Topic 1 Flashcards
World location of USA
West
Who were the superpowers
USA
Su
World location of Soviet Union
East
Leaders of USA
Roosevelt (March 1933-1945)
Harry Truman (1945-1953)
Leaders of Soviet Union (start of Cold War)
Stalin - 1922-52
USAs main ideology
Capitalism
Soviet Union main ideology
Communism
What was the political system in USA
Democracy - could vote for government candidates form several political parties
What was the Soviet Union political system
One party state - only one party (communist)
Unable to change
Economy in USA
Business privately owned and run for a profit
Economy in SU
No private owned businesses
All business owned by gov.
How did USA want to influence the world
Believed in encouraging trade + investment - but some will be wealthier that the letter
How did Su want to influence the world
BeLived in spreading communism throughout the world to make everyone equal
Who supported USA + why
Britain + France
As they feared spread of communism
How did the communist revolution (1917-21) in Russia effect superpower relations
Both USA ans GB sent soldiers and supplies to help defeat the communists from taking over
They were unsuccessful
Not bad relationships but also not working together
Why was Stalin growing impatient with GB and USA in 1941-43
He wanted them to open a second front to take some of the pressure off the German attack of the SU. He believed they were purposely delaying this until US have been badly damaged by the Germans
In June 1941- what happed that brough about the grand alliance
Germany invaded SU during 2nd world war and so the su was joined in a grand allience with USA + GB. They had shared aims to work together to stop Germany
What increases Churchill’s suspicions of SU in 1941-43 and what was he suspicious of
Suspicious that Su would remain in countries they liberated from the Germans
His suspicions increased when the Germans found a mass grave if 10,000 polish officers murdered by the soviets in 1939
Who were the big three
Churchill
Stalin
Ruservelt
When did the Tehran conference take place
1943 (during war)
When did the yalta conference take place
February 1945 (war is ending)
When did the Potsdam conference take place
July 1945 (war is over in Europe )
What were the relationships like at the Tehran conference
Churchill entered meeting suspicious of Soviet intentions
Roosevelt considered Stalin a good friend and spoke of a special personal relationship
What did they agree at the Tehran conference and which of these proves that Soviet’s where pushing for Soviet expansion
- Britain and France agreed to open up a second front by invading France in may 1944
- SU was to fight Japan once Germany was defeated
- United Nations (wold peace keeping organisation) was to be set up after the war
- an area of eastern Poland was to be added to the Soviet Union (PUSHING FOR SU EXPANSION)
Why did they hold the Yalta conference
Germany close to defeats
Met to decide how to deal with Germany and countries liberated from German occupation after war
What was agreed on in the yalta conference (and which was SU pushing for expansion)
- Germany and Berlin would be divided into 4 zones controlled by allies: US, GB, SU, France
- countries liberated from German occupation to have free elections and choose own government
- Eastern European was to be a Soviet ‘sphere of influence’ (SU pushing for expansion)
What could they not agree on at the yalta conference
- amount Germany should pay in reparations (Stalin wanted more to be payed than the others)
- Stalin pushed for more territory in Poland and a Soviet friendly gov. To be established rather than holding free elections
What happens between yalta and Potsdam
- Soviet troops liberated countries in Eastern Europe but the Soviet troops occupied the country’s instead of leaving
- Stalin set up a communist government in Poland. he ignored protests from the USGB and poles. 
- Soviet Army was the largest in the world but after the war ended They continued to expand their army rather than demilitarise
- April 1945 Roosevelt died he was replaced by Harry Truman a man determined to stop the spread of communism
- American successfully tested a nuclear bomb in a desert . first Stalin heard of this was when Truman told him at the start of the Potsdam conference
-Halfway through the Potsdam conference Churchill was defeated in an election and replaced by Clement Attlee 
What were they able to agree on in the Potsdam conference 
It was decided who would occupy each of the 4 zones of Germany and Berlin
The Nazi party was banned and democracy was able to re-establish in Germany including free elections + free speech
agreements at Teheran were confirmed
What couldn’t be agreed upon at the Potsdam conference
Stalin wanted a massive reparation payment of $10 billion but Truman refused .Stalin argued he needed to disable Germany as a possible future threat but Truman was keen not to repeat the mistake of the treaty of Versallies and saw a recovered Germany as a barrier to Soviet expansion
Truman wanted free elections in Eastern European countries occupied by the Soviets but Stalin refused arguing he needed to set up pro Soviet governments to protect the borders of the SU
Reasons Stalin wanted soviet expansion in Easter Europe
- Poland was on the border of the SU. It was important Poland was a friend to strengthen su defences. Historically Poland had been a corridor for attack on Russia so staking wanted to set up a communist government in Poland to create a stronger barrier for future invasion.
