the origins of the cold war Flashcards
What is a democracy?
It is where there are several political parties representing different sectors of society. Governments are chosen by democratic elections.
What is communism?
What It is a one-party state and there are no democratic elections and no opportunity to change the government by election.
When was the Tehran conference?
November 1943.
What were the objectives of the Tehran conference?
To discuss the group’s planned invasion of Nazi occupied France. As at this point the Soviet
Red Army was the only army fighting the Nazis on land.
What was decided at the Tehran conference that benefited Roosevelt?
The USSR would join the USA in the war against Japan, once
Nazi Germany was defeated
What was decided at the Tehran conference to help fight WW2?
Britain and USA were to open up a second front by invading France in May 1944.
What was decided in the Tehran conference that benefited Stalin?
Area of Eastern Europe added to soviet union.
When did the Yalta conference take place?
February 1945.
What was the main objective of the Yalta conference?
To decide what to do with Germany once it had been defeated.
What was decided relating to Germany in the Yalta conference?
3 things
Germany would be divided into four zones of occupation with the USSR, Britain, France and the USA each controlling a zone. Berlin was to be split the same way. All countries freed from Nazi control were to be guaranteed the right to hold free, democratic elections to choose their own governments.
What was decided at the Yalta conference, not relating to Germany?
All countries freed from Nazi’s were to be guaranteed the right to hold free, democratic elections to choose their own governments. When the war was over the soviet union would enter war against Japan. They all joined new United Nations organisation. Lastly, eastern Europe would become a sphere of influence for the USSR.
When did the Potsdam conference take place?
July 1945
What changed between the Yalta and Potsdam conferences?
Hitler surrendered so war was over. Winston Churchill had been replaced by Attlee Clement. The USA had developed the atomic bomb which they tested day before conference began. Roosevelt replaces by Truman.
What agreements were made at Potsdam about Germany?
Germany was to be demilitarised. Democracy was to be restored in Germany. germany was to py reparations to the allies.
What agreements were made at Potsdam about the Nazis?
The nazi party was banned and all nazis were put on the Nuremberg trials in 1946.
What else was decided at Potsdam (not relating to Nazis or Germany)?
The big 3 all participated in United Nations. Poland frontier was to be moved westwards to the river Oder and Neisse.
By when had Stalin created his first atomic bomb?
Successfully tested by August 1949.
When did the USSr expand into Albania?
1945
How did the USSR expand into Albania?
A communist government took power at the end of World War Two.
When did the USSR expand into Bulgaria?
1946
How did the USSR expand into Bulgaria?
The Bulgarian monarchy was abolished and later that year a communist government was elected and gradually eradicated its opponents.
When did the USSR expand into East Germany?
1945
How did the USSR expand into East germany?
East Germany was part of the Soviet zone of occupation agreed at the Yalta Conference and in 1945 the Soviets set up a communist regime.
When did the USSR expand into Poland?
1949
How did the USSR expand into Poland?
Fearing that a non-communist government would be elected in 1947, Stalin invited 16 non-communist politicians to Moscow, where they were arrested. With their political opponents removed, the Polish communists won the election.
When did the USSR expand into Hungary?
1948
How did the USSR expand into Hungary?
Although non-communists won the 1945 election, a communist politician, Rakosi, took control of the secret police and used it to arrest and execute his political opponents. By 1948 the Communist Party was in complete control of the country.
When did the USSR expand into Czechoslovakia?
1948
How did the USSR expand into Czekoslovakia?
At elections that year only Communists were allowed to stand and a communist government was duly elected.
What was the Long Telegram?
George Kennan, an official at the US Embassy in Moscow, was asked to provide a summary of what the Soviets were up to. His response became known as The Long Telegram. What Kennan’s telegram said was that the USSR was heavily armed and feared the outside world. It was determined to spread communism and therefore there could be no peaceful co-existence between the USSR and the USA. However, the USA was stronger than the USSR and so communism could be ‘contained’.
When was the Long Telegram?
February 1946
What was the Novikov Telegram?
The Soviet response to The Long Telegram was The Novikov Telegram, in which the Soviet ambassador to the USA, Nikolai Novikov, warned that the USA had emerged from World War Two economically strong and bent on world domination. As a result, the USSR needed to secure its
buffer zone in Eastern Europe.
When was the Novikov telegram?
September 1946
What was the Iron Curtain speech?
A speech given by Winston Churchill explaining how the Allies had spent six years fighting for the freedom, only to have half the continent under communist control. The iron curtain became known as the split between the communist east and capitalist west.
When was the Iron Curtain speech?
5 March 1946
What was the Truman Doctrine?
America and Britain were concerned about events in Greece and Turkey. America promised that they would provide aid to any country taking a stand against communism. This was developed into The Truman Doctrine. The USA was now fully committed to a policy of containment.
When was the Truman Doctrine?
March 1947
What was the Marshall Plan?
When Europe was in poverty after WW2, USA was scared communism would spread, so they offered cash, machinery, food, technology and equipment.
How much did USA spend on the Marshall plan?
