The Cold war: Soviet Sphere of Influence

Question 1

what was the soviet sphere of influence (45-48)

Answer 1

Soviet political and military domination of Eastern Europe

Question 2

Why was the soviet sphere of influence made

Answer 2

• to protect USSR using a ‘Buffer zone’ as USA had access to nukes that killed 120000 Japanese in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• to spread and expand communism increasing its population after 27mil USSR losses in ww2

Question 3

How did Stalin expand the Sphere of Influence

Answer 3

-through rigged elections (Czechoslovakia)
-through violence and extermination of non communists (Hungary)

Albania = Communist leader Hoxha took power after ww2

Romania = communist coalition group was elected, and then communists slowly removed their coalition partners

Czechoslovakia = 1948 rigged elections where only communist governments were running for leadership

Question 4

Who is George Kennan

Answer 4

US ambassador in Moscow (USSR) who was trusted by Truman

Question 5

What yr was kennan’s ‘Long Telegram’

Answer 5

1946

Question 6

What did the ‘Long Telegram’ say

Answer 6

• Stalin wanted to destroy Capitalism
• Truman needed to be tough on the USSR for them to back down

Question 7

List the telegrams/speeches in order

Answer 7

Long Telegram (1946)
Iron Curtain Speech (1946)
Novikov Telegram (1946)

Question 8

Who was Churchill

Answer 8

ex GB prime-minister

Question 9

What was the Long Curtain speech

Answer 9

a speech Churchill gave in USA where he accused Stalin of:
-threatening world peace
-dividing Europe

Question 10

Give a quote from the Long Curtain Speech

Answer 10

‘An iron curtain has descended across the continent’

Question 11

what yr was the Long Curtain speech

Answer 11

1946

Question 12

What was USSR’s response (September) to the USA’s ‘Long Telegram’

Answer 12

the ‘Novikov Telegram’

Question 13

What yr did the Novikov Telegram get sent

Answer 13

1946

Question 14

Who was Novikov

Answer 14

Soviet politician working in Washington (USA)

Question 15

What did the Novikov Telegram say

Answer 15

• USA aimed to used military forces to assert world dominance
• USA no longer wanted cooperation w USSR

Question 16

What did these telegrams/speeches result in

Answer 16

• continued spread of communism and expansion of Soviet states
• increased tension
• the Truman doctrine

Question 17

why did the Speeches/telegrams influence expansion and spread of communism

Answer 17

• Stalin determined to build his Buffer Zone in protection from the USA (bc Novikov said USA would attack militarily)

Question 18

Why did tensions increase due to speech/telegrams

Answer 18

clear neither side was cooperating
they had contradicting political views
neither side trusted one another

Question 19

What was The Truman Doctrine (1947)

Answer 19

Trumans speech stating
- USA was committed to the policy of ‘containment’
- USA would provide econ aid to countries at risk of becoming communist
- said choosing democracy over communism was like choosing ‘good over evil’

Question 20

Why did the Truman Doctrine happen

Answer 20

• expansion of the Soviet sphere of Influence
• The Speeches and Telegrams prior
• Greek civil war
• poor econ state of east europe

Question 21

Explain the Greek Civil war

Answer 21

civil war between non-comm vs pro-comm
GB could no longer fund the non-comm
so USA would help them to fight pro-comm
to prevent expansion of communism to Greece as well

Question 22

What was The Marshall Plan

Answer 22

the economic aid plan Truman promised in his Doctrine for East Europe to prevent spread of comm

Question 23

How much was the Marshall Aid

Answer 23

$13 Billion USD to 17 countries over a 4 yr period

Question 24

Why was the Marshall Aid not successful in Eastern Europe

Answer 24

Stalin banned countries from accepting the Marshall Aid

Question 25

How did Stalin react to the Marshall Plan

Answer 25

he called it evidence for ‘dollar imperialism’
he mad cominform
he made comecon

Question 26

what is dollar imperialism

Answer 26

the US planned to control, and assert dominance on countries over distant lands ideologically, politically and militarily through their money

Question 27

What was Cominform (1947)

Answer 27

-political organisation of communist countries
-asserts USSR dominance as it results in Eastern Europe’s lack of contact to west and the USA
-Eastern Europe forced to reject the US Marshall Aid

Question 28

What was Comecon (1949)

Answer 28

• USSR’s econ aid for comm countries
• prevented communists from turning to the USA for econ aid
• increased inter-communist trading (Bulgaria’s trade w communists rose to over 90% by 1951)