The Origins Of The Cold War 1945-1949

Question 1

What was Stalin’s post-WW2 foreign policy based on?

Answer 1

Aim of taking advantage of military situation in Europe to strengthen Soviet influence

Question 2

What was Stalin trying to prevent with his post-WW2 foreign policy?

Answer 2

Another invasion from the West

Question 3

What did Stalin’s post-WW2 foreign policy result in?

Answer 3

Establishing pro-soviet governments in as much of Eastern Europe as possible

Question 4

How many times were Germany invaded from the West in the 20th century?

Answer 4

3 times

Question 5

How many Soviet citizens were killed during the war?

Answer 5

Over 20 million

Question 6

What did Churchill fear about America after WW2?

Answer 6

They would return to a policy of isolationism

Question 7

How did Churchill feel about threats to Eastern Europe after WW2?

Answer 7

There was little the West could do to prevent Stalin doing as he wished

Question 8

What personal agreement occurred between Churchill and Stalin in 1944?

Answer 8

Percentages Agreement

Question 9

What agreements were made at the Percentages Agreement?

Answer 9

-USSR have 90% influence in Romania and 75% in Bulgaria
-Britain have 90% influence in Greece
-USSR and Britain share 50%-50% influence in Hungary and Yugoslavia

Question 10

What stance did both Attlee and Truman take towards USSR when gaining leadership?

Answer 10

Hostility towards Stalin and USSR

Question 11

What did Roosevelt see as the solution with Stalin in regards to post-war Eastern Europe?

Answer 11

-Had to reach some sort of working relationship with USSR
-Accommodation with Stalin was essential

Question 12

What misinterpretation added to USA’s hostility towards the Soviet Union?

Answer 12

Soviet demand for security from further attack led them to interpret every action as part of USSR’s desire to dominate Europe and spread communism

Question 13

What agreement promised that people of Europe could create democratic institutions of their own choice?

Answer 13

Declaration on Liberated Europe

Question 14

Where was the Declaration of Liberated Europe created?

Answer 14

Yalta Conference

Question 15

What did the Declaration on Liberated Europe promise?

Answer 15

People of Europe could created democratic institutions of their own choice

Question 16

What sources of tension were there/ what was discussed at Yalta in relation to Europe?

Answer 16

-The Polish Question
-The German and Berlin Question
-Declaration on Liberated Europe

Question 17

How far was the Polish Question resolved at Yalta?

Answer 17

-Oder-Neisse line new Western border of Poland after Yalta
-Curzon line new Eastern border
-Free elections in Poland

Question 18

How far was the German and Berlin Question resolved at Yalta?

Answer 18

-Temporarily divide Berlin and Germany into 4 zones
-4 zones of occupation treated as single economic unit
-Each power able to take reparations from their own zone in terms of resources

Question 19

What success was there at Potsdam in relation to Europe?

Answer 19

Some limited agreement in Germany
-Denazified, demilitarised

Question 20

What failures were there at Potsdam?

Answer 20

Large disagreement over reparations
-USSR demanded $10b, ended up with less than 1% of request
High tensions over power vacuums
-Poland - London Poles (West) vs Lublin Committee (USSR)

Question 21

What was Stalin’s primary motivation in Eastern Europe?

Answer 21

Safeguard Soviet international interests and Soviet territory

Question 22

How did Stalin ensure Communist victory in Eastern European elections?

Answer 22

Manipulation of election results to ensure a communist victory

Question 23

How did Stalin typically maintain control in Eastern Europe?

Answer 23

Pro-Stalinist puppet leaders

Question 24

What were the aims of the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 24

-Prevent USSR from aiding Greek communists
-Protect democracy and freedom
-Demonise USSR and communism to American public
-Provoke USSR
-Develop global economic power
-Containment

Question 25

What was the purpose of Cominform?

Answer 25

To unite and coordinate the role and actions of communist groups throughout Europe

Question 26

When was Bizonia?

Answer 26

January 1947

Question 27

What was USA's initial approach to Europe?

Answer 27

Intention to work towards the reconstruction of a democratic region, whose members would be committed to mutual cooperation

Question 28

What prompted the Marshall Plan?

Answer 28

Clayton argued that without a substantial increase in aid from the USA, Europe would experience social, economic and political disintegration on a regional scale

Question 29

What was USA's route into Europe?

Answer 29

Their 'special relationship' with Britain

Question 30

What were the conditions of receiving Marshall Aid?

Answer 30

-Some had to be spent on importing goods from the USA -Required to share economic information with the USA

Question 31

How did the USSR view the Marshall Plan?

