The Origins Of The Cold War 1941 - 58 Flashcards
How long did the Cold War last?
40 years
Give an example of an USA spy plane that flew high enough to avoid being shot down
U2 spy plane
Wins in what event did the USSR use to show their superiority?
The Olympics
What was the MAD theory?
It meant ‘Mutually Assured Destruction’, where both sides had enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other multiple times over to act as a deterrent for war
Where the first meeting of the ‘Big Three’ and in what month and year?
Tehran, the capital of Iran in Nov 1943
Who were the main ‘Big Three’?
Franklin Roosevelt, Stalin, Winston Churchill
Why was Stalin annoyed at GBR & USA? (2)
They delayed opening a second front and only did so in 1944 w/ D-Day Landings. He was convinced it was because they wanted USSR to be well-damaged by GER.
What had Churchill done when he was Secretary of State for War?
He had supported the Bolsheviks’ enemies in the Civil War
What did Churchill believe about Stalin’s motives?
He was suspicious that USSR troops would remain even after liberation from the Germans
Why did GBR go to war in Sep 1939?
To maintain the independence of POL
Why did Stalin want POL?
He believed it was important in protecting USSR from future invasions
What discovery, in what year and where, increased Churchill’s suspicions of Stalin?
When in April 1943 German troops discovered a mass grave in Katyn Forest, near Smolensk w/ the bodies of 10,000 Polish officers
What happened in Aug 1944? (3)
- Polish resistance organised an uprising in Warsaw against German forces occupying the city
- Soviet stopped their own advance into POL
- Uprising was crushed by Germans w/ Poles left defenceless
Who agreed to hold the meeting in Iran?
Roosevelt
Why did most things go well for Stalin in the Tehran conference?
Roosevelt was unwell so he sided with Stalin more than Churchill
Main agreements of Tehran Conference: (4)
- GBR & USA to open 2nd front invading FRA in May 1944
- After defeating GER, USSR is to wage war against JAP
- After war, UN organisation to be set up
- After war, an area of Eastern POL to be added to USSR
What was the second conference of the Big Three known as and in what month and year was it held?
The Yalta Conference in Feb 1945
At the point of the Yalta Conference where were the Allies at in war?
They were closing in on Berlin and close to defeating them
What was the aim of the Yalta Conference?
To decide what to do with GER and Europe after victory
What happened within months of the Yalta Conference? (2)
- Churchill lost the General Election to Labour leader, Clement Attlee
- Roosevelt died in Apr 1945
What did Stalin want from the Germans, that the late Roosevelt and former leader Churchill disagreed with? (only decided in next conference) (2)
- Stalin wanted GER to pay huge reparations, as 20 mil Russians had died and to protect USSR
- Truman refused, in order to prevent Soviet Expansion and did not want the same results as the Treaty of Versailles
Main agreements of Yalta Conference: (6)
- Divide GER and Berlin into 4 zones: GBR, FRA, USSR, USA
- Try Nazi criminals in an international court of justice
- Allow liberated countries to have free elections
- Eastern Europe to be a USSR sphere influence
- Still waging war against Japan
- Joining UN
What was one of the other heavy disagreements in the Yalta Conference?
- Stalin wanted POL/GER border to be more into West (more land for him!)
- He wanted a friendly POL government for protection for USSR
Why did Roosevelt and Churchill persuade Stalin to let POL have free elections?
They feared it would be a Soviet-controlled government
When was the last conference in this period and what was it called?
Potsdam Conference in Jul 1945
What happened in the months between the 2nd and 3rd conference? (4)
- Countries were liberated but military presence was not removed eg. Latvia, Lithuania
- Agreements and wishes of Poles ignored w/ communist government set up in POL
- Stalin refused to demilitarise Red Army, unlike the West, and expanded instead
- Truman informed USSR that they successfully tested an atomic bomb on 16 Jul 1945, angering Stalin
Main agreements of Potsdam Conference: (7)
- USSR zone = East GER FRA, GBR, USA zones = West GER
- Demilitarise GER
- Re-establish democracy in GER
- Most of reparations go to USSR. 1/4 of industrial goods would be exchanged from Western zone to USSR zone for food and coal from them.
