The Origins Of The Cold War 1941-1958

Question 1

Causes of Soviet satellite states

Answer 1

USA was ‘buying’ allies in Europe by giving them Marshall Aid, Stalin needed to prevent this so extended his control over Eastern European countries.

Between 1947 and 1949 the USSR spread its influence over Eastern Europe

USSR created a buffer zone between it and Western Europe.

Satellite state countries included: Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania.

Question 2

How was a Soviet satellite states

Answer 2

The satellite state governments had little power and had to take orders from the USSR about how their country was run

Control was maintained by creating an atmosphere of fear, a ruthless police force and by ensuring leaders obeyed orders from Moscow

Europe was divided between Capitalist West and Communist East

Question 3

What was the Truman doctrine

Answer 3

Truman Doctrine = Words and ideas

Countries had a choice between communism or capitalism

Communism was bad as it meant people were not free

USA had to stop the spread of Communism

To do this it should provide troops and money to countries in danger of communist takeovers

Question 4

What was Marshall plan

Answer 4

Marshall Plan = Actions.

Communism appealed to poor people who wanted money so USA gave European countries more money ‘bribing’ them in to staying capitalist

Countries must trade with the USA to get any money

The USA gave $13 billion in ‘Marshall aid’ to 16 Western European countries

The USSR criticised the Marshall Plan as an attack on them

Question 5

What are the signs of co-operation at the Tehran

Conference (Nov-Dec 1943)?

Answer 5

Agreed about spheres of influence (USSR in E Europe, Britain and US in W Europe).

Western allies agreed to launch attack on Germany from the West (D-Day)

Question 6

What are the signs of tension at the Tehran

Conference (Nov-Dec 1943)

Answer 6

Disagreed about Germany’s future. Stalin wanted reparations from Germany, Roosevelt and Churchill wanted Germany rebuilt

Question 7

What are the signs of co-operation at the Yalta

Conference (Feb 1945)?

Answer 7

Russia to help US defeat Japan

Work for ‘democracy’ in Europe

Set up UN

USSR sphere of influence in E Europe

Question 8

What are the signs of tension at the Yalta

Conference (Feb 1945)

Answer 8

They disagreed about what was meant by ‘democracy’

Roosevelt had a good relationship with Stalin – after his death Truman was less willing to compromise

Question 9

What are the signs of co-operation at the Potsdam

Confrence (Jul-Aug 1945)

Answer 9

Ban Nazi party and prosecute war criminals

Reduce size of Germany

Divide Germany and Berlin into 4 zones (USSR, Britain, France, USA)

Question 10

What are the signs of tension at the Potsdam

Conference (Jul-Aug 1945)

Answer 10

Reparations on Germany

USA had the Atom Bomb

Question 11

Cause of America having the nuclear bomb

Answer 11

Arms race during WW2 to get ‘ultimate weapon’

Question 12

Effects of America having the nuclear bomb

Answer 12

Truman tried to take charge at the Potsdam conference.

Stalin refused to be pushed around by Truman and tensions between USSR and USA increased

Stalin was even more determined to protect the USSR and so he created a ‘buffer zone’ of satellite states.

Question 13

Causes of Bizonia/Trizonia

Answer 13

Division of Germany into 4 ‘zones’ was a short-term deal, a more permanent arrangement in Germany was needed.

Relationship between USA, UK and France was very strong

Question 14

The effects of Bizonia/Trizonia

Answer 14

USA and UK ‘zones’ merged to form Bizonia, then with France Trizonia

Led to the formation of East and West Germany

Led to the Berlin Blockade

Question 15

Causes of the formation of east and west Germany

Answer 15

Failure of Berlin Blockade strengthened Trizonia

Question 16

Causes of the Berlin blockade

Answer 16

The USA wanted Germany to be a strong capitalist country so it could trade with the USA

The USSR wanted Germany to be a divided country so that it could never attack the USSR again

USA, UK and France started making big decisions about their zones in Germany without consulting Stalin, he felt this went against the agreements made at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences

Question 17

Effects of the Berlin blockade

Answer 17

USA looked peaceful and generous. USSR looked aggressive and threatening

Question 18

Key features of the Berlin blockade

Answer 18

The USSR blocked all supplies to Berlin to show it had the power to stop Germany from working (East Germany grew almost all the food that West Germany ate)

The USA, couldn’t pull out of Berlin or it would look weak so instead it responded with an airlift. Thousands of tonnes of supplies were flown in to Berlin

Question 19

Causes of Churchills “Iron Curtain” speech

Answer 19

USSR, USA, UK more suspicious of one another

With WW2 over ‘Big 3’ no longer need to be allies as no common enemy

Question 20

Effects of Churchills “Iron Curtain” speech

Answer 20

Stalin responded by calling Churchill a warmonger

Greater tensions between USSR, USA and UK

Led to the secret telegrams in 1946

Question 21

Causes of the long telegram and the Novikov telegram

Answer 21

Truman and Stalin concerned over greater tensions and threat of a new war

Both wanted secret reports on what their opponents thought of them

Question 22

Effects of the long telegram and the Novikov telegram

Answer 22

Both governments believed they were facing the possibility of war

Many in USA viewed Stalin as the ‘New Hitler’ in that they thought he was preparing for war

