The origins of the Cold War Flashcards
When was Yalta?
Feb 1945, Near when the war was finishing but wasn’t completely over
Who was at Yalta?
The big three - STALIN, ROOSEVELT, CHURCHILL
When did the big three agree to join the united nations?
At Yalta, feb 1945
Who didn’t trust each other at Yalta and what did they say about each other?
Churchill didn’t trust soviets
Church described them as a danger to the free world
Stalin didn’t trust Churchill
Describing him as ‘the kind of man who will pick your pocket for a kopeck’
How many disagreements were at Yalta?
1
What was agreed at Yalta about Germany?
That she’d be split into 4 zones and so would Berlin as it was in the USSR zone
What did they agree about countries that were previously controlled by Germany at Yalta?
That they could hold free elections
What did they agree about war time criminals and when did they agree this?
To punish ones responsible for genocide
Yalta feb 1945
What was agreed at Yalta regarding Eastern europe?
That they could be the soviet sphere of influence as Stalin was concerned about USSR safety
How many Russians were killed in the war?
20 million
What was the disagreement at Yalta over?
Poland
What did Stalin propose he wanted to do with Poland at Yalta? (It wasn’t agreed, they made a negotiation)
Move USSR border into Poland and Poland’s into german territory (his zone) & Churchill and Roosevelt weren’t happy with this
What did FDR and Churchill negotiate with Stalin over Poland at Yalta?
They said he could keep the whole of Poland as long as he didn’t interfere with Greece where British were trying to prevent a community takeover
Who was at Potsdam conference?
Stalin, Truman, Attlee
When was Potsdam conference?
July-August 1945
What were 3 disagreements at Potsdam?
- They disagreed over Germany
- They disagreed over reparations of Germany
- They disagreed over soviet policy of Eastern Europe
What did the big 3 disagree about Germany?
Stalin wanted to cripple Germany to protect future USSR but Truman didn’t want to repeat same mistake as Treaty of Versailles
What did Stalin want as reparations from Germany but was disagreed with by Truman?
Stalin wanted $10billion from Germany as 20 million soviets were killed but Truman didn’t want to repeat the same mistake as Treaty of Versailles
What did Stalin want the soviet policy in Eastern europe to be? And what was Truman’s response?
Stalin wanted eastern european to unite so nobody would ‘lay a finger on them’ but Truman saw this as Stalin trying to build a soviet empire
What were the differences at Potsdam from Yalta? (5)
1) Stalin had set up own government in Poland - said it was for defence measures
2) Stalin’s armies were occupying most of Eastern europe
3) Truman was new USA president - very anti communist
4) USA had developed atomic bomb, and dropped it days after the conference ended, which they had kept hidden from USSR but Stalin knew because of spies
5) No common enemy
When did Roosevelt agree to the creation of the atomic bomb?
1941
When and where was the 1st atom bomb dropped?
6th August 1945 in Hiroshima
What was the name of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima?
Little boy
How many people were killed instantly at Hiroshima?
80,000
When was the 2nd atom bomb dropped and where?
9th August 1945 on Nagasaki
How many people died instantly in Nagasaki?
40,000
Why did America drop the second bomb?
Because Japan hadn’t surrendered
What was the argument against America’s justification of the 2nd bomb being dropped being because Japan hadn’t surrendered?
Allegedly Japan HAD surrendered just before dropping of bomb on Nagasaki but America claimed they hadn’t received the message yet
What was America’s justification for the dropping of the bomb?
Retaliation for pearl harbour
To end SWW
So $8 million project wouldn’t go to waste