- Nazi Party banned w/ leading ones out on trial at Nuremberg in 1946
- Full participation in UN organisation
- Poland’s border to finally be moved along Oder & Neisse Rivers
Who had Poland signed a non-aggression pact with?
France
Who fought against the USSR, on the side of GER in WW2? (2)
Hungary and Romania
What did Stalin want to create?
Satellite states that acted as a buffer zone against future invasion
Who was the USA’s Deputy Chief of Mission in Moscow in 1946?
George Kennan
What did the DeputyChief of Mission propose, because of his suspicion of the USSR?
The ‘Long Telegram’ , which greatly influenced the Truman doctrine, especially the policy of containment
In what month and year and with what did the USSR retaliate against this telegram?
In September 1946 with the ‘Novikov Telegram’
Who was Nikolai Novikov?
The Soviet Ambassador to the USA
What action was taken in all satellite states? (5)
- Coalition governments set up (communists x other political parties)
- Communists took over media, security, defence and civil service
- Opposition leaders arrested/forced to flee
- Fixed elections
- People’s democracies set up
In Fulton, USA, what speech did Churchill make in what month and year?
The Iron Curtain speech in Mar 1946
What is a policy of containment?
Using US influence and military resources to prevent further spread of communism
Why did Truman introduce this policy? (3)
- USA wanted to use their atomic bomb to put pressure on USSR
- USA believed Stalin was trying to spread communism
- Threat of communism in Greece
Who was Britain helping in the 1944 Civil War of Greece against who?
The royalist government against the communist forces
What is a guerrilla war?
Using sabotage and ambushes to fight a larger military force
In the Greek election of what year, were who heavily defeated?
The communists were defeated in 1946
Why was there a guerrilla war in Greece?
The communists refused to give up and were assisted by other communist countries
Who was Turkey also under the threat of?
Communist rebels
What did Britain provide for Greece? (2)
- 40,000 troops
- Money
In what year did Britain tell Greece and Turkey they could no longer afford to provide aid and who intervened?
In early 1947, but the USA said they would instead anyway
In what month and year in his speech did Truman announce support for Greece?
March 1947
Why did the speech announce a huge change in foreign policies? (2)
- Truman established the divide between the capitalist and communist camp
- USA had never previously gotten involved with the affairs of Europe
Consequences of Truman Doctrine: (5)
- Greek government defeated communists
- Worsened USA and USSR relations
- More commitment to European affairs by USA
- Marshall Aid proposed
- Cominform introduced
What was the Marshall Plan officially called?
The European Recovery Plan
What was another reason for Truman for introducing the Marshall Plan?
To create new markets for US goods
Why did Truman not want to commit the US military against the spread of communism?
He believed communism only won support from countries with economic problems and poverty due to WW2
Who did the USA offer cash, machinery, food and technological assistance to?
All war-torn European countries that would buy USA goods and allow US companies to invest capital with them
Consequences of the Marshall Plan: (4)
- 16 countries he met with set up the Organisation for European Economic Community (OEEC) to put the plan into action
- 17 billion was provided by 1953 to aid others
- Europe became more divided
- Stalin accused Truman of using this to boost the US economy
What term did Stalin use to describe the Marshall Plan?
Dollar imperialism
When was Cominform set up and why?
1947 to coordinate all communist parties in Europe
What was Cominform used to do?
Purge any members who disagreed like Tito
What was the Berlin Blockade?
The blocking of all routes by land and rail into West Berlin by Stalin
Who did the USSR ensure had control of the Eastern zone of Germany?
The minority communist group
What did the USSR try to do that failed?
They tried to secure communist control of the Berlin city council but the socialist majority resisted
What did the West want Germany to be and what did the East want?
The West wanted to speed up economic recovery, but the East wanted to keep it weak to protect USSR from future attack
What were the Allies allowed to do with West Berlin?
They could access it by road, rail, canal and air
Why did Stalin not want the Allies inside Berlin?
