The Origins Of The Cold War In The 1940s Flashcards
America/USA
Capitalist
Business and property owned by individuals who make profits
Inequality between rich and poor
Individual rights such as free speech or a free press valued
Presidents of America
Franklin D. Roosevelt (March 1933 - April 1945)
Harry S. Truman (April 1945 - January 1953)
Britain
Considered one of the big three during the beginning of the Cold War
Big historical moments carried out by Britain
—> Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech
Britains Prime Ministers
Winston Churchill, conservative. May 1940 - July 1945
Clement Attlee, labour. July 1945 - October 1951
Soviet Union/USSR
Communist
Business and property owned and run by the government
Greater equality between rich and poor
One-party state
Individual rights seen as less important than needs of state
—> personal freedom limited
Soviet Union/USSR President
Joseph Stalin January 1924 - March 1953
When was the Yalta Conference?
February 1945
What were Winston Churchills approaches to the Yalta Conference?
Saw Britains interests as being best served by a close relationship with the USA
An avowed anti-communist, determined not to compromise too much with the Soviets
What were Franklin D. Roosevelt’s approaches at the Yalta Conference?
Committed to working with the USSR to rebuild Europe
His view: only a Europe built on American capitalist principles could prevent a future war
What were Joseph Stalins approaches to the Yalta Conference?
To ensure that towns, industry, agriculture weren’t destroyed
Stalin recognised the need for cooperation with USA and Britain
Agreements at the Yalta Conference
Disagreements at the Yalta Conference
Poland
Stalin wanted to move the border of the USSR further into Poland
USA and Britain did not like this but felt they had agreed
Yalta impact on relations at the time
Underlying tension
Increased distrust
USA wanted democracy and capitalism
Soviets wanted to spread communism
Yalta impact on relations in the longer term
Created clear divide between the two countries
Soviets took control of Eastern Europe
—> USA saw this as a threat
Mistrust grew overtime
When was the Potsdam Conference?
July 1945
Britains leader at the Potsdam Conference
Clement Attlee
USA’s leader at the Potsdam Conference
Harry S. Truman
USSR’s leader at the Potsdam Conference
Joseph Stalin
Clement Attlee approach at the Potsdam Conference
Concerned by the USSR’s expansion into Eastern Europe
Make sure Germany was safe from attack
Britain was no longer the dominant force
Stay close to the USA to grow the Soviet Power
Harry S. Trumans approach to the Potsdam Conference
More anti-communist than Roosevelt
—> shared many of the same goals
Argued for self-determination for the countries of Europe
Joseph Stalins approach to the Potsdam Conference
Determined to ensure Soviet security in the long term
Convinced that USA was a rival for power and influence in Europe
Stalin’s armies controlled much of Eastern Europe, what else did he want to do?
He had set up a communist government in Poland and wanted to set up Pro-Soviet governments throughout Eastern Europe
—> Truman saw this as evidence that Stalin wanted to build of a Soviet Empire
Stalin wanted to cripple Germany, but Truman disagreed - didn’t want to repeat the mistakes from the Treaty of Versailles
—> Stalin demanded $10 billion compensation from Germany
Atomic bomb
USA developed it in secret
—> Stalins spies kept him informed since 1942
Truman officially told Stalin about the bomb at the Potsdam Conference
6th August 1945 - USA dropped first bomb on Hiroshima, Japan
9th August 1945 - second bomb dropped on Nagasaki, as Japan didn’t surrender
Potsdam Conference impact on relations (at the time)
Underlying problems
Tension increased
But they were alright
Potsdam Conference impact on relations (in the longer term)
Led to mistrust on both sides
Helped start the Cold War
Atomic bomb impact on relations (at the time)
WW2 ended but created a growing sense of mistrust and competition
Intensified rivalry
Atomic bomb impact on relations (in the longer term)
Shaped post-war politics
Germany - divided line between East and West
Truman determined to stop Soviet expansion and the spread of communism into the rest of Europe
What is a coalition?