17 billion dollars by 1953.
When was the Marshall plan signed?
April 3 1948
What was the soviet response to the Marshall plan?
He organised Comecon and Cominform.
What was Comecon?
Stood for ‘the council of mutual assistance’. Was meant to be a way USSR financially supports Eastern European countries.
What was Comecon used for in reality?
Stalin controlled the economies of the states, and it also gives Stalin access to their resources. Encouraged economic specialisation.
What was Cominform?
Stood for ‘the communist information Bureau’ and was set up to co-ordinate communist countries in Europe.
Why was Cominform introduced?
It ensured Eastern Europe followed soviet aims in foreign policy. Introduced soviet-style economic policies. Allowed countries to trade together and discourage contact with non-communists.
When was Comecon set up?
1949
When was Cominform set up?
1947
Why was Yugoslavia kicked out of Cominform and when did it happen?
They accepted the Marshall aid. 1948
Why did the Berlin blockade happen?
When the 3 allies combined their zones of Germany to create Trizonia, they also created a new currency called the Deutschmark. This made the soviets furious as this created a separate economic unit from the east.
What was the Berlin blockade?
As Stalin knew that the western occupied zones of Berlin were vulnerable (as they were surrounded by soviet occupied territory), Stalin chose to shut off land routes across the soviet zone of Germany into Berlin.
When was the Berlin Blockade?
June 1948.
What was the counter blockade?
When the US tried to stop recourses going from the west of Germany to the east.
Why did the counter blockade fail?
Berlin was in a much more vulnerable position.
What was the berlin airlift?
Operation Vittles, launched by Western Allies was a way they flew food, coal and other necessities along small air corridors into Berlin to supply the western zones.
How much supplies were sent into Berlin? Due to the berlin airlift?
In January 1949 170,000 tonnes of supplies were sent into Berlin.
When did the Soviets lift the blockade?
May 9 1949
What was Trizonia turned into, and when?
On May 23 they became a new state called the Federal Republic of Germany.
What was stalins response (new state of west berlin) and when did this happen?
In October 1949 Stalin created the German Democratic Republic.
What does NATO stand for?
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
Why was NATO formed?
Due to the fear of expanding communism.
When was NATO formed?
April 1949
What did members of NATO agree to?
All members agreed that if one of the countries was was attacked, is was viewed as an attack on all the countries. They also had an obligation to have an army.
What were the consequences of the formation of NATO?
The USA was now committed to the defence of the west. ptyalin did not believe it was a defence alliance and he vowed is as a threat, later creating the Warsaw pact. it intensified the Arms race.
What was the Warsaw pact?
A military alliance set up by the Soviet Union
Who became the new ruler of the USSR after Stalin died in 1953?
Khrushchev
What was Hungary like under Rakosi?
The AVH secret police were everywhere and speaking against Rakosi meant death or imprisonment. 1 in 5 family members was arrested. Rakosi wanted Hungary to be industrialised but they lacked the raw materials so workers were set impossible targets and they had terrible wages. Rakosi was also a Stalinist and he plates a significant role in establishing a dictatorship between 1945 and 1956.
What was the outide influence that led to the Hungarian uprising?
There had been successful anti-soviet protests in Poland in 1956 that inspired change. The events in Poland served as a catalyst. Western media, especially media free europe, played a significant role in exposing Hunagrians to democratic ideas and ideals of freedom.
What were the anti-soviet feelings that helped lead to the Hungarian uprising?
Imre Nagy initiated some reforms in 1953 to ease economic hardships and political repression. These were met with resistance from hardline communists. Hungary were forced into membership of comecon and had to stop trade with the west, and the recourses they had were taken by the USSR.
What wld the desire to change in hungary?
Hungary faced economic difficulty, including food shortages and a decline in living standards, contibuting to public dissatisfaction. The death of Stalin meant de-stalination and some Hungarians viewed this as an opportunity for political change. Student movements played a crucial role in organising protests.
Who was Nagy?
A Hungarian Communist leader.
what were the events of the Hungarian uprising on the 23rd of October?
students held the first unofficial demonstration, demanding free speech, free elections and removal of soviet troops. They attacked symbols of soviet power, and a statue of Stalin was smashed. Soviet books and propaganda was burnt. The AVH opened fire from inside of the building, then turned peaceful protest into a revolution.
What were the events of the Hungarian uprising on the 24th of October?
Imre Nagy took over as Prime Minister. He asked Khrushchev to
take Russian troops out of Hungary.
What were the events of the Hungarian uprising on the 25th of October?
Atleast 3000 unarmed demonstrated killed by AVH. The freedom fighters storm into AVH headquarters and find documents and murdered students. The AVH is beat all over Hungary
What were the events of the Hungarian uprising on the 28th of October?
Khrushchev agreed, and the Russian army pulled out of
Budapest.
What were the events of the Hungarian uprising on the 29th of October?
Soviet tanks leave Budapest and Hungarians enjoy a few days of freedom from soviet control by reading uncensored pamphlets and prisons opened and people were free after years of opression.