It was right in the middle of East Germany so their capitalist ways were on show for the public there
In what month and year did the US and GBR zones of West Germany merge into one economic unit?
January 1947
What was this single economic unit called?
Bizonia
When was the Allied Control Commission set up, by who, what was its purpose?
1945 by USA, GBR and USSR to run Hungary and administer Germany
In March 1947, what did Soviet representatives do?
They walked out of the Allied Control Commission, complaint that Western attitudes made it unworkable
What events occurred in April 1947? (2)
- Allied zones were included in Marshall Plan
- USSR troops held up and searched road and rail traffic entering West Berlin
In what month and year did the Allies introduce a new currency (what was this?) and announce plans to create a West German State?
June 1947, introducing the Western Deutschmark
What did Stalin do on 24 June 1947? (2)
- Cut off road and rail traffic to try and starve West Berlin
- Tried to force Allies to stop their development plans
When did the Berlin Airlift begin and how long did it last?
28 June 1948 for 10 months
What was the Berlin Airlift nicknamed by GBR?
Operation Plainfare
Why did Truman have to resort to the airlift?
This was the only way into West Berlin
In what intervals were planes given exact time to land?
90 second intervals
Why was the airlift dangerous for pilots? (2)
Soviet planes were flying and weather balloons were placed
What did Truman order, to threaten USSR?
B-29 bombers to be sent to Britain
By Sep, how many tons of supplies were the planes flying and was it enough?
4600 which was not enough
What percentage of West Berliners took up the offer to move to East Berlin?
3%
On what day was the peak of the airlift, with how many flights and tons of supplies?
16 April 1949 with 1398 flights and 13000 tons of supplies
How many flights were there in total and how many tons of supplies on average did they carry?
275,000 flights with 4000 tons
3 results of the Berlin Crisis:
- Confirmation of division between GER and Berlin
- Increased rivalry
- Led to creation of NATO
In May 1949, what did the Allies announce?
Their former occupational zones and West Berlin would be joining to form the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG)
In October 1949, what did Stalin announce?
The Soviet zone is now the German Democratic Republic
In what month and year was NATO signed?
April 1949
What was NATO’s purpose? (2)
- Prevent Soviet expansion
- Defensive alliance for Western Europe
What did Stalin see as a direct threat and why?
NATO as it initialised efforts to remilitarise West Germany, as well as other developments
Consequences of NATO: (4)
- Arms race intensified
- Formation of Warsaw Pact
- USA’s own missile base to be set up
- Commitment to Western Europe confirmed
In what year was the Warsaw Pact formed?
1955
What was the Warsaw Pact?
The military alliance of 8 nations (including USSR)
What were the 8 nations of the Warsaw Pact? (including USSR)
Romania, Hungary, Albania, Bulgaria, USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia and East Germany
Why was the Warsaw Pact formed?
- To counter the threat of NATO
- For support if attacked
What was Stalin’s response in 1945 to the news that the USA had tested its first atomic bomb?
- Transformed the atomic research programme
- Tripled scientists’ pay
In what year did the USSR create its own atomic bomb?
1949
How did Truman respond to the USSR’s new atomic bomb? (2)
- Increased defence spending
- Ordered the making of a new H-bomb
How did the USSR retaliate against Truman?
Increased its own spending
How many months after Truman tested their H-bomb, and in what year did the Soviet test their own?
A few months after in 1953
On what day, month and year did the USA test their biggest ever H-bomb and what was its power equivalent to?
1 March 1954, with its power equivalent to 15 mil tons of TNT
What was the capability of a single H-bomb?
It could wipe out an entire city
By the mid 1950s, what could American B-52 bombers and the Soviet hypothetically do?
Bomb and wipe each other out
Who was ahead by the mid-1950s in the arms race?
USA
What does ICBM stand for and who had more of it by 1961 (how much)?
Inter-continental ballistic missiles. USA had 63 of these and the USSR had 50
How much active military manpower did each side have by 1961?
USA: 2,606,000
USSR: 3,800,000
By 1953, who was spending much more on superpower arms?
USA
What did the USSR launch in 1957, which was a great threat for USA, and why was this the case?