Shared control of a country with another party
What is cominform?
A group started in 1947
To connect and support communist parties in Europe
Helped spread communist ideas
Increased tension with the West
Who ran East Germany
The USSR effectively under Red Army control
—> allies gave hem control
Yugoslavia
Marshal Tito
Elected President in 1945
Was determined to apply communism in his own way
—> was expelled from Cominform in 1948
France and Italy
They had strong communist parties which belonged to Cominform
Soviet Expansion impact on relations (at the time)
Increased tension
Mistrust grew between communist and capitalist countries
Fear of communism spreading in Western Europe
Led to Iron Curtain dividing Europe
Soviet Expansion impact on relations (in the longer term)
Established a long-lasting divide between East and West
Created pattern of conflict and rivalry
Increased tensions
When was the Iron Curtain?
March 1946
Who was George Kennan?
An American diplomat and expert on the Soviet Union
What did George Kennan do on 22nd February 1946?
Sent a detailed and lengthy report to the government in Washington
—> known as the Long Telegram (8000 words)
Saying his fears about Soviet ambitions
Believed any attempt of cooperation between East and West was doomed to fail
Confirmed Truman’s own fears
1946 (Communism)
USSR successfully spread communism through Eastern Europe
Poland, Albania, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria all had communist governments
Loyal to Stalin
What did Churchill call the divide between the East and West of Europe?
The Iron Curtain
What was set up in 1947?
Cominform, to coordinate the work between all the different communist parties
What did Western powers accept?
That Eastern Europe was a Soviet sphere of influence
—> hoped that democratic governments would still be considered in the East
How did Truman respond to the spread of communism?
The Truman Doctrine
—> a policy designed for containment
6th March 1946 - Missouri, USA (Churchill)
Made a speech directly criticising the actions of the USSR
Accusing them of attempting to spread its influence and gain more power at all costs
Invisible dividing line - ‘Iron Curtain’
Ended almost all contact between countries either side of it
—> including trade and tourism
Iron Curtain impact on relations (at the time - Stalins response)
Unfair speech
Increased tensions
Symbol: Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain impact on relations (in the longer term - Truman’s approach)
Believed any type of cooperation is doomed to fail because of the Telegram
Led to the Truman Doctrine
Greece and Turkey
1947 - Greece in a civil war between supporters of former King and Greek communists
Stalin tried taking control of Turkey (neighbouring country)
—> USA concerned - it would allow Soviets to spread communism through Middle East
—> and Turkey was very important for its reserves of oil
What did Truman persuade the US congress to do?
Speech 12th March 1947
Grant him $400 million of aid to help the situation in Greece and Turkey
—> made Turkey a strong ally of the USA and helped the monarchists of Greece
Aka, each country should be allowed to choose how it’s run by containing communism
—> support countries threatened by communism
Truman Doctrine impact on relations (at the time, summary)
March 1947 Truman gave money to Greece and Turkey to resist communism + make Turkey an ally
Increased tensions
Stalin = unhappy
—> viewed as a direct threat
Led to Cominform
Confirms idea of Iron Curtain
Truman Doctrine impact on relations (in the longer term)
Truman Doctrine demonstrated through Marshall Plan
Leading to Comecon
Rivalry + competition between the superpowers
Marshall Plan
General Marshall found countries economies to be ruined —> extreme shortages of supplies
Proposed plan, $17 billion to aid and rebuild Europe
—> believed doing this would make spreading communism more difficult
1947, Truman’s attempt of approval failed
1948, USSR invaded Czechoslovakia and congress granted the MArshall Aid
Stalin = suspicious and banned communist states from applying for it
—> Stalin set up his own version, called Comecon
Uk (Marshall Aid money)
$3.2 billion of aid
France (Marshall Aid money)
$2.7 billion of aid
Italy (Marshall Aid money)
$1.5 billion of aid
Greece (Marshall Aid money)
$694 million of aid
Why was the Marshall Plan quite successful?