Grand Alliance was over

Question 23

Key features of the long telegram and the Novikov telegram

Answer 23

Long Telegram = Stalin wanted to destroy capitalism, USA should seek to ‘contain’ communism

Novikov Telegram = USA desired to dominate the world, USA was preparing for war, USA did not want to co-operate with USSR

Question 24

Causes of the Warsaw Pact

Answer 24

Formation of NATO meant that Communist countries were threatened and needed to ‘defend’ themselves from the West

Question 25

Effects of the Warsaw Pact

Answer 25

Led to USSR ‘bringing in the tanks’ when countries tried to leave the Warsaw Pact (Hungarian Revolution and Prague Spring)

Created a military alliance of Communist countries

Question 26

causes of the De-Stalinisation

Answer 26

Stalin died in 1953

Question 27

Effects of De-Stalinisation

Answer 27

Russia’s new leader Khrushchev promised a more liberal and less oppressive approach to ruling USSR and the Satellite states than that under Stalin

Question 28

What are the aims of Cominform set up in 1947

Answer 28

To control Communist Parties and ensure loyalty of Eastern European governments
Removed ‘disloyal’ government members

Question 29

That are the effects of cominform set up 1947

Answer 29

Consolidated the power of the USSR by stamping out opposition, sometimes with violence

Question 30

What are the aims of Comecon set up in 1949

Answer 30

To encourage economic development of Eastern Europe (Stalin’s answer to the Marshall Plan)

Question 31

That are the effects of comecon set up in 1949

Answer 31

Political and economic division of Europe cemented

Question 32

What was the impact of the Berlin Blockade on USA

Answer 32

Made the US look peaceful and generous

The US now took a more aggressive stance against the USSR

Question 33

What was the impact of the Berlin Blockade on Germany

Answer 33

in 1949, West Germany (FRG) officially formed with US support, East Germany (GDR) officially formed as a Soviet satellite state

Question 34

causes of NATO

Answer 34

Formed as a reaction to the Berlin Blockade with the goal to keep USA in Europe and USSR out of Europe

Question 35

Effects of NATO

Answer 35

USSR responded by creating ‘The Warsaw Pact’

Question 36

Key features of NATO

Answer 36

NATO members agreed that if any NATO country was attacked they would come to that country’s defence

NATO was a military alliance with the aim of defending the West from Communism

Question 36

What was the Berlin Blockade 1948-9

Answer 36

Stalin blocked all supplies from getting to W Berlin to show that a divided Germany could not work and to force the West to pull out

The western powers did not want to look weak so they responded with an airlift

Stalin could do nothing to stop it and was eventually forced to lift the Blockade.

The Blockade made the USSR look aggressive and the airlift made the USA look peaceful and generous.

Question 36

What was the impact of the Berlin Blockade on USSR

Answer 36

Made the USSR look aggressive and threatening

Problem of western presence in Berlin not solved

Question 38

Short-Term effects of Cuban missile crisis

Answer 38

Cuba survives but feels let down by its USSR allies

USSR looks weak as no one knows about the USA’s secret withdrawal of missiles from Italy and Turkey

USA advisors who advised peace and diplomacy over war look good as they avoided war

Question 39

Long-Term effects of Cuban missile crisis

Answer 39

Both sides agreed to ban all nuclear weapon testing above ground

In 1963 Kennedy gave a speech about working with USSR on their ‘common interests’

USSR was determined to catch up with USA in the arms race

Khrushchev was forced from power in 1964

Question 40

Causes of the cuban missile crisis

Answer 40

Cuban Revolution: Cuba used to be very friendly and close with America

Then in 1959 a communist revolution in Cuba but Fidel Castro in to power.

America did not like having a communist neighbour so close to its borders and within missile range of its cities
Bay of Pigs incident: On 17th April 1961 American backed troops tried to invade Cuba

Castro knew about the invasion in advance and had the support of his people.

Question 41

Why did the USSR send missiles to cuba

Answer 41

USSR were annoyed that the USA had missile bases in the UK and Turkey that could bomb its cities, they wanted to be able to retaliate against the USA

Cuba saw Soviet missiles as a great way to prevent the USA from invading them again.

Both countries were Communist and so were natural allies against capitalist USA

In September 1962 Soviet ships carried nuclear warheads and missiles to Cuba

Question 42

Chronological order of the Cuban missile crisis: 13 Days (October 1962)

Answer 42

16th October Kennedy is informed that US Spy planes have found missiles on Cuba

20th October Kennedy and his advisors decide that a naval blockade of Cuba is better than an attack on Cuba or USSR

24th October USSR says that a blockade is an act of aggression and its ships will ignore it

25th October USA and USSR prepare for immediate nuclear attack

27th October Cuba gets ready for an invasion.

27th October Khrushchev offers to remove missiles from Cuba if USA does the same in Italy and Turkey.

27th October Robert Kennedy sets up a deal in which USA would secretly withdraw its missiles from Italy and Turkey

28th October Khrushchev agrees to the deal but USA has to agree never to attack Cuba again as well