The Origins Of The Cold War 1945-1949 Flashcards
What was Stalin’s post-WW2 foreign policy based on?
Aim of taking advantage of military situation in Europe to strengthen Soviet influence
What was Stalin trying to prevent with his post-WW2 foreign policy?
Another invasion from the West
What did Stalin’s post-WW2 foreign policy result in?
Establishing pro-soviet governments in as much of Eastern Europe as possible
How many times were Germany invaded from the West in the 20th century?
3 times
How many Soviet citizens were killed during the war?
Over 20 million
What did Churchill fear about America after WW2?
They would return to a policy of isolationism
How did Churchill feel about threats to Eastern Europe after WW2?
There was little the West could do to prevent Stalin doing as he wished
What personal agreement occurred between Churchill and Stalin in 1944?
Percentages Agreement
What agreements were made at the Percentages Agreement?
-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
What stance did both Attlee and Truman take towards USSR when gaining leadership?
Hostility towards Stalin and USSR
What did Roosevelt see as the solution with Stalin in regards to post-war Eastern Europe?
-Had to reach some sort of working relationship with USSR
-Accommodation with Stalin was essential
What misinterpretation added to USA’s hostility towards the Soviet Union?
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
What agreement promised that people of Europe could create democratic institutions of their own choice?
Declaration on Liberated Europe
Where was the Declaration of Liberated Europe created?
Yalta Conference
What did the Declaration on Liberated Europe promise?
People of Europe could created democratic institutions of their own choice
What sources of tension were there/ what was discussed at Yalta in relation to Europe?
-The Polish Question
-The German and Berlin Question
-Declaration on Liberated Europe
How far was the Polish Question resolved at Yalta?
-Oder-Neisse line new Western border of Poland after Yalta
-Curzon line new Eastern border
-Free elections in Poland
How far was the German and Berlin Question resolved at Yalta?
-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
What success was there at Potsdam in relation to Europe?
Some limited agreement in Germany
-Denazified, demilitarised
What failures were there at Potsdam?
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)
What was Stalin’s primary motivation in Eastern Europe?
Safeguard Soviet international interests and Soviet territory
How did Stalin ensure Communist victory in Eastern European elections?
Manipulation of election results to ensure a communist victory
How did Stalin typically maintain control in Eastern Europe?
Pro-Stalinist puppet leaders
What were the aims of the Truman Doctrine?
-Prevent USSR from aiding Greek communists
-Protect democracy and freedom
-Demonise USSR and communism to American public
-Provoke USSR
-Develop global economic power
-Containment
What was the purpose of Cominform?
To unite and coordinate the role and actions of communist groups throughout Europe
When was Bizonia?
January 1947
What was USA’s initial approach to Europe?
Intention to work towards the reconstruction of a democratic region, whose members would be committed to mutual cooperation
What prompted the Marshall Plan?
Clayton argued that without a substantial increase in aid from the USA, Europe would experience social, economic and political disintegration on a regional scale
What was USA’s route into Europe?
Their ‘special relationship’ with Britain
What were the conditions of receiving Marshall Aid?
-Some had to be spent on importing goods from the USA
-Required to share economic information with the USA
How did the USSR view the Marshall Plan?
An undermining of their sphere of influence and their security
What was the lasting impact of the Marshall Plan in Europe?
Accelerated the division of Europe and further undermined the possibility of cooperative international relations
Who benefitted from the Marshall Plan?
Greece
-Nearly $700m of economic assistance
France
-$2.7b of economic assistance for keeping Communist threat under control
Yugoslavia
-More than $150m of aid
When did the Berlin Blockade occur?
June 1948-May 1949
What was the creation of the Berlin Blockade trying to prevent?
The creation of a separate West German state
Why was NATO formed?
To reassure Western European states in the face of possible Soviet military aggression
What was the Soviet response to NATO?
Argued that NATO was an aggressive organisation designed to pressurise states into complying with the West
What were the two guiding values of Capitalism?
-Private Enterprise
-Liberal Democracy
What were the two guiding values of Communism?
-State-owned economy
-One-party state
What is private enterprise?
Businesses, factories and land owned by individuals with minimum government interference
What is liberal democracy?
Political system where each person has freedom to vote, stand for election, speech, worship and press
What is state-owned economy?
Economy where all industries and agriculture are owned by the government on behalf of the people
What is a one-party state?
A political system where there is only one political party to represent the people
Who was Vyacheslav Molotov?
Served as the Soviet Foreign Minister from 1939-1949 and 1953-1957
What were Vyacheslav Molotov’s contributions to worldwide relations?
Attitudes were a driving force in collapse of East-West relations
What was the strongest political party facing the Communists in Romania?
Agrarian Party
Who led the Agrarian Party?
Nikola Petkov
Where was the Agrarian Party?
Romania
How did the USSR take political control in Romania?
-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
When were all political parties banned in Romania?
April 1947
Was was the initial communist tactic used in Hungary?
Allying with other political groups in order to challenge the power of their greatest opponent (The Smallholders Party)
Who was the communists’ greatest political opponent in Hungary?
The Smallholders Party
Who was executed in Hungary in 1949?
Laszlo Rajk - Hungarian communist leader
Why was Laszlo Rajk executed in 1949?
For ‘anti-Soviet’ activities
Who resigned in Czechoslovakia?
Edvard Beneš
When did Beneš resign?
June 1948
Who took control in Czechoslovakia after Beneš resigned?
Left the pro-Moscow communists in complete control
Who was the leader of Yugoslavia?
Josip Broz Tito
What was Yugoslavia expelled from in June 1948?
Cominform
Why were Yugoslavia expelled from Cominform?
Refused to become Soviet puppets
What were Yugoslavia leaders accused of?
Abandoning Marxist-Leninism
How was Yugoslavia able to survive?
USA were willing to offer economic aid
When was the ‘Iron Curtain’ speech?
March 1946
What was the purpose of the ‘Iron Curtain’ speech?
Call for firmer action by the West against the threat of communism
What was Stalin’s response to the ‘Iron Curtain’ speech?
Seeking Eastern European allies in order to reinforce the USSR’s security
When was Cominform?
September 1947
When was the Greek Civil War?
1944-1949
What was Kennan’s Long Telegram about?
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
Why was there a ‘special relationship’?
Churchill emphasised a common identity and a shared need for security between the US and Britain
What was comecon?
Soviet aid to Eastern bloc countries
