The transformation of the Soviet Unions international position Flashcards
When was the US Marshal Plan and ‘Truman Doctrine’?
1947
When were Summit conferences at Yalta and Potsdam?
1945
When was the first successful test of Soviet atomic bomb?
1949
What had happened to most Eastern Eurpoean countries by 1948?
been absorbed into USSR or turned into satellite states
What was salami tactics?
Communist parties join with Socialists and liberals to gain power, then isolated and eliminate rivals
What did Stalin hope that the buffer zone would do?
protect the USSR from future invasion
When did Eastern Germany become a soviet zone of occupation?
1945 - communists took political control in 1946
What enabled pro-Soviet governments to control Hungary and Czechoslovakia in 1947 and 1948?
‘Salami Tactics’
When were the Baltic states occupied by USSR?
1940 - Nazi-Soviet pact
Who led Communists in Yugoslavia?
Josip Tito
How many well-equipped soldiers in 1949?
7.5 million
How can the UN show USSR as a superpower?
the USSR was one of 5 permanent members on UN security council
When did the Allies agree to demand unconditional surrender from Germany?
Tehran in 1943
What was Stalin very critical of the Western allies?
them not opening up a Second Front to relieve pressure on Red ArmyW
Who met Stalin in Moscow late 1944
Churchill, disagreed over future of Poland
What was the Yalta conference in Feb 1945 dominated by?
conflicting ideas over post-war borders
When was the Potsdam conference?
July-August 1945
What was clear at the Potsdam conference
that the USSR was asserting political control over liberated countries
When was Stage 1 of East-west breakdown?
1946
What was the USA and UK concerned by?
Soviet expansionism and USSR’s demind for ‘buffer zone’
What was the ‘Long Telegram’?
A report from Moscow by American diplomat George Kennan - urging USA to contain spread of communism
Who sent ‘The Long Telegram’?
George Kennan - USA diplomat
When did Winston Churchill give his ‘Iron Curtain’ speech?
March 1946
What did Churchill advise at the ‘Iron Curtain’ Speech 1946?
‘strength’ was needed to deal with USSR
When was the Second stage of East-West breakdown?
1947-48
What was Western Europe plagued by in 1947?
Economic decline - strong communist parties in France and Ital
What did the Truman Doctrine - March 1947 - commit to?
a policy of containing communism,
When was the Truman Doctrine announced?
March 1947
What was the Marshall Plan June 1947?
provided US aid for European economic recovery,
What was the Soviets response to the Marshall Plan 1947?
hostile - thought it would extend US influence
When was the third stage of East-West relations breakdown?
1948-49
What did the USSR and the West disagree over?
the control of Berlin
When was the blockade of Berlin?
1948-9
When was the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation formed?
1949 - establishment for defence of Europe, seen as hostile
What increased Cold War tensions in 1950?
the Chinese Civil war, as well as Soviet atomic bomb 1949
When did Stalin die?
1953
How old was Stalin when he died?
73
When did Stalin have a stroke/die?
28th Feb/5th March
What suggested a new wave of repression and terror?
Stalin’s increasingly unpredictable behaviour
What did Stalins funeral do?
unite the country in mourning
What was Stalin’s legacy?
USSR - industrial power, nuclear superpower
National prestige
Spread of Stalinism
Demographic damage from terror and famine
Psychological damage
Long term underinvestment in agricultrue
Cold War tension
How was Succession a problem after Stalin’s death?
There was no clear successor, Khrushchev eventually emerged as leader after power struggle
How was the legacy of terror dealt with?
Beria was executed - However could’ve been for what he knew about leadership contenders not crimes
What did Khrushchev do after Stalin’s death?
Denounce his ‘crimes and errors’ - people were released from Gulags
How was agriculture an issue after Stalin’s death?
could raise kolkhoze wages? would mean less money for industry and higher food prices
