Start of Cold War Flashcards
Define: Start of cold war
Breakdown in wartime alliances as no more common enemy (Germany) —–> Compete economically, politically and militarily
Differences in political ideology (Democracy vs Communism)
Democracy - free elections, freedom of individual, capitalist economy
Communism - Control of the state, prioritize needs of the state over individuals, communist economy
The cold war started because of Britain (4 Egs)
- “From Germany in the Baltic, to Yugoslavia in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended”
- Declared the imaginary border between the Soviet-dominated eastern Europe and democratic western Europe
- Warned the USSR was determined to expand
- Stalin retaliated by accusing Churchill of being warmonger
The cold war started due to mistrust between the allies (4 Egs)
- US helped the white Bolsheviks against the red Bolsheviks
- Nazi-Soviet Pact
- US did not inform USSR about the atomic bomb to be used on Japan
- Delay in the opening of the second open front in Germany
The cold war started due to the breakdown of wartime alliances (4 Egs)
- USSR already had troops in eastern Europe and East Germany
- In the Yalta Conference, Stalin agreed to hold free elections but in the Potsdam Conference, he went back on his word
- Stalin wanted a buffer zone because USSR had been invaded twice by the west
- USA saw this as trying to spread communism through salami tactics
The cold war started because of USA (3 egs)
- Truman Doctrine, policy of offering help to any country under threat of communism by any means except the use of force
- USA willing to spend large sums of money, arms and supplies around the world to contain communism
- Kennan’s long telegram, stated that USSR was convinced of the ‘threat’ of a ‘hostile world’, was hostile to the west and ‘impervious’ to reason but Moscow is highly sensitive to force so USA should stand up against the USSR
What happened in the Yalta Conference? (5 Egs)
- Germany would be divided into four zones, occupied by the allies
- Nuremburg trials
- Could not agree between giving Germany heavy reoperations or recovery
- Countries in Eastern Europe would be allowed to hold free elections
- Formation of United Nations (World peace)
What happened in the Potsdam conference? (5 Egs)
- The new leaders, Harry Truman and Clement Atlee did not get on nearly so well with Stalin
- Agreed to ban the Nazi party and established its leaders as war criminals
- Reparations was decided to be imposed on Germany, but could not agree on an exact amount
- Stain insisted no government in Easter Europe can be hostile towards USSR, going back on his word in the Yalta conference to allow free elections
- Attitude of USA worsened as it no longer needed USSRs help in Japan, already possessed working atomic bomb.
How did USA compete economically? (5 egs)
- Marshall plan, give 13 billion dollars worth of aid to western Europe to make communism less attractive
- In west Germany and west Berlin, the western allies closed down black markets, stopped food rationing and abolished price controls
- Introduced a new currency, Deutschmark, allowing for economic recovery
- Greece had came under communist threat and received aid from USA, allowing its economy to recover
- Airlifting of food and supplies to west Berlin for 6 months during Berlin Blockade, aiding its recovery
How did USSR compete economically? (5 Egs)
- COMECON was put in place to coordinate production and trade in eastern Europe, making their economies interdependent on USSR to benefit the USSR. As a result, they were not allowed to receive help from the Marshal Plan
- Eastern Europe states had to sell resources to USSR at low prices in exchange for Soviet oil
- Demanded heavy reparations from Germany in Potsdam conference
- Stripped east Germany of its heavy industries and moved them to USSR
- To compete with USA militarily, USSR focused on the arms race and industrial production, neglecting consumer goods
Importance & progression of arms race (2 egs + 3 parts)
- Nuclear weapons act as deterrence
- Gave countries prestige, which was important in cold war politics
- Within 4 years of USA dropping the first atomic
bomb, the USSR had tested its own atomic bomb - USA tested its first H-bomb followed by USSR
- USSR tested the ICBM capable of carrying the H-bomb from USSR to USA. Within a year, the USA had the same capability
Define: Berlin Blockade
The closing of all railway and road connections from Germany to West Germany to force the Western Allies out of Berlin
Stalin’s fear & aggression caused the Berlin Blockade (3 egs)
- West Berlin was within Russian territory
- West Berlin had Western Allied troops and weapons, saw them as a threat
- When council elections were held in 1946, the communists had won the rigged elections, should belong to Russia
What is COMEINFROM?
An alliance of communist countries in response to the Marshal Plan and Truman Doctrine, aimed at spreading Stalin’s communist ideas and helping him control his communist allies by restricting their contact with the west
What is NATO?
A military alliance to defend each of its members if one was attacked. Also allowed the placement of nuclear weapons on allied countries
