USSR were of the USA gaining any influence over Eastern European countries.
Comecon - 1949
1) The divide between the economy of capitalism and communism became even bigger and tension between the USA and USSR got even worse.
2) The economy of Eastern Europe became very protected. It only allowed trade between satellite states and in the long-term this made Eastern Europe very poor. Hungary found this particularly hard.