Allowed countries to rebuild much more quickly
Important equipment and supplies were provided
Stalins response: Comecon
1949
Countries in EE should not accept Marshall Aid
Aims:
Provide support and bring economic stability
Countries worked together to share knowledge and resources in a way that would benefit them all
Communist rebel: Yugoslavia
Tito decided to seek Marshall Aid
Yugoslavia was banned from Cominform
—> became a totally independent country
The only communist state outside the iron Curtain
Marshall Plan impact on relations (at the time)
Increased tension
Sense of rivalry
Confirms Iron Curtain
Stalin = felt threatened
—> led to creation of Comecon
Marshall Plan impact on relations (in the longer term - acting on containment)
Reduces chances of countries turning to communism
—> part of USA’s strategy to contain communism
Increased tensions with the Soviet Union
Divide between East and West
Berlin Blockade
Britain, France and USA combined their designated zones of a Berlin into one
—> to allow the German economy to recover faster
Stalin responded with Berlin Blockade out of fear Germany was being built up deliberately
Stalin closed links between Berlin and the West, leaving Berlin without supplies
—> roads, railways, canals
Electricity from power stations in the Soviet sector to factories and offices in WB were cut
W allies were unable to supply them
2.5 million people in WB forced to rely on reserves of food and fuel that would soon run out
What couldn’t WB do during the Berlin Blockade?
Use tanks and military machinery to force their way through
—> would be seen as an act of war
Berlin Airlift
Allies used planes to fly over supplies to Berlin
First planes flew on 26th June 1948
80 C-47 planes flew at the start with 2 trips
Planes landed every 3 minutes, around 4000 tonnes of supplies were delivered a day
In total how many flights were there in the Berlin Airlift?
275000 flights
Delivered 1.5 million tonnes of supplies
What was feared during the Berlin Airlift?
Soviets may shoot down planes
—> igniting a war
What happened on 15th April 1949?
West launched the ‘Easter Parade’
Nearly 12,000 tonnes of coal was delivered in 1383 flights
What happened on 12th May 1949?
Stalin ordered the lifting of the blockade
(The West Won)
What happened on 23rd May 1949?
Germany was formally divided into two different countries
WEST (Germany dividing)
Federal Republic of Germany (FDR)
Independent democratic country
Own government, based in Bonn
EAST (Germany dividing)
German Democratic Republic (under Soviet control)
Stalins response (October 1949)
Run in same way as USSR
—> under a communist party
Own secret police, the Stasi
Berlin Blockade and Airlift impact on relations (at the time)
Tension at its highest so far
—> sparked a sudden, dramatic spike in tension
Truman is committed
Demonstrated how far America was willing to go to protect their ideology
Berlin Blockade and Airlift impact on relations (in the longer term)
Willing to go to the brink of war, but not beyond it
—> not willing to risk engaging in a hot war
Led to creation of NATO
What happened in April 1949? (NATO)
12 countries including USA, Britain and France signed the North Atlantic Treaty
Key agreement: an attack on one member would be considered an attack on all
Guaranteed that the USA would support the WE countries if their security was ever threatened
USA would remain involved in European affairs long term
What did NATO represent for the USSR?
An aggressive alliance
A threat to Soviet security
6 years later - formed the rival Warsaw Pact with the communist countries of EE except Yugoslavia
Europe’s two great political blocs were now clearly defined
When and what was the Warsaw Pact?
1955
USSR’s own alliance
Defend each other
Dominated by the Soviet Union
Stalin - dead
Khrushchev - new leader
—> continue Soviet control over the Eastern bloc
What happened in May 1955?
Western bloc invited West Germany into NATO and allowed it to have its own army again
Alliances impact on relations (at the time)
Two clear political sides
Alliances impact on relations (in the longer term)
Two clear political sides lasting throughout the Cold War
