The origins of the Cold War to 1945

Question 1

Name the major features of capitalism

Answer 1

1. Believed in freedoms such as freedom of speech and freedom to vote
2. Business and property were privately owned
3. There were great extremes some countries were very wealthy (USA) while others were in extreme poverty.

Question 2

Name the major features of communism

Answer 2

1. One-party dictatorship- elections were held but all candidates from the same party
2. General standard of living was much lower, but unemployment and extreme poverty were rare
3. USSR was an economic superpower- its industry grew so quickly in 20s and 30s

Question 3

State 3 reasons why the West didn’t like communism.

Answer 3

1. The West saw it as destabilising and a threat to the social and political order
2. Ideas of nationalisation was a threat to owners of businesses and factories- could take away power.
3. Saw communism as a threat to freedoms and a liberal democracy

Question 4

State 3 reasons why the East didn’t like capitalism.

Answer 4

1. Believed capitalism exploited the working classes and wanted a more equal society.
2. Believed ideas of privately owned business produced a large division between rich owners and the working class.
3. Saw political parties as a result of different classes- didn’t see a need for them

Question 5

Define brinkmanship

Answer 5

The tactic of seeming to approach the verge of war in order to persuade one’s opposition to retreat.

Question 6

Define the Grand Allianace and when was it formed.

Answer 6

In 1941 Britain, USSR and USA allied to combat the Axis powers led by Germany, Japan and Italy

Question 7

Describe the background and details of the Tehran conference

Answer 7

1. Nov 1943
2. Between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin
3. The Big Three were hopeful for peace- the war situation was improving

Question 8

Describe the agreements made at Tehran

Answer 8

Agreements:

1. Britain and USA agreed to open a second front against Germany by invading France in May 1944
2. Soviet Union agreed to enter the war against Japan once Germany was defeated
3. A United Nations was to be set up after the war- to replace League of Nations
4. An area of eastern Poland was added to the Soviet Union at insistence of Stalin borders of post-war Poland were to be moved along the Oder and Neisse rivers

Question 9

Problems faced during Tehran

Answer 9

1. Stalin was annoyed that Britain and USA delayed opening a second French front.
2. Roosevelt and Stalin worked reasonably well together
3. Stalin gained a lot of concessions- Roosevelt had declining health

Question 10

Describe the background and details of the Yalta conference

Answer 10

1. Feb 1945
2. Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill
3. Germany was close to defeat, so big three decided to hold a conference to consider what would happen with Germany and the rest of Europe after the war

Question 11

Describe the agreements made at Yalta

Answer 11

1. Soviet Union would enter war against Japan once Germany had surrendered.
2. Divide Germany into 4 zones
3. Divide Berlin into 4 zones
4. Hunt down and try Nazi war criminals
5. Allow countries which had been liberated from occupation by German army to have free elections
6. Join UN to maintain peace once war had ended
7. Eastern Europe would e Soviet sphere of influence

Question 12

Problems faced during Yalta

Answer 12

1. Clashes about how much reparations Germany should pay- Stalin wanted higher figure than others- decision was delayed.
2. Disagreed about Polish border- Stalin wanted Polish/German border to e much further West than the western allies.
3. Stalin wanted a ‘friendly’ Polish government, so his country would have some protection from Germany- others were concerned so persuaded him to allow free elections in Poland

Question 13

Describe the background and details of the Potsdam conference

Answer 13

1. July 1945
2. Stalin, Truman and Churchill (replaced by Atlee)
3. Soviet troops had liberalised Eastern European countries but not withdrawn military presence
4. Stalin refused to cut down military despite being larges in the world
5. Stalin had set up communist government in Poland-ignoring Yalta
6. During conference USA tested the first atomic bomb.

Question 14

Describe the agreements made at Potsdam

Answer 14

1. Germany and Berlin to be divided as previously agreed
2. Each of the four zones of Germany and sectors of Berlin would be occupied by one of the allies.
3. Germany to be demilitarised
4. Democracy to be re-established in Germany- free elections, free press, freedom of speech
5. Germany to pay reparations to Allies in equipment and materials. Most would go to USSR which had suffered the most. Soviet Union would receive 1/4 of the industrial good made in western zones in return for food and cal from Soviet zone
6. Leading Nazis were put on trial for war crimes at Nuremburg-1946
7. Full participation in UN
8. Poland’s borders to be moved westwards to the rivers Oder and Neisse

Question 15

Describe the background and details of the Potsdam conference

Answer 15

1. Disagreed about Germany- Stalin wanted to permanently cripple it by demanding massive compensation (Russia had lost 20 millions Russians in war). Truman refused- didn’t want repeat of Versailles and saw a revived Germanay as a way to stop Soviet expansion.
2. Disagreed about free elections- Truman wanted free elections in Eastern European countries- Stalin refused

Question 16

Describe percentages agreement

Answer 16

1. Took place in Fourth Moscow Conference on October 1944 between Churchill and Stalin
2. Winston Churchill (not Stalin) proposed the agreement, under which the UK and USSR agreed to divide Europe into spheres of influence, with one country having “predominance” in one sphere, and the other country would have “predominance” in another sphere.
3. USSR would have the following levels of influence: Romania (90%), Bulgaria (80%), Hungary (80%) -Churchill had originally wanted 50% UK influence in Hungary but amended = clear priority for Stalin.
4. UK would have predominance in Greece (90%) and Yugoslavia (50%)

Question 17

Which countries were liberated from the East by the USSR

Answer 17

1. Poland, Romania and Bulgaria- 1944
2. Hungary and Czechoslovakia- 1944-5
3. Military aid to Yugoslavia- 1944-5

Question 18

Which countries were liberated from the west by USA, Britain and their allies

Answer 18

1. Italy and Greece- 1943-5

2. France and Western Europe- 1944-5

Question 19

What was the impact of the death of Roosevelt on tensions

Answer 19

His death marked a critical turning point in U.S. relations with the Soviet Union, as his successor, Harry Truman, decided to take a tougher stance with the Russians.