The Cold war Flashcards
What happened at the Yalta conference? (Feb 1945)
Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill split Germany into four zones of occupation, and allowed free elections in Eastern European countries, Russia promised to join the united nations, and Russia promised to join the war against Japan when Germany was defeated
What happened at the Potsdam conference? (July 1945)
Germany was defeated, Roosevelt had died and Churchill had lost the 1945 election, so there were open disagreements. Truman was angry about the size of reparations and the fact that a communist government was being set up in Poland.
describe communism
- Totalitarian
- Property owned by state
- Classless
- Focus on the community as a whole
describe capitalism
- Democratic
- Property privately owned
- Wealth distributed unevenly
- class distinction
- focus on the individual
Describe the USSR under communism
- Russia’s economy was primarily agricultural
- Under leadership of Lenin and then Josef Stalin
- Opposed to religion
- Capitalism immoral as it exploits labour
Describe the USA under capitalism
- In the West there was a deep mistrust of communism
- catholic dominated political parties played a key role in opposing communism
- liberal democracy
- belief in private ownership of land and businesses
- ultimately God not economic factors determines the fate of human kind
What is the iron curtain?
The line that divides the communist east from the capitalism West of Europe (used by Winston Churchill in 1946 as there was large Soviet expansion across Eastern Europe)
Why did Britain and the USA not intervene in Poland to stop the communists from taking control? (1945) (iron curtain)
- Stalin had set up a gov. of national unity in June 1945
- He could not risk free elections as the communist party was unpopular and would inevitably suffer defeat
- The new doctrine of containment being worked by Truman accepted unofficially that Poland was in the USSR’s sphere of influence- the leader of the Polish communist party was dependant on Soviet assistance.
How was Romania put under communist domination? (iron curtain) (1946)
- after the Potsdam conference (when it was recognised that peace treaties could only be signed when governments recognised by wartime allies had been established, Romania’s King Michael called on Britain and the USA not to recognise the new government as it had been imposed by the Soviet union in 1945
- In November 1946 the communist dominated front went to the polls.
- The front won more than 80% of the vote
- Romania refused Marshall aid under Soviet pressure.
How was Bulgaria put under communist domination? (iron curtain (1945)
- In December 1945 Stalin forced the communist dominated Bulgarian government to include two members of the opposition
- In October elections took place for a national assembly. The opposition parties won one-third of the total votes
- Increasing US involvement in Greece meant that Bulgaria became a front line state in the defence of communism
- the Bulgarian communist party also took the creation of Cominform as a cue for pressing on with its radical programme for nationalising industry, collecting agriculture and creating a one party state
What was Yugoslavia’s position during in 1945 during the iron curtain?
- Yugoslavia occupied a unique position among the soviet- dominated states
- The communist party had effectively won power independently of the Soviet forces
- In Southern Europe Tito (yugoslav. leader) had ambitious aims which clashed with the British and US policy.
- Yugoslavia assisted Greek communists in their attempts to seize power in Greece.
- The USSR sympathised with Tito
Why was the Truman doctrine introduced?
- as events in Greece in 1947 had confirmed their worst fears
- since 1944 there had been a civil war in Greece between the monarchists and the communists
- Stalin kept his agreement with Churchill that Greece was an area of British influence and did nothing to help the Greek communists-the West believed that this was a sign of Soviet expansion
- the second world war started to make an impact- the British government owed £3000 million in debts in the war against Germany
- Britain warned the USA that they could not maintain troops in Greece
- The USA was worried that this would lead to a communist takeover.
Why was the Marshall plan introduced?
- when George Marshall was shocked when he travelled through Europe and noticed the economic devastation that he witnessed
- it would act as a barrier to the spread of communism and maybe even pull Eastern countries to the Western block
- It would boost the US economy
In the Marshall plan how much did Western Europe request?
£29 billion, far more than the US was prepared to give
When was Cominform set up?
September 1947
Why did Stalin set up cominform?