- Stalin’s goal was to spread communism. USA,BG and France were concerned that he wanted to expand the Soviet empire and nazi Germany would be replaced by a communist dictatorship
- Stalin wanted all counties bordering the su to provide a barrier Against attack. In both wars Russia had been invaded form west and suffered badly. He wanted a buffer zone would help protect them.
-it’s possible Stalin belived that USA and GB would be understanding of soviet expansion. As they agreed upon a sphere of influence at yalta.and churchhilll made a % deal with him (eg, 50% in Hungary)
Soviet expansion in Poland
June 1945 - a coalition gov of serval party were set up in Poland
Jan 1947 - elections were rigged to ensure a totally communist government. The opposition party fled
Soviet expansion in Czechoslovakia
Before 1947 - communists had great support in Czech
1947 - c largest party in coalition gov + controlled police and armed forces
1948- supported SU - used army to settle control of country
Non communists were arrested + foreign security- Jan Masaryk- was murdered
Rigged elections - communist victory
All other political parties banned
Soviet expansion in Hungary
1945 - largest party was smallholders party (won over 50% of votes)
COuntry experienced economic crisis + communists able to seize control of the ministry of the interior (which controlled the police)
1947 - used control to arrest bella kovacs (leader of smallholders party)
1949- prime minister forced to resign + all other political last parties banned
Soviet expansion in Yugoslavia
During ww2 - communist resistance fought brave,y against Germany
Leader - Marshall Tito - elected president
However, Tito had no intention of taking orders from Stalin
So Yugoslavia was expelled from the communist international bureau
+ other communist counties applied economic sanctions
To challenge Stalin - Tito accepted aid from the west
Soviet expansion in Romania
Early 1945 - coalition gov set up
Jan 1945 - communists encouraged by Stalin ok part in distributing gov
March 1945 - soviet army intervened - it disarmed the Romanian army + forced king to appoint a gov dominated by communists under Peeru oroza
Nov 1946 - elections held - communist gained 80% of voted
1947 - communists gov abolished monarchy
Soviet expansion in burglaria
Late 1944 - a communist dominated gov was set up
Nov - 1945- communists won rigged election
Following year - all other political parties were dispanded
What was the US president - Trumans - reaction to soviet expansion
Sent a letter to his secretary of state in jan 1946
“Unless Russia is faced with an iron fist and strong language another war is in the making”
What was George Kennan (us official in moscows) response to soviet expansion
He wrote a telegram to Truman warning hum of the soviet unuions determination to expand .
Thus telegram became known as the long telegram.
What was Winston Churchill response to soviet expansion
Iron curtain speech
March 1946
He spoke about an imaginary lime dividing communist east and capitalism west
The iron curtain suggested an alliance between us and gb to prevent further soviet expansion - Stalin saw this as deliberately provocative
What does US containment include
Truman doctrine
Marshall plan
When was the Truman doctrine
1947
What was the Truman doctrine
US using influence and military resources to prevent the expansion of communist into non-communist countries
Why did Truman introduce the Truman doctrine?
The US and especially Truman believe that the Soviet union was trying to spread communism 1st to Eastern Europe, and then it would go to West and beyond
The US had the atomic bomb and wanted to use this together with its superior economic strength to put pressure on the Soviet union, prevents it further expansion
Events are occurring in Greece
What have been happening in Greece since 1944
And how did gb / us play a role
civil war in Greece with Britain, helping the royalist government to fight Communist forces in the Greek election of 1946. The communist defeated by royalist for the Communist refuse to give up, they continue to fight the gorilla war against Greek government, and will helped By neighbouring communist countries .
Britain had 40,000 troops stationed in the country and gave money to the Greek government as well as to Turkey, which was also under threat from Communist rebels.
1947, Britain told the USA they can no longer afford to support the Greek and Turkish government.
the US stepped in with necessary financial aid, fearing that these two countries were coming to Soviet influence.
