The Origins of the Cold War 1941-1958 Flashcards
Who where involved in the Grand Alliance?
The ‘big three’ allies from World War Two - Britain, the USA and the USSR.
What united the Grand Alliance?
Their desire to defeat Nazi Germany.
What was the first conference?
Tehran
What year was the first conference?
1943
What year was the Tehran Conference?
1943
What was the main focus of the Tehran Conference?
Plans to defeat the Nazis.
What was the secondary focus at the Tehran Conference?
The allies also started to discuss what would happen to Europe and Germany after the war.
Who was at the Tehran Conference?
Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister),
Franklin D. Roosevelt (US President),
Stalin (USSR leader).
What did the USSR claim in Easter Europe after agreements at the Tehran Conference?
A ‘sphere of influence’ in Eastern Europe after the war was over.
What were three things that were agreed at the Tehran Conference?
- USSR’s ‘sphere of influence’
- Free elections in previously held Easter European countries
- The UN would replace the failed League of Nations
What was the second conference that was held?
The Potsdam Conference.
When was the second conference held?
1945, over July and August, after Germany surrendered in May 1945.
When was the Potsdam Conference held?
1945, over July and August, after Germany surrendered in May 1945.
What were some important agreements that were made at Potsdam?
- the new boundaries of Poland
- the ‘big three’ plus France would divide Germany and Berlin between them
- Nazi leaders would be tried for war crimes at Nuremberg
Where would Nazi leaders be tried?
Nuremberg
What remained undecided at Potsdam?
If, or when, the zones could rejoin and form a country again.
Who replaced Roosevelt at Potsdam?
Harry Truman
Who replaced Churchill mid-conference?
Clement Attlee
Why did Harry Truman replace Roosevelt?
Roosevelt had died.
When did Clement Attlee replace Churchill?
Mid-conference.
How was Truman immediately different from Roosevelt?
He was more suspicious of the USSR and less willing to compromise.
Why were tensions higher at Potsdam (2)?
- Truman was more suspicious of the USSR and less willing to compromise.
- Britain and the US were also alarmed by Stalin’s actions in Poland.
What had Stalin done in Poland that Britain and the US were alarmed by at the Potsdam Conference?
He had installed a government consisting of only pro-communist members. They thought this went against the Yalta Conference.
What was the USSR’s ideology?
Communist.
What was the USA’s ideology?
Capitalism.
Why were there tensions between the USA and the USSR?
- different ideologies
- feared the other’s intentions
What did communism mean?
State control of industry and agriculture.
How did USA’s beliefs contrast with communism?
USA valued private enterprise.
How did USA and USSR’s beliefs conflict?
- communism (state control) vs. capitalism (private enterprise)
- one political party vs. political freedom
Why did USA and USSR fear each other?
Communism aimed at world revolution, and so it was seen by Americans as a danger to their democracy. However, the communists also feared worldwide American influence.
When did the USA drop two atom bombs on Japan?
August 1945
What cities were destroyed when the USA dropped two atom bombs on Japan?
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
How did the atom bomb increase the rivalry between the USA and the USSR?
- USSR were not aloud to take part in the US occupation of Japan
- the USA kept the bomb a secret from the USSR at Potsdam
- boosted USA’s status and power which was seen as a threat to the USSR
What started the arms race?
USA’s atom bomb.
What did the USA’s use of the atom bomb on Japan in 1945 start?
An arms race.
What countries did Stalin install pro-Soviet ‘puppet’ governments into?
Poland
Hungary
Romania
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
Between which years did Stalin install pro-Soviet ‘puppet’ governments into the 5 countries?
1945 and 1948
What country was the exception to Soviet domination?
Yugoslavia
Why was Yugoslavia the exception to Soviet domination?
Because they freed themselves from German control without the Red Army.
What did Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ speech demostrate?
The breakdown of the Grand Alliance - Britain and the USA now viewed the USSR as a threat, not an ally.
Who gave the ‘Iron Curtain’ speech?
Winston Churchill
What did the ‘Iron Curtain’ divide?
The East and the West
What did countries under the influence of the USSR become know as?
Satellite states.
When were the telegrams sent?
1946
When was the Long Telegram?
February 1946
Who was the Long Telegram issued to?
President Truman.
Who was the Long Telegram about?
The USSR.
What did the Long Telegram say?
- that Stalin had given a speech in favor of the destruction of capitalism
- it warned of the USSR trying to weaken and divide Western Powers, while building the strength of its own military
When was the Novikov Telegram?
September 1946
Who was the Novikov Telegram issued to?
Stalin.
Who was the Novikov Telegram about?
The USA.
What did the Novikov Telegram say?
- the USA was pursuing world supremacy
- it warned that the USA was trying to limit the influence of the USSR in Europe
How did the telegrams affect the governments and the cold war?