To coordinate policies of Eastern European states and made it clear that they could no longer cooperate
Give the two possibilities?-how did the news of the atomic bomb affect super power relations
Possibility 1: The atomic bomb changed Stalins attitude
Possibility 2: the atomic bomb changed Truman’s attitude
Describe how the atomic bomb ‘changed Stalins attitude’
- Stalin was angry because Truman did not tell him about the Atomic bomb. Truman was deliberately vague when he mentioned the bomb to Stalin on 24th July- he just quickly mentioned that the USA had a ‘weapon of destructive force’. He did not mention he was going to use it against Japan (people say Stalin had not realised the implications)
- It is however, almost certain that this is not true in such a simplistic way (evidence shows that Stalin knew
- Soviet sources suggest HOWEVER that straight after Truman told him about the ‘new weapon’ Stalin gave orders for Soviet scientists to develop their own nuclear weapon- news of the weapon DID provoke a nuclear arms race
- Stalin saw the dropping of the bomb as directed more at Russia than Japan ‘they were killing the Japanese and intimidating us’
Describe how the atomic bomb ‘changed Truman’s attitude’
‘Encouraged Truman to seek confrontation’
When Truman knew that he had the bomb:
-His attitude at the conference became more aggressive
-He switched from pro soviet advisers (e.g Davies) to anti-communist advisors such as Stimson and Byrnes
-He dropped the Bomb on Hiroshima to get the Japanese to surrender quickly, before Stalin had a chance to enter the war in the Pacific
-He developed an attitude of confrontation . “I’m sick of babying the Soviets”
Political/economic- which matches to Cominform and Comecon?
Cominform- political support
Comecon-Economic support
How was the Grand alliance strained 1941-45?-aims of the USA
- access to raw materials and the freedom to trade and export throughout the world
- the creation of a United Nations
- continue into the post-war period with an alliance with the USSR and Britain
- decolonisation of European colonies
How was the Grand alliance strained 1941-45?- aims of Britain
- preservation of British empire
- remain on friendly terms with the USA and USSR
- Block soviet expansion in central and South Eastern Europe and the Middle East
- Creation of an independant Poland with a democratic government
How was the Grand alliance strained 1941-35?-aims of the USSR
- security from further attack
- reparations from Germany
- territorial gains from Poland, Finland and Romania
- creation of friendly pro-soviet regimes in Eastern Europe
Aims of the big three: Stalin
- )To get a second front opened in the West as soon as possible
- )To gain security from future invasion and protect nation from further attack
- )To gain reparations from Germany to pay for the vast physical and human damage done to the country (25 million dead)
- )Insist on Communist governments in Poland and Romania
- )To survive as a great power still in possession of its empire
- )To reintegrate the Baltic states into its empire
Aims of the big three: Roosevelt
- )To promote decolonisation and abolition of empires
- )To stop countries becoming autarchic economies (self-sufficient)
- )To gain access to Western European and Asian raw materials and markets
- )To create a worldwide free trade area where tariffs and economic nationalism would be abolished
Aims of the big three: Churchhill
- )To protect revolution from hostile neighbours
- )To make sure America did not move back to a policy of isolationism and leave Europe alone
- )To have a democratic government in Poland
- )To Soviet spread in the Eastern Mediterranean especially defending the trade route through the Suez Canal to India and oil in the Middle East
When did Hitler launch his invasion of the Soviet Union?
On 22nd June 1941 when the second world war was transformed
Who were the allies against who in 1941?
Soviet Union, the USA and Britain were allies against Germany, Italy and Japan
Roosevelt was a realist… what does this mean?
He wanted to focus on what would happen after-there were disagreements here
What were the 4 strains in the grand alliance?
- )The second front
- )The issue of Poland
- )Harry Truman
- )Breaking point
Describe how the second front was a strain in the grand alliance
- the timing of opening a second front up against Germany caused an issue
- Stalin was concerned firstly with the security of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union had always been the brunt of fighting against Germany since 1941 so the need to push a second front to receive pressure on the USSR was a pressing necessity.
- Did the British and American want to see Nazi Germany Defeat Russia?
Describe how the Issue of Poland was a strain in the Grand alliance
- Britain had officially hone to war against Germany in 1939 to uphold the independence of Poland. Due to its geographical position, Poland was of immense security for the security of the Soviet union
- Poland had been the route of three invasions of Russia in the twentieth century
- The Polish government was not prepared to see an unfriendly government in Poland
- There was unfriendliness between the Poles and the Soviets, this came to the core when in April 1943 when German troops discovered a mass grave in Katyn Forest which contained Graves with over 100,000 Polish officer bodies when captured by the Soviets in 1939
Describe how Harry Truman was a strain in the Grand alliance
Truman was anti communist so was uncomfortable with working closer to the Soviet Union. Roosevelt did not share this view but many of the American public did
Describe how ‘breaking point was a strain in the Grand alliance
The tension that had been evident before the Second world war remained. The alliance was temporary, as the war came to an end the strains came to the fore
Who were allied control commissions?
Held real power in defeated countries. They were dominated by which country had liberated that area
Who were governments in Exile?