Sputnik, as it could orbit the Earth in 90 mins
During the years 1957-59, what did the USA do? (6)
- Increased spending by 20%
- Founded National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Training programme expanded to engineers and scientists
- Number of B-52 bombers increased
- Missile bases placed in some European countries
- Equipped some submarines w/ nuclear weapons
What happened in March 1953?
- Stalin died
- Matyas Rakosi was replaced by Imre Nagy
Who became the leader for two years until the leader was actually decided and what was his relevance?
George Malenkov, deputy leader since 1946
Who was the new Soviet leader?
Nikita Khrushchev
What had Khrushchev done within a year, what is this nicknamed and why had he done this?
He denounced Stalin’s policies in a secret speech called de-Stalinisation because he believed in peaceful co-existence
In what month and year did the USSR invade Hungary and what did they do, even though the country wasn’t under only their control?
Sep 1944. They kept Soviet troops there until after the end of the war
How much did the new provisional government of Hungary pay the USSR as reparations for the Soviet troops there?
300 million dollars
Who was the head of the Soviet forces in Hungary and what did he do?
Marshal Voroshilov refused to let the Smallholders’ Party win and instead established a coalition government with members of the Hungarian Communist Party
Who was in charge of the secret police in Hungary?
Laszlo Rajk
What happened in Feb 1947?
Some leaders of the Smallholders’ Party and the National Peasant Party were arrested and others fled because of Soviet pressure
Who emerged from the Communist Party to lead Hungary?
Matyas Rakosi
After their new leader came to power, what did Hungary become a member of and where did it take orders from?
A member of Cominform with orders from Moscow
How many people did Rakosi kill and imprison?
He killed 2000 in purges and imprisoned 200,000 political opponents
What were the secret police in Hungary called?
AVH
Who was the leader of the Hungarian Catholic Church and what happened to him?
Cardinal Mindszenty who was imprisoned for life in 1949
What was removed in schools to intensify Rakosi’s control?
Religious teachings
Through what was the Hungarian economy controlled by the USSR?
Comecon
What did this Soviet body prevent Hungary from doing? (2)
- Trading with Western Europe
- Receiving Marshall Aid
Why did Hungary not receive a fair price for its exports from Russia?
They were forced to trade on uneven terms with them.
What did Rakosi put forward to transform the Hungarian economy and why did it fail?
A 5 year plan which failed because the plan was dedicated towards making steel but Hungary had no iron ore/coking coal to do this
In what year did Hungary produce its lowest agricultural output ever?
1952
How come Rakosi was replaced by Imre Nagy?
The temporary leader of the USSR after Stalin’s death did not like him
On what day, month and year did students in Budapest protest?
On 23rd October 1956
What were the protests about and what happened on this day?
They were about free elections, free press and the removal of Soviet troops. The statue of Stalin was pulled down and dragged through the streets
In what month and year and with who (his relevance!) was Nagy replaced?
Nagy was replaced by Erno Gero, a close friend of Rakosi in July 1956
What happened on 25 Oct? (3)
- Tanks in Budapest opened fire, killing 12 and wounding more than 100
- Erno Gero was forced to resign
- Janos Kadar took over as temporary prime minister
What happened on 26 Oct?
Nagy was re-instated as prime minister
What meant the USSR eventually withdrew their tanks from Hungary?
Nagy had talks with them
Who was John Dulles and what did he say that was misunderstood by the Hungarians?
US Secretary of State who said ‘You can count on us’, misunderstood by the Hungarians as support if they ever needed help
Why was Eisenhower not willing to do what Dulles said?
He did not want to be involved in any problems before the imminent election
When did Eisenhower succeed Truman?
1953
On what day were some political prisoners released and who was one of the most famous ones here?
30 October, with the release of Cardinal Mindszenty
What were some of the proposed reforms published by Nagy on 31 Oct? (5)
- Free elections
- Free press
- Withdrawal of Warsaw Pact
- Developing trade links w/ West
- Hungary to be a neutral state
Who did Nagy ask to consider Hungary’s disputes with the USSR and with what expectations did he do this?