Answer 31

An undermining of their sphere of influence and their security

Question 32

What was the lasting impact of the Marshall Plan in Europe?

Answer 32

Accelerated the division of Europe and further undermined the possibility of cooperative international relations

Question 33

Who benefitted from the Marshall Plan?

Answer 33

Greece -Nearly $700m of economic assistance France -$2.7b of economic assistance for keeping Communist threat under control Yugoslavia -More than $150m of aid

Question 34

When did the Berlin Blockade occur?

Answer 34

June 1948-May 1949

Question 35

What was the creation of the Berlin Blockade trying to prevent?

Answer 35

The creation of a separate West German state

Question 36

Why was NATO formed?

Answer 36

To reassure Western European states in the face of possible Soviet military aggression

Question 37

What was the Soviet response to NATO?

Answer 37

Argued that NATO was an aggressive organisation designed to pressurise states into complying with the West

Question 38

What were the two guiding values of Capitalism?

Answer 38

-Private Enterprise -Liberal Democracy

Question 39

What were the two guiding values of Communism?

Answer 39

-State-owned economy -One-party state

Question 40

What is private enterprise?

Answer 40

Businesses, factories and land owned by individuals with minimum government interference

Question 41

What is liberal democracy?

Answer 41

Political system where each person has freedom to vote, stand for election, speech, worship and press

Question 42

What is state-owned economy?

Answer 42

Economy where all industries and agriculture are owned by the government on behalf of the people

Question 43

What is a one-party state?

Answer 43

A political system where there is only one political party to represent the people

Question 44

Who was Vyacheslav Molotov?

Answer 44

Served as the Soviet Foreign Minister from 1939-1949 and 1953-1957

Question 45

What were Vyacheslav Molotov’s contributions to worldwide relations?

Answer 45

Attitudes were a driving force in collapse of East-West relations

Question 46

What was the strongest political party facing the Communists in Romania?

Answer 46

Agrarian Party

Question 47

Who led the Agrarian Party?

Answer 47

Nikola Petkov

Question 48

Where was the Agrarian Party?

Answer 48

Romania

Question 49

How did the USSR take political control in Romania?

Answer 49

-Petkov faced with trumped-up charges and executed -His party was forcibly absorbed into the Bulgarian communist movement -By April 1947, all other political parties had been banned

Question 50

When were all political parties banned in Romania?

Answer 50

April 1947

Question 51

Was was the initial communist tactic used in Hungary?

Answer 51

Allying with other political groups in order to challenge the power of their greatest opponent (The Smallholders Party)

Question 52

Who was the communists’ greatest political opponent in Hungary?

Answer 52

The Smallholders Party

Question 53

Who was executed in Hungary in 1949?

Answer 53

Laszlo Rajk - Hungarian communist leader

Question 54

Why was Laszlo Rajk executed in 1949?

Answer 54

For ‘anti-Soviet’ activities

Question 55

Who resigned in Czechoslovakia?

Answer 55

Edvard Beneš

Question 56

When did Beneš resign?

Answer 56

June 1948

Question 57

Who took control in Czechoslovakia after Beneš resigned?

Answer 57

Left the pro-Moscow communists in complete control

Question 58

Who was the leader of Yugoslavia?

Answer 58

Josip Broz Tito

Question 59

What was Yugoslavia expelled from in June 1948?

Answer 59

Cominform

Question 60

Why were Yugoslavia expelled from Cominform?

Answer 60

Refused to become Soviet puppets

Question 61

What were Yugoslavia leaders accused of?

Answer 61

Abandoning Marxist-Leninism

Question 62

How was Yugoslavia able to survive?

Answer 62

USA were willing to offer economic aid

Question 63

When was the ‘Iron Curtain’ speech?

Answer 63

March 1946

Question 64

What was the purpose of the ‘Iron Curtain’ speech?

Answer 64

Call for firmer action by the West against the threat of communism

Question 65

What was Stalin’s response to the ‘Iron Curtain’ speech?

Answer 65

Seeking Eastern European allies in order to reinforce the USSR’s security

Question 66

When was Cominform?

Answer 66

September 1947

Question 67

When was the Greek Civil War?

Answer 67

1944-1949

Question 68

What was Kennan's Long Telegram about?

Answer 68

Kennan argued that the Soviet regime was inherently expansionist and that its influence had to be 'contained' in areas of vital strategic importance to the US

Question 69

Why was there a 'special relationship'?

Answer 69

Churchill emphasised a common identity and a shared need for security between the US and Britain

Question 70

What was comecon?

Answer 70

Soviet aid to Eastern bloc countries