Political leaders who had escaped Nazi’s to Britain in the war. They had lost respect from locals during the war.
Who were partisan groups?
They had fought guerrilla wars against Nazi’s during the wars. Often seen as heroes, not prepared to tae instructions from government’s in exile
Who were communist parties?
Began to reform in liberated countries and were ordered by Stalin to form popular fronts or alliances with liberals, socialists and peasant parties
Describe the liberation of Europe in Poland
- Britain was determined that this country should be democratic but Stalin wanted to reign lost-territories and ensure a pro-soviet government emerged
- The Red army smashed the Home Amy and established the committee of National Liberation (Lublin committee), Stalin wanted the Lublin committee to form the core of a future pro-soviet government
- Stalin did not trust the home army uprising in Warsaw so many were shot or imprisoned
- Britain and the USA were fearful of upsetting wartime alliance and so accepted Stalins actions
What were Soviet attitudes in 1945?
- taking advantage of the military situation in Europe to strengthen Soviet influence and prevent another invasion from the West
- establishing pro-soviet governments in as much of Eastern Europe as possible (to the west this was seen as Soviet expansion)
- Ever since the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 Soviet foreign policy was concerned with two aims:
1. ) Protecting the new state from hostile neighbour’s and ensuring its survival
2. )Aiming to promote the spread of world communist revolution - Stalin was preoccupied with safeguarding Soviet security
- Russia had been invaded from the West three times during the twentieth century, each time losses were substantial
- Over 20 million Soviet citizens were killed during the war-on top of the vast economic losses
What were US attitudes in 1945?
- Roosevelt was realistic enough to realise that the USA had to seek some sort of working relationship with the USSR
- With the Soviet red army stationed in most of Eastern Europe, and the atmosphere of war weariness, Roosevelt saw compromise and negotiation as the most effective method of safeguarding Western interests
- When Roosevelt died he was replaced by Harry Truman who had kept out of foreign affairs, he was catapulted into a position that he was not prepared for, Truman was catapulted into a position that he was not prepared for
- Trumans hard line approach was to become what was known as the ‘iron fist’ which was a reaction against the policy of appeasement that had been pursued by the British against Nazi Germany
- the consumer based US economy was concerned to see a revival in Europe to ensure a free market for US goods. Wanted to keep this market closed off by the spread of communism
- US hostility towards the USS was inflated by the failure o understand the Soviet obsession with security
What were the four freedoms that the US fought for in 1945?
- Freedom from want
- Freedom from speech
- Freedom of religious belief
- Freedom from fear
When did Roosevelt die and who was he replaced with?
- April 1945
- Harry Truman
Why was the USA so hostile to communism after 1945?
- The USSR was seen as a threat to the freedoms of western capitalism
- Truman was an amateur in foreign affairs, he needed to assert his authority by adopting a hard line approach
- The long telegram saw the USSR as aggressive and expansionist
- US industry wanted to protect its markets in Europe
- Failed to understand Soviet obsession with security
- US military wanted to protect their own position in the military and didn’t want pressure on arms
What were British attitudes in 1945?
- more suspicious of Soviet intentions than the US
- the end of WW2 saw Britain as economically bankrupt
- Britain was a great power but lacked the resources to sustain this role
- Churchhill feared the Americans tired of fighting would return to a policy of isolationism, as they had after the first world war
- In 1946 the foreign policies of Britain and the USSR were similar
What did Churchhill and Stalin agree on when they met in Moscow in 1944?
To recognise spheres of influence:
- 50:50- Hungary and Yugoslavia
- Britain 90% influence in Greece, fearful of Soviet expansion
In 1945 the attitudes of the three main powers were ……. as they started to focus on ……….. =breakdown in relations
- hardening
- post war issues
What was agreed agreed at Yalta?
- the establishment of a united nations
- the division of Germany, Berlin and Austria into temporary zones of occupation
- free elections in Eastern Europe
- The Soviet Union agreed to enter the war against Japan which was still going on, in return for receiving some of Japans islands in the far East
When was Yalta?
Feb 1935
What disagreements remained at Yalta?
-over Poland
When the Soviet red army liberated Poland from Germany a communist government was set up in despite the fact a a government in exile had to return to Poland whenever it was safe
-the West hoped that free elections would reduce the amount of communists in the government
How had the situation changed by the time it came to Potsdam?
