The Origins of the Cold War - Chapter 2

Question 1

What were the effects of the US policy of containment?

Answer 1

Increased rivalry between the superpowers.

Question 2

When did the Truman Doctrine begin?

Answer 2

Introduced in March 1947

Question 3

Why could Britain not aid Greek royalists in the civil war anymore?

Answer 3

They could no longer afford to support the Greek government by early 1947.

Question 4

Why was their a Greek civil war?

Answer 4

The royalists were under threat from communist rebels and Turkey.

Question 5

Why was it pivotal for the US to step in to Greek’s civil war?

Answer 5

Before, the USA had played little part in European affairs. It was a turning point in the US’s foreign policy.

Question 6

Why was the Truman Doctrine created?

Answer 6

America wanted to use its economic and military strength to protect the world against communism.

Question 7

Why was the European Recovery Plan nicknamed the “Marshall plan”?

Answer 7

It was announced by George Marshall, in June 1947.

Question 8

Why was the Marshall plan introduced?

Answer 8

1) Communism genrally won support in countries where there were economic problems.
2)Many European countries had suffered badly as a result of the Second World War and were struggling to manage with shortages of everything.
3)If the USA could help these countries recover economically, there would be no reason to turn to communism.

Question 9

What was the aim of the aid from the Marshall Plan given?

Answer 9

To re-equip their factories and revive agriculture and trade for economic recovery.

Question 10

What aid from the Marshall Plan was given?

Answer 10

In the form of cash, machinery, food and technological assistance.

Question 11

What would the countries have to do in return to recieve aid from the Marshall Plan?

Answer 11

They would agree to buy US goods and allow US companies to invest capital in their industries. This also helped the US economy.

Question 12

When was Cominform set up?

Answer 12

1947

Question 13

Why was Cominform set up?

Answer 13

To coordinate communist parties throughout Europe.

Question 14

What did Cominform ensure Eastern Europe states to do?

Answer 14

• Follow Soviet aims in foreign policy

-Introduced Soviet-style economic policies, such as collectivisation of agriculture.

Question 15

What did the Soviet use Cominform to purge?

Answer 15

Members who disagreed with Moscow. For example, Tito’s refusal to follow the Soviet line resulted in the expulsion of YugoSlavia from Cominform in 1948.

Question 16

When was Comecon founded?

Answer 16

1949.

Question 17

What was Comecon a response to?

Answer 17

The Marshall Plam.

Question 18

What was Comecon used by the Soviet Union to do?

Answer 18

• Control the economies of these states
• Give the Soviet Union acess to their resources
• Encourage economic specialisation within the Soviet bloc. For example Czechoslovakia and East Germany were encouraged to focus on heavy industry.

Question 19

What was the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 19

When Stalin blockaded all routes by land and rail into West Berlin as a result of differences in Germany.

Question 20

What was one long-term cause of the Berlin Crisis regarding the Berlin government?

Answer 20

The Soviet Union ensured communist control of their Eastern zone and tried unsuccesfully in other zones but the socialist majority supported by Western powers resisted successfully.

Question 21

What was one long-term cause of the Berlin Crisis regarding German recovery?

Answer 21

The West wanted to speed up economic recovery of war-devastated Germany. But, the Soviet Union wanted to keep Germany week and refused to allow its own zone to trade with the other 3 zones.

Question 22

What was one long-term cause of the Berlin Crisis regarding Berlin’s location?

Answer 22

Berlin was in the heart of Soviet-controlled East Germany. The allies were allowed access to their sectors but Stalin did not want them in Berlin. The affluent capitalist way of life would be on display to people in the East. Western countries were determined to remain in Berlin where they could observe Soviet activities on the other side of the Iron Curtain.

Question 23

What short-term cause of the Berlin Crisis occured in March?

Answer 23

Soviet representatives walked out of the Allied Control commission,complaining that Western attitudes made it unworkable.

Question 24

What short-term cause of the Berlin Crisis occured in June?

Answer 24

The Western powers announced plans to create a West German State and introduced a new currency the Deutschmak for their zones and west Berlin. The Soviet union retaliated by making a currency of their own for the Soviet zone and East Berlin, the Ostmark.

Question 25

What was a short-term cause of the Berlin Crisis on the 24th of June?

Answer 25

Stalin accussed the West of interfering in the Soviet zone. He cut off traffic in an attempt to starve West Berlin. He wanted to force the Allies to pull out of their sector and abandon their plans of development.

Question 26

When did the Berlin airlift begin?

Answer 26

28 June 1948

Question 27

How long did the Berlin airlift last?

Answer 27

10 months.

Question 28

Why did Truman want the Berlin airlift to take place?

Answer 28

To stand up to the Soviet Union and show that he was serious about containment.

Berlin to be a symbol of freedom behind the Iron Curtain.

Question 29

What did the British codename the Berlin airlift?

Answer 29

Operation Plainfare.

Question 30

Why was the soviet union now within US bombing range during the Berlin airlift?

Answer 30

A warning to them by sending B-29 planes that can carry atomic bombs to the British.

Question 31

How many tons of supplies were the planes in the Berlin airlift flying by September? Was it enough?

Answer 31

4,600 - this was not enough.

Question 32

What did Stalin hope would happen during the winter of the Berlin airlift?

Answer 32

Severe conditions would paralyse it, however, it was a relatively mild winter that didn’t cause much disruption.

Question 33

When did the Berlin airlift reach its peak?

Answer 33

16-17 April. 1,398 flights landed near 13,000 tons in 24 hours.

Question 34

When did Stalin call of the blockade?

Answer 34

12 May 1949. He failed to starve the Allies out of Berlin.

Question 35

What was a consequence of the Berlin Crisis (East-West)?

Answer 35

Truman saw the crisis as a great victory as West Berlin had survived and stood up to the soviets. For Stalin it was a defeat and a humiliation though the soviets wee not led to believe so.

Question 36

What was a consequence of the Berlin Crisis (Divided Germany)?

Answer 36

Germany was now clearly divided. Within a few days of the end of the crisis, in May, the Allies announced that their former occupation zones including West Berlin would join together to form the Federal Republic of Germany. Stalin responded rapidly and by October the soviet zone became the German Democratic Republic.

Question 37

What was a consequence of the Berlin crisis (NATO)?

Answer 37

NATO was formed April 1949,. Though a defensive alliance, it’s main purpose was to prevent Soviet expansion. Stalin saw this as an “aggressive alliance” and a direct threat against Eastern Bloc countries.

Question 38

What was a consequence of the formation of NATO (arms)?

Answer 38

It intensified the arms race between the two sides and the development of ever more powerful weapons of destruction.

Question 39

What was a consequence of NATO (Warsaw Pact)?

Answer 39

In six years, the Soviet Union set up the Warsaw Pact which was a military treaty and asociation, formed in 1955, of the Soviet Union and its European satellite states.