the divisions of europe Flashcards
who were the FRG?
The Federal Republic of Germany-west
who were the GDR?
The German Democratic Republic-east
what was the cominform?
aimed to promote ideological unity amongst the communist parties in europe
what was comecon?
aimed to integrate the eastern European economies
when did the west introduce a new west german currency and what was it called?
1948
deutschmark
what did the USSR do in response to the Deutschmark?
started putting pressure on the west by creating the berlin bloackade
rail,road and electricity links were cut off
how did the west respond to the berlin blockade?
with an airlift,flying 2,000 tons of food and raw material in a day
ended in 1949
what was signed in 1948?
the Brussels pact which promised mutal defence in Belgium, Britain, france and the Netherlands?
what was signed in 1949?
the brussles pact lead to the signing of NATO which commited the USA to the defence of western Europe
why was the USSR seen as a growing threat?
they had developed an atomic bomb, china had fallen to communism, stalin was expanding Red Army
what did france propose in response to growing fears regarding the USSR?
the Plevan Plan, which proposed a European army
how did Stalin respond to the Plevan Plan?
with the Stafford compromise-an army with NATO troops and german untis
what was ‘guns and butter’?
arms given to Germany funded by the USA which lead to a 25%rise in economy for the FRG
march 1952,what did Stalin call for?
a unified and neutral Germany, this proposal was ignored and not taken seriously
what was given the go ahead in 1952?
Ulbricht to accelerate socialism in the East,this showed that Stalin had given up on trying to sacrifice the GDR to stop Western rearmament
what happened after Stalin’s death?
a collective leadership ruled the USSR and it sought to relax tensions with the US, reducing expenditure on weapons so they could improve living conditions and this opened talks regarding German reunification but both sides feared the other dominating a unified germany
what was the 5 year plan?
aimed to improve economic output in the GDR
Ulbricht raised workers targets by 10% in 1952 and prices of food and public transport were also increased
what happened in 1953?
strikes broke out across east Germany-workers demanded more pay and political freedom-they lead to spontaneous strikes, demonstrations and riots across the whole of the GDR
How did the GDR deal with the riots in 1953?
The GDR didn’t trust its own police force and asked the soviets for intervention
soviet troops backed by tanks intervened, killing 125 people