UN in the hope that he would win support there and the USSR would negotiate
On 3rd Nov what did Nagy announce?
A coalition government
Who was the Chinese leader at the time and what was he telling Khrushchev?
Mao Zedong was telling him to stand firm with communism
What did Khrushchev do as a result of the comment from China on 4 Nov?
Placed 200,000 Soviet troops and 6000 tanks in Hungary
What had happened in the Middle East ( what was this problem nicknamed?) that diverted the attention away from Hungary?
The Suez Canal has been nationalised by the Egyptian leader, Nasser, which GBR and FRA were trying to regain control of, with the USA was paying close attention to. It was called the Suez Crisis
Reasons for the 2nd invasion of Hungary by Khrushchev: (5)
- Pressure from China
- Warsaw Pact breaking down
- Fear of loss of control
- USA and UN diverted w/ Suez Crisis & US elections
- Threaten the rest of Eastern Europe w/ the consequences
With what tactics did the Hungarians fight against the Soviet troops?
Guerrilla tactics
What places did the Soviet army capture? (3)
- Airports
- Bridges
- Road junctions
Through what means were the Hungarian rebels able to communicate with the West and what did they say to them?
Through radio and they pleaded for help
On what date was a ceasefire agreed?
10 Nov
Until when did the fighting continue?
Mid 1957
Where was Nagy during the fighting?
He was hiding in the Yugoslav embassy
Who became Hungary’s new leader?
Janos Kadar
What did Kadar offer Nagy and how did he betray him?
A safe passage out of the country but he arrested him instead
Where and when was Nagy taken and hanged?
Romania, where he was hanged in 1958
How many of the Soviet troops and rebels were killed in the fighting, as well as the number that fled the country?
7000 of the Soviet troops
20,000 rebels
200,000 fled
Why was there little that the West could do to help the Hungarians? (3)
- There was the threat of nuclear war from the USSR
- Hungary was too far off for military intervention
- Difficult for West to criticise USSR when they were doing similar things w/ Suez Crisis
What did the West do to help the Hungarians? (2)
- Condemned actions of USSR
- Staged demonstrations in support
What did the UN do in response to the Hungarian uprising but why did this not work out in the best way?
They convened a special inquiry into the events of Oct/Nov 1956 but Hungarian and Soviet government refused to participate
What did the inquiry result in?
Condemnation of Kadar’s regime
By 1957 how much had the Hungarian appeal proposed by Ed Sullivan received?
6 million dollars
What was the result of the Hungarian uprising?
Khrushchev had ‘sent’ a warning to other satellite not to rebel and maintained his empire
Describe the events in Poland between 1945 and 47: (2)
Jun 1945 –> Coalition gov set up
Jan 1947 –> Stanislaw Milokajcyk, Deputy Prime Minister, flees to London due to rigged elections
Describe the events in Romania between 1945 and 1947: (4)
Jan 1945 –> demonstrations to disrupt gov, encouraged by Stalin
Mar 1945 –> Petru Groza appointed as communist leader by King under force, after disarming the Romanian army
Nov 1946 –> 80% of the votes are won by the communists in the election
1947 –> monarchy is abolished
Describe the events in Hungary between 1945 and 47: (5)
Aug 1945 –> largest party (the Smallholders’ Party) win 50% of votes
1947 –> Ministry of the Interior is seized, Bella Kovacs (leader) is arrested & Imre Nagy forced to resign
Aug 1947 –> communists win and all other parties are banned
Describe the events in Bulgaria between 1944 and 1946: (3)
Late 1944 –> Communist gov elected
Nov 1945 –> Rigged elections won
1946 –> Other parties are banned
Describe the events in 1947 and 1948 in Czechoslovakia: (2)
By 1947 –> largest party in coalition and police and army are controlled
1948 –> seized control w/ army and Jan Masaryk, Foreign Secretary is murdered
Describe the events of Yugoslavia between 1945 and 1948: (2)
1945 –> Marshal Tito is elected
1948 –> Expelled from Cominform economic sanctions applied against them by other countries, and they accepted aid from the West