- attitudes had hardened
- Stalin now faced Truman and Attlee who replaced Churchill . Faced with two new relative newcomers to foreign affairs Stalin had an advantage
- Truman an the British were annoyed at Soviet actions (Stalin had been allowed to incorporate some Polish territory into the Soviet Union)
- Throughout Eastern Europe communist groups were being placed in important government roles
- Although the USA and Britain finally agreed to move the Western frontier of Poland to the Order Western Neisse line 5 million Germans were expelled from Poland and forcibly moved West into Germany
When did the US successfully test the atomic bomb?
By the 16th July
What decisions were made about Germany in the Potsdam conference?
- Agreed on the demilitarisation, denazification and the punishment of war criminals
- USSR determined to extract as much as possible from Germany whilst the USA and Britain wanted their economy to stay strong for imported food
What was the ‘temporary compromise’ agreed upon about Germany in the Potsdam conference?
All could take reparations from their zones and the West would give the East 15% of this in exchange for food and raw materials
On what issues did the Big powers disagree with about the future of Germany?-SED?
- To broaden the appeal of the German communist party, so that it would appeal to Germans in all 4 zones
- Stalin ordered his officials to force through through the merger of the Social democrats with the KPD in the Soviet zone in Eastern Germany
- After 20,000 social democrats were interrogated and imprisoned the central executive of the social democrats agreed to the formation of the new party
On what issues did the Big powers disagree with about the future of Germany?-How did SED impact on relations?
- The violence in Eastern Germany created fear and suspicion in Western Germany preventing the party success there.
- When Social democrat leaders in the Western Zones of Berlin were asked by social democrat leaders in Berlin to approve the merger of the two parties it was rejected by 82%
- Western Germany was suspicious of Soviet intentions
On what issues did the Big powers disagree with about the future of Germany?-Reparations
- compromise in reparations by spring 1946 had broke down
- British were taking the majority of majority of refugees
- Britain and the USA were anxious to encourage a modest German recovery so that their zones could at least pay for their own food imports
- Consequently until their zones became self-supporting, they wished to delay delivering to the USSR the quotas from their own zones of machinery and raw materials that had been agreed
On what issues did the Big powers disagree with about the future of Germany? How did reparations impact on relations?
-In May General Clay in an attempt to bring the French into line and to force the Soviets to agree to treat Germany as an economic unity, he announced that no further reparation deliveries would be made until there was an overall plan for German economy. They feared that a united German capitalist economy would play an important role in a US-dominated global capitalist trading system
On what issues did the Big powers disagree with about the future of Germany?- Bizonia
- Motlov (soviet foreign minister) insisted that the Germans should pay the USSR the equivalent of $10 billion in reparations
- Byrens (Trumans foreign policy advisor) argued that reparations could only be paid once Germany made a trade surplus
- He offered to unify the US zone economically with the 3 other zones. Only Britain which was finding the zone a major drain on its fragile economy, accepted the British and US which were merged economically in 1947
When was Bizonia formed?
1947
On what issues did the Big powers disagree with about the future of Germany?-How did Bizonia impact on relations?
- In retrospect this was a major step towards the division of the East and West
- It was hoped that Bizonia would become prosperous and then Germany could pay the reparations that were demanded at Potsdam
- It was the first step towards a separate West German state
On what issues did the Big powers disagree with about the future of Germany?-Moscow conference of foreign ministers
- major turning point
- The Soviets tried to destroy Bizonia by demanding that a new central German administration under 4 power control was to be set up
- there was strong opposition from Britain who feared that this would slow the economic recovery of the British zone
- Bevin (British) managed to manoeuvre the USSR into a corner where he managed to persuade the Americans to agree that “political unity would only come after economic unity”-the Soviets had little option
When was the Moscow conference of foreign ministers?
March to April 1947
On what issues did the Big powers disagree with about the future of Germany?-what impact did the Moscow conference of foreign ministers have on relations?
- A ‘successful failure’ as it was described about the British and Americans as it enabled them to build up Bizonia
- Nothing was decided on German reparations
What were the causes of the Berlin blockade?
- the so called ‘German problem’ would not go away because the agreements at Yalta and Potsdam were temporary
- when the Deutsche Mark was introduced in West Berlin on the 20th June 1948, Stalin took action. The Soviets introduced the Ostmark to the Eastern German zone, two separate German states began to take place
- the guiding principle of NATO was that an attack on one of its members would be seen as an attack on all, thus NATO was a defensive organisation to protect the west and its interests. Stalin saw the introduction of Nato as a deliberately provocative action
- Denied access to Marshall aid and low living conditions in the East. By 1948 the difference in living conditions in both states were obvious
- The Western zones of Germany run by Britain, the USA and France befitted from the influx of Marshall aid, the East lacked resources, taken as reparations for damage during the war
