Superpower Relations And Cold War 1941-91

Question 1

When and what were the three wartimes conferences called?

Answer 1

Tehran, Nov-Dec 1943; Yalta, Feb 1945; Potsdam, Jul-Aug 1945.

Question 2

What happened during the Wartime Conferences?

Answer 2

Tehran(Spheres of influence; D-Day plan; Disagreed about Germany’s future: Stalin’s reparations vs USA/UK rebuilding)

Yalta(Help US to defeat Japan; Set up UN; Sphere of influence; Disagreed about democracy; Roosevelt -> Truman, change in US-USSR relationship)

Potsdam(Ban Nazis; Reduce Germany; Division of Germany; Reparations; Atom bomb)

Question 3

When and what was the Iron Curtain Speech about?

Answer 3

1946; Churchill implies Stalin wants to control Europe, to divide of Europe with the “iron curtain”, and that he is a threat to Europe. Churchill wanted US support.

Question 4

What was the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 4

1947; America should help countries resist communist takeover with economic help and troops. Marked the division of Europe by ideology and ended the Grand Alliance.

Policy of containment established as US foreign policy.

Question 5

What was the Marshall Plan?

Answer 5

• $13 bn to rebuild post-war Europe.
• Help Europe recover, make communism less attractive, help US economy by establishing trade.
• USSR furious at attempt, Stalin insists that E.European countries refuse help, divides Europe further.

Question 6

What was Cominform?

Answer 6

• 1947
• Control Communist Parties and ensure loyalty in Eastern Europe(removing disloyal members).
• Consolidated the power of the USSR.

Question 7

What was Comecon?

Answer 7

• 1949
• Encourage economic development of Eastern Europe.
• Political and economic division of Europe cemented.

Question 8

What was the Berlin Crisis and why was it important?

Answer 8

• Flow of refugees from East to West Germany
• Skilled workers moved to the West
• West Berlin remained as a beacon of capitalism in a sea of communism

Question 9

What were the Summit meetings for the Berlin Crisis?

Answer 9

• Geneva 1959: No agreements made but Khrushchev would visit
• Camp David 1959: No solution but Khrushchev withdraws ultimatum
• Paris 1960: Disaster, Khrushchev storms out after refusal to apologise for U2 incident
• Vienna 1961: Neither side back down, 6 month ultimatum brought back

Question 10

What was the Berlin Wall?

Answer 10

• Night 12th August 1961, East Germany surround West Berlin in barbed wire, closing the border.
• 15th August, construction starts
• Remains until Nov 1989
• >300 people were killed

Question 11

Evidence that the Berlin Wall resolved the Crisis.

Answer 11

Khrushchev: Stopped refugee problem, avoided war whilst appearing strong.

Kennedy: Avoided war, Khrushchev admitted he was not able to force the West out of Berlin -> Propaganda victory for the West.

Question 12

Evidence that the Berlin Wall didn’t solve the crisis.

Answer 12

Khrushchev: Unable to force West out of Berlin, humiliating that a wall had to be built to keep the East German people in East Berlin.

Kennedy: West Berlin was now encircled, limiting their freedom and the US had done nothing.

Question 13

Events of Cuban Missile Crisis.

Answer 13

• Cuban Revolution of 1959
• USA tried to remove/assassinate Castro in multiple ways but failed.
• Khrushchev saw opportunity to balance Arms Race by allying with Cuba to construct missile silos.
• U2 planes discovered silos in Oct 1962.
• Kennedy blockades Cuba using naval ships to prevent USSR from reaching Cuba.
• After 2 weeks of tension, secret deal made between Kennedy and Khrushchev to remove missiles from Cuba(USSR) and Turkey(USA) - Turkish removal is kept secret.

Question 14

Consequences of Cuban Crisis.

Answer 14

• Hotline set up
• Limited Test Ban Treaty - overground nuclear tests banned
• Khrushchev’s authority affected - replaced in 1964
• USR more determined to catch up in Arms Race
• Theory of MAD accepted

Question 15

Events of Prague Spring and Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Answer 15

• Antoin Novotny was unpopular - secret police, no opposition allowed, economic and living standards problems.
• Replaced by Alexander Dubcek - Friend of Brezhnev, “Socialism with a human face”, opposition allowed, less censorship, political criticism, aspects of Capitalism.
• Invasion of Czechoslovakia
• Brezhnev Doctrine started - USSR will imvade any E.E. country if the security of the Eastern Bloc is threatened.
•Dubcek signs Moscow Protocol to reverse his changes.

Question 16

Results of Czech Invasion.

Answer 16

• Unpopularity of Soviet style control
• Soviet commitment to protecting Eastern Bloc
• Condemned by US but no military help
• Other Communist parties condemn invasion

Question 17

What was done to acheive Détente?

Answer 17

Helsinki Conference 1975: Three baskets.

• European borders - security/legitimacy of country boundaries
• International cooperation - economy and trade
• Human rights - freedoms of speech and religion etc.

Stabilised relationship in Europe to limit conflict.

Question 18

Events of the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan in 1979?

Answer 18

• April 1978 - pro-Soviet gov. under Taraki came to power in Afghanistan with help from Moscow

• September 1979 - gov. overthrown by Amin - Soviets support Amin but suspect he was looking for US support

• December 24th 1979 - Soviets invade Afghanistan, claiming to have been invited

• December 27th 1979 - Amin assassinated and replaced by Karmal(a pro-Soviet)

Question 19

Reasons for invasion.

Answer 19

• Extend influence in oil-rich Middle East
• Optimistic that the USSR would win since he assured the USSR that he was popular
• Fear that Islamic populations in the USSR would become independent states

Question 20

Impact of the Soviet Invasion of Aghanistan.

Answer 20

• US impose economic sanctions(ban trade) on USSR
• Carter Doctrine - Pres. Carter would use force to protect US interests in the gulf
• Détente was completely broken, some claim US use it as an excuse to get out of détente
• US sends weapons and funds Mujahideen against the USSR
• SALT 2 - Carter withdraws from agreements
• Ronald Reagan is elected in 1980 due to Carter’s unpopularity

Question 21

Collapse of Communism

Answer 21

1989 - Gorbachev’s reforms(e.g. Glasnost and Perestroika, withdrawing troops etc) lead to increased desire for change and communist regimes collapsed.

Nov 1989, Fall of the Berlin Wall - After Hungarian communist government collapses, E German people leave through Hungary forcing the border to be opened. When announced, the wall was dismantled and broadcast to the world.

Question 22

Fall of the Soviet Union

Answer 22

“Gang of Eight” coup against Gorbachev failed in August 1991, he tried to save Communism by introducing a new constitution. This was never accepted and he announced his resignation and the dissolution of the USSR in December. This ended the Cold War.