- panicked the governments
- accelerated the cold war
What was Truman worried about (around the time of the telegrams)?
The spread of communism to Western Europe.
Why was Truman so worried about the spread of communism to Western Europe?
Because many countries were undergoing economic hardships, which he thought might make communism look more appealing.
How did the USA try to intervene in Europe to try and contain the spread of communism?
- The Truman Doctrine
- The Marshall Plan
When was the Truman Doctrine announced?
March 1947
When was the Marshall Plan announced?
June 1947
What did the Truman Doctrine consist of?
The USA pledged to support any nation threatened by a communist takeover. This support could be diplomatic. military or financial.
What’s a good example of the Truman Doctrine?
The USA gave $400 million of aid to Turkey and Greece to stop communism spreading.
What did the Marshall Plan consist of?
This promised $17 billion of aid to European countries to help rebuild their economies - the areas of Germany under Western occupation benefited massively.
What did Stalin order to his satellite states about the Marshall Plan?
Stalin ordered all of his satellite states to reject the plan.
What did Stalin believe USA was trying to do with the Marshall Plan?
He believed the USA was using economic incentives to lure Eastern European states away from the USSR.
What did the USSR do in response to the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine?
USSR reacted by creating the Cominform.
What was Cominform in response to?
The Truman Doctrine and The Marshall Plan.
What did Cominform stand for?
Communist Information Bureau
When was Cominform set up?
1947
What did the Cominform organisation do?
Cominform brought together all European communist parties and placed them under the control of the USSR.
What did Comecon stand for?
Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.
When was Comecon established?
1949
What did Comecon do?
It countered the Marshall Plan by:
- nationalising industries
- collectivising agriculture
- and offering economic aid.
What did Comecon and Cominform do for Stalin’s alliance in Eastern Europe?
It strengthened his alliances.
When was the Berlin crisis?
1948
When did the USA and Britain agree to create ‘Bizonia’?
1947
Who was part of Bizonia?
USA and Britain.
Who was part of Trizonia?
USA, Britain and France.
When did France join Bizonia to create Trizonia?
1948
True or false the new western zone had a single government?
True
What did Trizonia introduce to help economic recovery?
A new currency.
Why was Stalin alarmed by Trizonia?
He did not want a unified western zone on his doorstep.
How did West Berlin’s strong capitalist economy effect the USSR?
It embarrassed the USSR and made communism look weak.
How did Stalin respond to West Berlin’s new strength as a single government?
Stalin decided to blockade Berlin to try to force the West to withdraw from West Berlin. In June 1948, he ordered that all road, rail and canal links between West Berlin and the outside world should be cut off.
How long did the Berlin Airlift last?
318 days
How did the West decide to bypass the blockade?
They flew in supplies. This became known as the Berlin Airlift.
By 1949 how many tons of supplies were being flown in each day?
8000 tons
What was the name of the airport that was constructed to accommodate the large volume of flights during the Berlin Airlift?
Tegel airport
Why was Stalin forced to end the blockade?
- it was clear the West was determined not to withdraw from Berlin
- it was also clear that Germany would remain divided
What where the two separate states that were formed in 1949 in Germany?
West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) and communist East Germany (German Democratic Republic)
Why did the Western Powers decide to form a military alliance?
Because Stalin’s blockade made them realise how unprepared they would be if there was a conflict with the USSR.
What alliance did the West form after Stalin’s blockade?
NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)
When was NATO created?
After the Berlin Blockade in 1949
What did all members of NATO agree?
To respond together if any member of the alliance was attacked.
Did Stalin like the formation of NATO?
No. He saw it as a threat.
How did the USSR respond to NATO being formed?
They responded by setting up the Warsaw Pact in 1955. All the USSR’s satellite states (except Yugoslavia) became members.
What year was the Warsaw Pact set up?
1955
Who was part of the Warsaw Pact?
The USSR and all of it’s Satellite States except Yugoslavia.
Which Satellite State did not join the Warsaw Pact?
Yugoslavia
What was the Warsaw Pact’s main aim?
To improve the defensive capability of Eastern Europe and strengthen relations.
What were the power blocs in Europe by 1955?
NATO (western bloc) and the Warsaw Pact (eastern bloc)
Why was there an arms race?
Both USA and the USSR felt the other couldn’t be allowed to gain an advantage. They feared that if the other gained a significant military advantage, that country might be tempted to trigger a war to take advantage of it.
What did the ‘space race’ result in?
- The USSR sending the first man into space in 1961
- The USA sending the first man to the moon in 1969
Why did a stand off occur during the arms race?
Neither country wanted to use the weapons they just didn’t want to get left behind.
When did the USA develop it’s atom bomb?
1945 - during the Second World War
When did the USSR develop it’s atom bomb?
1949
Who developed the atom bomb first?
USA - in 1945
USSR - 1949
Who detonated the first hydrogen bomb?
