The Cold War. Flashcards
Who were the ‘Big Three’?
- Winston Churchill
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Josef Stalin
Describe the strength of their wartime alliance.
-The bond between east and west was a strategic wartime alliance, not a bond of brotherhood.
Who was the common enemy?
-Hitler.
How long has the USSR been communist?
-More than 30 years.
When was the Yalta Conference?
-February 1945, it was held in the Ukraine.
What happened at Yalta?
- Japan: Stalin agreed to enter the war with Japan once Germany had surrendered.
- Germany: Germany and Berlin would be split into 4 zones; Great Britain, USA, USSR and France. War Criminals would be punished.
- Eastern Europe: Free elections to be held but the Soviet Union had a ‘Sphere of Influence’.
- United Nations: All three joined and would aim to keep peace after the war. Russia didn’t get three seats.
- Poland: Stalin wanted to move the borders, but Churchill disagreed. Stalin had control over Poland. Churchill agreed as Stalin agreed to not invade Greece.
- No reparations were decided at Yalta.
Explain the disagreements from the Potsdam Conference: Germany.
- Disagreed about what to do with Germany after the war.
- Truman wanted to not repeat the Treaty of Versailles.
- Stalin wanted to cripple Germany, so that the USSR were safe in the future.
Explain the disagreements from the Potsdam Conference: Reparations.
- Disagreed on how much Germany should pay in reparations.
- Truman’s aim was to not repeat World War One.
- Stalin wanted compensation as 20 million Russians died in the war.
Explain the disagreements from the Potsdam Conference: Eastern Europe.
- Disagreed about the USSRs policies in Eastern Europe.
- Truman was unhappy about Stalins intentions and adopted a ‘get tough’ attitude towards him.
- Stalin wanted a pro-soviet government in Eastern Europe. Her said if the people are united then no one will dare move a finger against them.
What is the ‘Iron Curtain’?
- The ideological divide between East and West Europe.
- Thought to have been caused by Stalin and how he went against the agreements about Eastern Europe.
- Churchill made a speak about it in America to the president in 1946.
- Stalin took over many Eastern European countries such as Poland.
Name the Eastern European countries taken over by Stalin between 1945 and 1948.
- East Germany
- Poland
- Czechoslovakia
- Hungary
- Romania
- Bulgaria
- Albania
- Yugoslavia
What is containment?
-Stopping the spread of communism.
What happened in Greece?
- There were two rival parties, the communists and the Monarchists.
- Churchill sent British troops into Greece in 1945, supposedly to keep the peace.
- The USSR aid that they were disturbing the peace and the communists tried to take over.
- A civil war started and Britain could not afford to fight, so America did.
- By 1950 the monarchists were in control of Greece.
What is the Truman Doctrine?
-The USA were prepared to spend money, equipment and give advice to any country that America thought was under threat of a communist take over.
What was Marshall Plan?
- Truman believed that communism will tae over if you are vulnerable.
- Europe owed America $11.5 billion but the USA were willing to pay $17 billion to keep them capitalist.
When did the USA and Britain join their two zones together to make Bi-Zonia?
-January 1947.
When did Britain France and the USA meet in London to discuss Germanys future without the Soviet Union?
-December 1947.
When did Russia stop western literate being sold in Soviet Zones?
-January 1948.
When did the USA offer Marshall aid?
-March 1948.
When does Russia impose a partial blockade of West Europe?
-April 1948.
What was the response to the Berlin Blockade?
- The Berlin Airlift.
- The day after the new currency was introduced Stalin cut off supplies to the west via railways, road and canals.
- The allies responded by airlifting supplies into West Berlin including coal and food.
- A supply plane landed every 3 minutes.
What were the consequences?
- Break down of trust between East and West.
- Expensive for the West with 1,200 flights a day, 79 people killed. Total cost of over $100 million.
- Aftern 11 months stalin was forced to back down and West Berlin stayed capitalist.
- In 1949 it was decided by the West that the East of Germany and Berlin will remain under the influence of the USA.
- West Germany became independent in 1949.
- Increased hatred and mistrust of the Americans and the Soviets.
- NATO was set up in reaction.
What is FRG?
-Federal Republic of Germany.
What is GDR?
-Germany Democratic Republic.