Truman announced US support for Greece in an important speech in March 1947 “a turning point in US foreign policy in the interwar years in the two years since Potsdam, the USA had played a little part in the affairs of Europe now Truman was committing USA to a policy of containment that became known as the Truman doctrine. In the first part of his speech. Truman argued that the world is becoming divided into two armed camps, the capitalists and the Communist.
What were the consequences of the Truman doctrine that meant that us successfully limited communist expansion
-The Greek government was able to defeat the Communist
-The USA became committed to the policy of containment and far more involved in European affairs
-The USA decided to provide economic aid to Europe known as the Marshall plan. Although an extremely generous act by the American people, it was motivated by US self interests. The Americans wanted to create new markets for US goods.
What were the consequences of the Truman doctrine that increased tensions between US and SU?
The rivalry between USA, and the Soviet union increased. Truman publicly stated that the world was divided between two ways of life. The free Non-Communist and the unfree communists within a year. The first serious crisis of the Cold War would begin over Berlin.
In 1947 Stalin set up the communist information bureau cominform to link Communist parties in eastern European worldwide in common action
What was the Marshall plan?
Truman backed up his policy of containment with economic aid to Europe. The plan officially called European recovery plan, but nicknamed the Marshall plan and announced by the US Secretary of State, General George Marshall in June 1947.
Countries living in poverty attract communism, so Marshall plan would give money to these countries to remove communist temptation
Why was the Marshall plan introduced?
Truman did not want to commit the US military to the defence of Western Europe against the spread of communism. He believed that communism generally won support of countries of the world with economic problems, unemployment in poverty . many European countries had suffered badly as a result of the Second World War + was struggling to deal with the damage caused. They were shortages of nearly everything which led to countries implementing rationing. If the USA could help these countries to recover economically and provide employment and reasonable prosperity, and theyed have no need to turn to communism.
What aid was given as a part of the Marshall plan?
The program of aid was offered to all war-torn European countries to help them reequip their factories and revive agriculture and trade. USA offered money, equipment and goods to states willing to work together towards their economic recovery. The aid was in the form of cash machinery, food, and technological assistance in return, they would agree to buy US goods and allow US companies to invest capital in their industries
Consequences of the Marshall plan that increased tensions between US and S U
Europe became more financially divided between east + West. Stalin was initially involved but withdrew the Soviet union from discussion because he did not trust USA and did not want to show how weak the Soviet union was economically. He prevented eastern Europe countries such as Czechoslovakia and pounding from becoming involved
Stalin accused the USA of using this plan for its own selfish interests to dominate Europe and boost the US economy
Consequences of the Marshall plan that show the US successfully limited Communist expansion
By 1953, the US had provided $17 billion to help European countries rebuild their economies and raise their standard of living US machinery help European factories to recover from the effects of the Second World War. US advisers help to rebuild transport systems.
When was the Communist information bureau set up? (Cominform)
1947
Why was Cominform set up?
To enable the Soviet union to coordinate Communist Party throughout Europe. It was the Soviet response to the Truman doctrine. It was introduced to ensure that states in Eastern Europe followed. Soviet aims in foreign policies and introduce Soviet style economic policies, such as collectivisation of agriculture, and state control of industry.
What did the Soviet union use cominform for?
To purge any members who disagreed with Moscow, one notable example, was Tito, who refused to follow Soviet line, led to the expulsion of Yugoslavia from cominform in 1948
When was Comecon set up and what was it in response to?
Set up a 1949 was the soviet response to the Marshall plan
What was Comecon meant to be? And what was it in reality
Means by which the Soviet union could financially support countries in Eastern Europe.
In reality, it was used by the Soviet Union to control the economies of the states and give the Soviet union access to thereresources
And to encourage economic specialisation within the Soviet bloc for example, Czechoslovakian, East Germany were encouraged to concentrate on heavy industry
Which countries controlled West Berlin
Uk
French
USA
Which country controlled east Berlin
USSR
How did the differnt zones of Berlin work at first
- freedom of movement
- joint decision
- governing together
Why did divisions begin to develop between east and West Berlin
- USA were a threatening country as they had a working nuclear weapon lead to mistrust
- communist mistrust capitalist - they think there only in Berlin to spy
- east don’t want there people to get ideas of capitalism and freedom.