USA in 1952
When was the first hydrogen bomb detonated?
1952
When did the USSR develop their hydrogen bomb?
1955
When did the USSR test-fire the first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)?
1957
What was so dangerous about the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile that USSR developed in 1957?
It could strike the USA after being launched from within the USSR, and would be virtually unstoppable.
When did the USA launch its own ICBM?
The USA’s Atlas ICBM was launched later that same year (1957).
What advantage did the USA have to do with ICBM’s over USSR?
They developed a lot more ICBM’s.
What else fuelled the arms race?
- Fear and suspicion.
- NATO made the USSR feel militarily vulnerable.
What did China and the USSR do in 1950 which strengthened the Western fears that the USSR was planning communist domination?
They signed a treaty of alliance in 1950.
Who signed a treaty of alliance in 1950?
China and the USSR.
When was the treaty of alliance signed and by who?
1950
China and the USSR
What did the USA think of the treaty of alliance?
They feared that the USSR was planning communist domination.
When did Stalin die?
1953
Who took over from Stalin?
Nikita Khrushchev
Why did Khrushchev take over from Stalin?
Because Stalin died.
When did Khrushchev take over from Stalin?
1953
What did Khrushchev want with the West?
Peaceful co-existence
How did Khrushchev bring hope that there would be a thaw in the cold war?
He said he wanted peaceful co-existence with the West.
What did Khrushchev want in general?
- peaceful co-existence
- communism to spread
- to demonstrate communisms superiority rather than defeating the West in war
Why did the arms race slow down when Khrushchev came to power?
He continued developing weapons and remained very competitive with the West.
What did Khrushchev say in his speech when he came to power?
- he critised Stalin’s policies
- ‘de-Stalinised’ the USSR
- abolition of the death penalty
- freed political prisoners jailed under Stalin’s regime
What did Khrushchev do with Cominform?
He abolished it.
How did the abolition of Cominform affect Satellite States?
It gave them more political and economical freedom from the USSR?
Why was there more tension in the satellite states after Khrushchev came to power?
Not all states had chosen communism, and saw the changes as a chance to loosen ties with the USSR.
When was their an uprising in Poland?
1956
What happened in 1956 in Poland?
There was an uprising.
Did the USSR intervene in Poland in 1956 after the uprising?
The USSR threatened to intervene, but eventually allowed the new government to follow their own version of communism.
How did the USSR’s actions in response to the Poland uprising affect other satellite states?
It encouraged other states to consider revolt.
Who was in charge of Hungary after the Second World War?
Matyas Rakosi, a brutal Stalinist.
Why did Matyas Rakosi become extremely unpopular?
Because of his authoritarian regime.
When did the people of Budapest protest against the government of Rakosi?
October 1956
Who did Khrushchev allow to take over from Rakosi as Hungarian Prime Minister?
Imre Nagy
Who did Imre Nagy take over from?
Matyas Rakosi
When did Imre Nagy become Hungarian Prime Minister?
1956
How did Imre Nagy become Hungarian Prime Minister?
Because the people of Budapest protested against the government of Rakosi.
What did Imre Nagy do in November 1956?
Announced that Hungary would withdraw from the Warsaw Pact and hold free elections - ending communism there.
When did Imre Nagy announce that Hungary would withdraw from the Warsaw Pact?
November 1956.
How did the USSR feel about Imre Nagy and Hungary leaving the Warsaw Pact?
They feared that if Hungary left and turned away from communism then other satellite states might do the same. They felt they had to respond with force and make an example of Nagy.
What happened in Hungary in November 1956?
- Soviet tanks invaded Hungary.
- Thousands of Hungarians were killed or wounded.
- Nagy was arrested and hanged.
How many Hungarians were killed or wounded when Soviet tanks invaded Hungary in 1956?
Thousands
What happened to Nagy when Hungary was invaded by Soviet tanks?
He was arrested and hanged.
Who replaced Nagy as Prime Minister of Hungary?
Janos Kadar.
Who was Janos Kadar?
The replacement for Nagy as Hungarian Prime Minister. He ensured loyalty to the USSR.
What did Khrushchev’s brutal response in Hungary demostrate?
- It demonstrated to satellite states that disloyalty wouldn’t be tolerated.
- It also showed the Western Powers that the USSR was still in control.
Why was the Hungarian uprising a turning point for Khrushchev?
His actions reasserted his authority over the satellite states and destroyed any illusions in the West that his leadership signified a thaw in the cold war.
How was the UN shown to be weak during the Hungarian uprising?
- lack of intervention from Western countries
- the Western powers’ reputation as upholders of democracy was discredited
- it showed Eastern Europe countries that they wouldn’t receive Western help to move away from the USSR
Why didn’t the Western countries intervene during the Hungarian uprising?
Risk of nuclear war.
