term 1 Flashcards
1
Q
what was the position of the UK in 1941
A
- rationing during the Blitz
- cities being bombed
- fighting since 1939 (weakened)
- 1940 Britain defeated Nazis during battle of Britain
2
Q
What was the position of the USA in 1941
A
- practicing isolation (1930’s foreign policy)
- Japan attacks pearl harbour 1941
- massive gov spending to raise army - helped economy recover from depression
3
Q
what was the position of the USSR in 1941?
A
- territorial expansion (defence against hitler)
- Hitler breaks Nazi-Soviet pact
4
Q
Tehran Conference
A
- Nov 1943 (Iran)
- Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill
- they agreed:
• anglo-american forces would invade france may 1944
• stalin would join war against japan after germany was defeated
• ussr would gain territory from eastern poland
• only accept unconditional surrender from germany
5
Q
Yalta Conference
A
- Feb 1945 (Ukraine)
- Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill
- they agreed:
• germany divided into four zones
• ussr would annex polish territory they had in 1939
• stalin agreed free elections in countries occupied by red army
• stalin agreed to untied nations
• soviet union would receive reparations from germany ($20 bill)
6
Q
Potsdam Conference
A
- May 1945 (Germany)
- Stalin, Truman and Attlee
- They agreed:
• four zones in germany
• denazification
• nazi war criminals charged
• russia take reparations from the soviet zone
• ‘orderly and humane’ expulsions of ethnic Germans from Poland, Hungary and Czech
7
Q
Stalin
A
- communist dictator of USSR
- in power between 1928-1953
- focused on safety of soviet union (economy)
8
Q
Roosevelt
A
- American president
- in power between 1933-1945
- close relationship with stalin
- wanted united nations
9
Q
Truman
A
- American president (replaced Roosevelt)
- in power between 1945-1953
- feared soviet expansion
- use nuclear weapons
10
Q
Churchill
A
- prime minister of the UK
- in power between 1940-1945
- main priority was to end the war
- keep soviets contained
11
Q
Attlee
A
- prime minister (replaced churchill)
- in power between 1945-1951
- more sympathetic to ussr than churchill
- wanted an american presence in europe
12
Q
Soviet expansion
A
- salami method
- would invade countries through their government and convert them to communism (usually by threatening those in power/ kidnapping)
- romania (1945)
- east germany (1945)
- bulgaria (1946)
- poland (1947)
- hungary (1948)
- czechoslovakia (1948)
13
Q
George Kennan’s “Long Telegram”
A
- Feb 1946
- Soviet outlook (from america)
- no peace between cap and com
- democracy > dictatorship
- conflict is good for spreading communism
- leaders will not give up com
14
Q
Nikolai Novikov’s Telegram
A
- Sep 1946
- american outlook (from soviets)
- USA planning for expansion through democracy
- wants to build an empire
- america doesnt want the spread of com
- america has nuclear weapons
15
Q
Iron Curtain Speech
A
- March 1946
- necessity for the UK and USA to act as guardians of peace and stability against the threat of communism
- iron curtain = political boundary dividing europe
16
Q
Truman Doctrine
A
- March 1947
- truman wanted to stop communism spreading = CONTAINMENT
- wanted to support free people politically, economically and militarily
- USA must support the free people so they can maintain their freedom
17
Q
what were trumans thoughts in 1947? (pre-doctrine)
A
- fear of the spread of communism
- world is weak after WW2 - more likely to ‘fall’ for communism
- USSR is a threat (focusing on preservation and will attack)
18
Q
Marshall Plan
A
- April 1948
- realising the economy fragility of europe after WW2, George Marshall formed a plan to help recovery
- planned to create stable conditions so democracy could continue (czech had fallen to communism)
- aid offered to all european countries (ones under soviet control withdrew)
- $13 billion of economic aid (first amounted $17 bill)
- USA able to establish long term trading partners
19
Q
Cominform
A
- Sep 1947
- nine european communist parties: USSR, Bulgaria, Czecho, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Yuhoslavia, France and Italy
- aim to publish propaganda and spread communism
- wanted to obstruct the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine
20
Q
Comecon
A
- Jan 1949
- council for economic assistance under leadership of the Soviet Union
- members included: USSR, Bulgaria, Czecho, Hungary, Poland and Romania
- created in response to the Marshall Plan
21
Q
USA dropping bombs
A
- 6th Aug 1945
- 9th Aug 1945
22
Q
positives of the Marshall Plan
A
- alliances weakened western powers & created positive relations
- long-term strong trading partners
- prevented spread of communism in europe (CONTAINMENT)
- America viewed positively by western europe
23
Q
negatives of the Marshall Plan
A
- divided europe
- cominform created
- comecon created:
• not as successful as it might have been due to USSR dominating the economy size and industrial production
24
Q
what were the western effects of dropping nuclear bombs on japan?
A
- strained USA and USSR relations
- USSR felt threatened that the USA would use them to abolish communism