What political change did soviets bring to east Berlin
Voting is rigged (looks like a democracy but Is not)
And a communist party in charge
How did the east and west differ economically
East:
- resources taken
- starving
-economic devastation
West:
- economic recovery (machines running again)
- benefiting from marshal plan
How did Stalin try to drive the allies out of West Berlin
Closed supply lines
Stops allies access to West Berlin by blocking roads, rail and canal
How did the allies respond
Fly supplies into Berlin
Long term causes of the Berlin blockade
Allies favoured democracy and set up free elections however su rigged elections in the eastern zone to place communist in control
West wanted to speed up economic recovery of Germany but SU wanted to crush the economy in thru zones so that Germany remained weak
The allies wanted to remain in West Berlin so they could observe soviet activities in east Germany but Stalin wanted allies out of west Berlin as he was worried that the capitalist way of life would be more attractive to East Germans
Short term causes of the Berlin blockade
Jan 1947- the us and gb zones In Berlin merged to become bizonia. Stalin was suspicious of this and tensions increased between zones
March 1948- Stalin heard that bizona planned to introduce their own currency to West Berlin. Soviets walked out of the allied controlled control commissions (the joint body set up to run Germany) in protest
April 1948 - the German allied zones were included in the marshal plan. Stalin worried that east Berliners would look longingly at economic recovery in West Berlin and the soviets would loose support
June 1948 - plans for a new currency in western Berlin (the Deutschmark) were announced. The SU retaliated by introducing its own currency (ostmark)
24th June 1948- Stalin cut of road, rail and canal in attempt to starve 2 mill people in West Berlin. Stalin was trying to force allies to pull out of West Berlin and gain soviet dominance over the capital
When did the Berlin airlift begin
28 th June 1948
What was there a risk of soviets doing during the Berlin airlift
Shooting down the planes
There was a risk SU would shoot down the planes so what did Truman di
Sent a warning to the SU. Sent B-29 bomber capable of carrying atomic bombs
By September the planes… (Berlin airlift)
Were flying 4,600 tonnes of supplies a day
But it was still not enough
What was Stalin trying got persuade people to do (Berlin airlift)
For people to move from west to east Berlin
By April 1949 the Berlin airlift plane could deliver…
13,000 tonnes in 24 hours
What did the planes supply West Berlin with
Clothes, food, oil, building material
When did Stalin call of the blockade
May 12th 1949
How many flights were there during the Berlin airlift
275,000 flights
3 consequences of the Berlin airlift
Divided Germany
Increased rivalry
Military alliances
Consequences of the Berlin airlift - divided Germany
Few days after blockade allies created FRG (federal republic of Germany) - USA,UK,France.
Stalin renames soviet zone - GDR (Germany democratic republic) - Russia
Now they are not working together (divided into east and west)
Consequences of the Berlin airlift - increased rivalry
Tensions and rivalry between east and west increased
Stalin was humiliated + angry —> plan had been defeated
Truman - successfully stood up to the SU + was determined to continue to do so
The arms race intensified
Consequences of the Berlin airlift - military alliances
They formed for the first time in the Cold War
Alarmed by stalins willingness to starve people, W. Europe and US formed NATO in April 1949
Was working together to prevent soviet expansion but Stalin saw NATO as an act of aggression towards the SU.
