The Origins of the Cold War Flashcards
When was HUAC made permanent and why is this relevant?
January 1945, set up to investigate communism within the US (House of un-American activities), shows an active anti-communism attitude within the US. IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES/ATTACKING OF OTHER BELIEF
January 1945
- HUAC made permanent
-Most of Eastern Europe is liberated by the USSR
Feb 1945
YALTA!!!!!!!! 4th-11th Feb
YALTA conference - what happened, who was there, agreements, significance for CW
- 4th-11th Feb 1945
-Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin
-Declaration of Liberated Europe, (which wanted free and fair elections in E.Euope), Soviets to join war on Japan, UN to be ratified, division of Austria, Germany and Berlin, they disagreed over Poland and how agreements were to be applied there.
-ultimately decided USSR would gain land from Poland, and Poland would be expanded to the East and West.
-this declaration has great significance for the rest of the Cold War because both sides end up breaking them and can use as an excuse.
-conference represented a high point of allied cooperation, and reassured that the Grand Alliance was still alive and well. FACADE OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAYERS WERE NOT IN LINE
Tensions at Yalta conference
-disagreements over Poland
-Western powers were conscious that many E.European states had been liberated under the USSR and Stalin’s aim of security meant that he would ultimately want these states - conflicts the Western ‘free people’ idea. CONFLICTING AIMS AND CRACKS START TO SHOW
Churchill and Stalin
-Established a working relationship BUT neither trusted the other
-Churchill was deeply suspicious of Stalin’s post-war intentions
-Churchill regarded the USSR as a fundamental threat
Roosevelt and Stalin
-Roosevelt had ended US isolationism
-Roosevelt was willing to compromise and wanted to work WITH the USSR
-FDR held the belief that cooperation could continue after the war
Roosevelt aims
-wanted to maintain the grand alliance and keep war cooperation during peacetime, this idea was dependent on the fact that the post war world should reflect the American concept of democracy
-believed that long term peace depended on cooperating with Stalin
-was very for the establishment of the UN, wanted to prevent future conflicts and maintain peace
-wanted a stable post-war Europe, aimed for democratic and economically rebuilt Europe,
-NEGOTIATION AND COMPROMISE RATHER THAN IMMEDIATE CONFRONTATION
Stalin’s aims post WW2
-WW2 had devastated the USSR much more than the other allies, 25 million Soviets dead, mass destruction of towns, industry and agriculture.
-meant that security became a huge objective for Stalin
-Stalin and Molotov viewed the allies as fundamentally anti-USSR, shows strengths of differing ideologies
-did want to keep open an avenue of cooperation with the West
-wanted a Soviet sphere of influence within Eastern Europe
-Germany had to be kept weak until it could be secured as a communist state
Churchill’s aims
-was convinced that it was Stalin’s ingtention to expand Soviet power in post-war Europe
-‘I have tried in every way to put myself in sympathy with these communist leaders. I cannot feel the slightest bit of trust or confidence in them’
-believed that the USSR could threaten Britain’s imperial interests so Britain had to establish close ties with the US to counter this threat
-part of this strategy was because of the economic destruction which had hit Britain post WW2
Percentages agreement
-Oct 1944
-Churchill wanted to to protect British interests in Eastern Europe and the Balkans
-agreement between Stalin and Churchill
-basis was to establish the percentage of predominance Britain and the USSR would have in Eastern European states.
March 1945, Poland
Stalin imprisons the non-communist polish leaders, COUNTERS DEC LIB
Early tensions: Poland
-During WW2 a Polish government which had been exiled existed in London
-The USSR supported a pro-communist government which had been set up on Poland’s liberation, based in Lublin
-Stalin ensured that non-communist leaders who had resisted the Nazi’s were eliminated so they could not transport the Polish government in exile back to post-war Poland
-Roosevelt to Stalin in April 1945: ‘I must make it plain to you that any such solution which would be a thinly disguised continuance of the present Warsaw regime would be unacceptable and would cause the people of the United States to regard the Yalta agreement as having failed’
When did Roosevelt die?
April 1945, Truman his VP made president
Truman aims and dates of presidency
-1945-53
-CONTAINMENT, his key aim, would be echoed by later leaders and set the US precedent for Cold War strategy
-complete shift from Roosevelt
-Hard line
-Wanted economic reconstruction of Europe, links back to containment because economic aid to prevent communist breeding
-REJECTS COOPERATION
-USSR and communism was a threat to US
-wanted to assert US global leadership, global policeman, ensuring West aligned with American economic, political ideals
June 1945, Poland
Stalin aiming to establish communist control over Poland, unwillingness to conform to dec lib
When did US develop the first A-Bomb?
July 1945 = first successful test as part of the Manhattan Project
Potsdam conference, dates, leaders, changes since Yalta
-17th July 1945-1st Aug 1945
-Churchill replaced by Atlee halfway through
-Truman president not Roosevelt
-Stalin still there
-loss of common enemy, war in Europe is over
Decisions at Potsdam
-Germany to be demilitarised and denazified
-decentralisation of the political system and local responsibiliy to be developed
-freedom of speech and free press to be restored, and religious tolerance
-Germany to become a single economic unit with common policies on industry and finance
-USSR to receive reparations from its own zone and 25% from Western zones
-CONFERENCE DID NOTHING TO REINFORCE THE NOTION OF LONG TERM INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, failed to address growing suspicion and uncertainty which had developed
Stalin and Truman/Potsdam
-Truman wanted a post-war world based on national self-determination and international cooperation
-Truman came to regard the USSR with confrontation rather than cooperation
-hoped US could use its atomic monopoly to ensure Stalin’s cooperation
-feared growth of communism in E.Europe
-Stalin was convinced the US and allies were potential rivals for dominance in Europe, reinforced his obsession for Soviet security, why Red Army remained in Europe
-Stalin also thought time for cooperation was over
-Stalin came to see the US as having an anti-USSR agenda
Dates of first A-Bomb drop and where
Aug 1945
Hiroshima first and Nagasaki after
When did Japan surrender and who was the sole occupier?
Sep 1945
USA because of dropping of A-Bomb, this worries the USSR because it means the US are able to have a power base within Asia.
When was the UN established?
Oct 1945
Feb 1946, 2 events?
-German communist party merges with the Socialists, East Germany
-KENNAN’S LONG TELEGRAM, Kennan basically wants the US to develop a harder line against communism and the USSR, he urged the US to adopt a proactive role
