The Origins Of The Cold War, 1945-1960

Question 1

The USSR:

Answer 1

People could vote in elections for the Supreme Soviet, but could only vote for members of Communist Party

Communist system, peoples lives controlled closely

Question 2

Who was at the Yalta Conference, February 1945:

Answer 2

At Yalta allied leaders, Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, got on well.

Question 3

What was agreed at Yalta:

Answer 3

Germany divided into 4 zones. Run by USA, France, Britain and the USSR.

Germany’s capital city, Berlin (in the soviet zone), would also be divided into four zones

Countries of Eastern Europe would be allowed to hold free elections to decide how they were governed

USSR would join in the war against Japan in return for territory in Manchuria and Sakhalin Island

Question 4

Who attended the Potsdam Conference, July-August 1945:

Answer 4

New leaders Harry Truman (USA), Clement Attlee (GB) did not get on as well with Stalin.

Question 5

What was decided at the Potsdam Conference:

Answer 5

Nazi party was to be banned and it’s leaders would be tried as war criminals

The Oder-Neisse (two rivers) line was to form part of the border between Poland and Germany

Question 6

The USA:

Answer 6

Democratic system of government

The president and congress chosen in free democratic elections

Capitalist economy

Business and property privately owned.

Worlds wealthiest country, but under capitalism there were always great contrasts

Believed firmly in freedom of the individual and in government by consent

Question 7

Who went to Yalta conference in 1945:

Answer 7

Winston Churchill

Roosevelt

Stalin

Question 8

Why did Yalta take place in February 1945:

Answer 8

To plan what happened after the war

Question 9

What was decided at Yalta:

Answer 9

Germany to be split into four zones of occupation

Free elections for new governments would be held in countries previously occupied in Eastern Europe

United Nations would replace the failed League of Nations

Question 10

When was Potsdam:

Answer 10

August 1945

Question 11

When was Yalta:

Answer 11

February 1945

Question 12

What was agreed at Potsdam:

Answer 12

New boundaries of Poland were agreed

Allies decided to divide Germany and Berlin between them

Agreed to legal trials at Nuremberg of Nazi leaders for war crimes

Question 13

How did Truman try to stop the spread of communism:

Answer 13

The Marshall Plan

The Truman Doctrine

Question 14

What was the Marshall Plan:

Answer 14

Promised American aid to European countries to help rebuild their economies

Stop the spread of communism

Question 15

What was the Truman doctrine:

Answer 15

USA would support any nation threatened by a communist takeover.

USA would not return to isolationism

Policy of containment

Question 16

Examples of the Truman Doctrine:

Answer 16

USA gave $400 million of aid to Turkey and Greece to try to stop communism spreading.

Question 17

How many zones was Berlin divided in:

Answer 17

4

Question 18

Who ran the 4 zones:

Answer 18

Soviet

USA

British

French

Question 19

Why did Stalin start the Blockade:

Answer 19

Britain,US and France combined their zones making a new western zone which had a signal government and a new currency to help economic recovery.

Stalin opposed as he wanted Germany weak.

Question 20

What did Stalin order:

Answer 20

All and communication between West Berlin and outside world should be cut off

Question 21

How did West Berlin deal with the Berlin Blockade:

Answer 21

Survived due to the Berlin Airlift.

Question 22

What was the Berlin Airlift:

Answer 22

Between June 1948 and May 1949, the only way of obtaining supplies from the outside world was by air.

By 1949, 8000 tons of supplies were being flown into West Berlin each day.

Question 23

How did the use of the atom bomb increase rivalry between the superpowers:

Answer 23

Stalin was convinced that the USA used the bombs as a warning to the USSR

An arms race emerged with the USSR determined to develop its own atom bomb.

Question 24

The west began to see hopeful signs from the new soviet leader Khrushchev:

Answer 24

Khrushchev seemed to be encouraging greater freedom within the USSR

On a visit to Warsaw in 1956, he indicated that the Polish people should be allowed more freedom

Question 25

Benefits of Marshall Aid:

Answer 25

Between 12 and 13 billion dollars poured into Europe in the years 1947-51, providing vital help for Europe’s economic recovery.

Question 26

The importance of NATO:

Answer 26

USA was now formally committed to the defence of Western Europe

Stalin did not see it as a defensive alliance but as a direct threat to the USSR

USA was able to build up air bases in Western Europe where planes armed with nuclear weapons could be stationed ready for use against the USSR

Question 27

What happened in the nuclear arms race during 1945-49:

Answer 27

The USA was the only country to possess atomic weapons

Question 28

What happened in 1949 in the nuclear arms race:

Answer 28

The USSR successfully tested an atomic bomb

Question 29

What happened in 1952 in the nuclear arms race:

Answer 29

The USA detonated its first hydrogen bomb

Question 30

What happened in the nuclear arms race in 1953:

Answer 30

The USSR tested its own hydrogen bomb

Question 31

What was the Warsaw Pact:

Answer 31

A communist version of NATO

Question 32

Results of the Hungarian rising:

Answer 32

Between 2,500 and 30,000 Hungarians were killed along with 700 soviet troops

Over 200,000 refugees fled Hungary and settled in the West

Highlighted the limitations of Khrushchev’s policy of peaceful co-existence

No active support for the rising in the West as Britain and France and the USA were preoccupied with the Suez crisis

Question 33

What was the first disagreement at Potsdam:

Answer 33

Britain and USA denied Stalin a naval base in the Mediterranean

They saw no need for Stalin to have such a base

Stalin saw this as evidence that his allies mistrusted him

Question 34

What was the second disagreement at Potsdam:

Answer 34

Stalin wanted more reparations from Germany than Britain and the USA did

Question 35

What did the countries of Eastern Europe become:

Answer 35

Soviet Satellite States

Question 36

Soviet Expansion in the East:

Answer 36

Soviet Red Army advanced through large areas of Eastern Europe whilst driving back the Germans

Elections were held in each Eastern European country but evidence suggested they were rigged to allow the USSR-backed communist parties to take control.

Question 37

When was the first atomic bomb dropped:

Answer 37

6 August

Question 38

Where was the first atomic bomb:

Answer 38

First bomb used on Hiroshima.

Question 39

What were the consequences of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima:

Answer 39

At least 75,000 people died instantly

Tens of thousands more died from radiation poisoning in the following years

Question 40

Where was the second atomic bomb dropped:

Answer 40

Nagasaki

Question 41

When was the second atomic bomb dropped:

Answer 41

3 days after on the 9th August

Question 42

What were the consequences of the second atomic bomb:

Answer 42

60,000 casualties

Question 43

Who dropped the atomic bombs:

Answer 43

USA

Question 44

What happened in the spring of 1948:

Answer 44

Elections were due and it seemed likely that the communists would do badly

Question 45

What happened in Czechoslovakia around the elections:

Answer 45

Communists organised marches and protests.

Non communist ministers resigned and foreign minister Jan Masaryk was killed

Question 46

What happened in May 1948:

Answer 46

Elections took place in Czechoslovakia but only communists were allowed to stand.

Czechoslovakia was now part of the Communist Eastern Bloc.

Question 47

Marshal aid caused tensions:

Answer 47

Only16 European countries accepted it - and these were all Western European states

Stalin refused Marshall aid for the USSR and banned Eastern European countries from accepting it. Instead he created his own organisation known as cominform