May 1955 W. Germany joined nato and was allowed to remilitarise
Days after Stalin set up Warsaw pact - 8 countries in E. Europe were to support each other if attacked
When was NATO set up
April 1949
What was the Warsaw pact
8 countries in Eastern Europe that were to support each other if attacked
Arms race - 1945
USA - drops atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Arms race 1949
USSR- first successful atomic bomb test ends American nuclear monopoly
Arms race 1952
USA- successfully tests first hydrogen bomb, 2500X more powerful thar the atomic bomb
Arms race 1953
USSR - tests it’s own hydrogen bomb
Arms race - 1955
USA- publishes its doctrine of massive retaliation stating that any attack on USA, allies would be met with destructive force
Space race 1957
USSR- launches Sputnik 1 - the worlds first telecommunications satellite
Sputnik 2nwas launches later that year + carried a small dog (Laika) 1st loving animal in space
Arms race 1958
USA- tests its own ICBMS
Arms race 1959
USA- deploys polars submarines capable of launching nuclear mudslides close to USSR shore
Space race - 1959
USSR- launches Luna 1 the first man-made object to orbit the sun
USA- following land of USSR Luna 1 USA sent pioneer 4 to do a fly past the moon
USSR- in response the Soviets launched Luna 2 at moon
Space race - 1960
USA- launches discovery XlV first satellite equipped with a spy camera
Space race 1961
USSR- April puts 1st man yuri Gagarin into space
USA- may - responds by launching its own Apollo mission, + allan cheaper become first American in space. JFK challenges america to put a man on the moon by end of decade
Arms race 1961
USSR- oct - the ussr detonated the +sar bomb a nuclear bomb which produced the largest ever man made explosion
Arms race 1968
USA- develops MIRV tech which enables multiple independently targeted warheads to be fired from one mussel
ussr- develops an anti-ballistic middle system to short down in-bound US misslies
Arms race 1969
USSR- the American astronauts: neil Armstrong + buzz alarim , becom first men to walk on the moon
What is the MAD theory
Mutually assured destruction
Neither side would be willing to launch their weapons because they knew the other side would retaliate + wipe out them as well
Why did USSR + US continue to make dangerous weapons
Neither could afford to fall behind as it would put that country at risk
Why was the arms and space race a burden
Because of the cost especially for USSR
USSR AND US had new leaders - how did this bring hope of peace
Eisenhower was aware of how dangerous that arms race was (danger of nuclear weapons) so wanted to improve relations.
Khrushchev was open to possibilities of peacfull co-existence in the west
This hope increased because the war in Korea was now over
The Hungarian uprising - Soviets gaining control 1944-47
Nazis occupied Hungary during WW2. In sep 1954 SU invaded Hungary and forced the nazis out
When WW2 ended the soviet troops remained In Hungary with the intention of taking control of the country. In 1945 the smallholders party was the largest party with 57% of the votes whereas the communists only had 17%
By 1947- Hungarian communist party had taken control of the gov and joined com-inform although hungary was still technically a democracy
Although the communist were not the largest party one of their members was in change of the police and so they arrested leaders of the smallholders party and rocked the prime minister Nagy to reign
The Hungarian uprising - soviet control 1949-56
From 1949, Hungarian economy was controlled through Comecon. This meant they could not trade with the west or receive Marshall aid. It also meant the SU took their resources for
An unfair prices. Living standards were increasingly poor as a result in
1949, A new constitution was drawn up making hungry, one-party state and 1952, Communist Matyas rakosi became prime minister
Rakosi used terror to keep control. He ordered the killing of 2000 and the Imprisonment of 200,000 political opponents. Secret police became a hated and feared part of Hungarian life
in 1953, Stalin died + the new leader of the SU malenkov replaces rakosi with Nagy. There was hope for Change in Hungary
Feb 1956 the leader of the SU Khrushchev made his secret speech - speaking our against stalins years of terror. Again there was hope for change as it seemed the communists may be taking a new approach
The Hungarian uprising - the uprising 1956
In oct 1056 Hungarian students led demonstrations in Budapest calling free elections, free press and the withdrawal of soviet troops. The statue of Stalin was pulled down and dragged through the streets
Khrushchev sent tanks into Budapest to try and restore order following the demonstrations, they opened fire killing 12 and injuring over 100
Soviets quickly and brutally crushed the uprising. A ceasefire was agreed in 10th nov 1956, although sporadic guerrilla fighting continued until mid 1957. Imre Nagy was arrested and hanged in 1958
Nagy agreed with Khrushchev that the tanks would be withdrawn political prisoners would be released, Hungary would leave the Warsaw pact and introduce democratic reforms to meet the demands of the Hungarian people
Khrushchev did withdraw temporarily and prisoners were released but he did not allow Hungary to leave the Warsaw pact and did not want to appear weak to other soviet controlled states, on 4th nov 200,000 soviet troops and 6000 tanks returned to Hungary
Consequences of the Hungarian uprising - effects for Hungary
Uprising was crushed and 20,000 rebels were killed
200,000 Hungarians fled the country
Consequences of the Hungarian uprising - effects for SU
7000 soviet soldiers killed
The Soviets had maintained control + sent out a warning to its other satellite states
Consequences of the Hungarian uprising - effects for superpower relations
The us and Britain showed they were unwilling to take significant action
The west saw that the SU recent message of peace was ashame
