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