Topic 1: Origins of the Cold War to 1945

Question 1

When was the Bolshevik Revolution?

Answer 1

October 1917

Question 2

What did Marx view capitalism as?

Answer 2

A system of exploitation

Question 3

Identify 4 reasons why hostility between the USSR and the West had been established by 1941.

Answer 3

1. Deep ideological differences. 2.The West feared Russian influence. 3.The USSR resented its exclusion from the diplomacy of the 1930s. 3. The West despised the Nazi-Soviet Pact and Russian expansion in Eastern Europe

Question 4

What was believed would happen after the revolution in the USSR?

Answer 4

There would be a dictatorship of the proletariat before all class boundaries disappeared and it would be perfect equal society

Question 5

Who did US, French and British troops fight alongside in the Russian Civil War?

Answer 5

Tsarist ‘White’ forces

Question 6

What did the fact that the West fought along side the White Army during the civil war do?

Answer 6

Created lasting distrust of the West in the USSR

Question 7

When did Stalin realize that he needed to take a more active role with the West?

Answer 7

When Hitler came to power who threatened to annihilate Communism

Question 8

What did Stalin do in order to try and take a more active role in the West?

Answer 8

He joined the League of Nations in 1934, signed agreements with France and Czechoslovakia in 1935 and intervened to try and prevent fascism in the Spanish Civil War in 1936

Question 9

When did Stalin sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

Answer 9

August 1939

Question 10

What was the result of Stalin signing the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

Answer 10

It shocked the world and allowed Hitler to invade Poland and start WWII

Question 11

What did the USSR do when Hitler invaded Poland?

Answer 11

They took the half they had lost in the 1920 (a secret agreement between Stalin and Hitler) and expanded their territory by 1941 by taking the Baltic states and parts of Finland

Question 12

?How was the USSR brought into the Second World War ?

Answer 12

By the Nazi invasion of June 1941

Question 13

What did the three attacked powers (Britain, USA and the USSR) become known as?

Answer 13

The ‘Grand Alliance’

Question 14

What were the USSR’s specific aims for the war in terms of land and security?

Answer 14

The complete defeat of Germany and an area of direct Soviet control in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Soviet occupied Germany, as well as a ‘intermediate zone’ of neither capitalist or Communist countries such as Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia

Question 15

What did the US want in terms of trade after the war?

Answer 15

World free trade

Question 16

What did Britain want after the war in terms of land and allies?

Answer 16

It want to keep its empire and be on friendly terms with both the US and USSR and wanted to prevent the advance of Communism in the Suez Canal and Middle East as an advancement here would damage Britain’s economy

Question 17

When was the Atlantic Charter?

Answer 17

1943

Question 18

What was the Atlantic Charter?

Answer 18

It committed Britain and the USA to the complete defeat of Germany and the setting up of a democratic world order- Stalin and the USSR were not present

Question 19

What was Stalin suspicious about concerning the Normandy landings?

Answer 19

Stalin was suspicious that the delay until 1944 was an attempt to weaken the USSR, who had been fighting for longer

Question 20

When did Roosevelt die and who replaced him?

Answer 20

April 1945 and Truman

Question 21

What was different about Truman compared with Roosevelt?

Answer 21

Truman was much more hostile towards Communism

Question 22

Who was Churchill replaced by?

Answer 22

Clement Atlee

Question 23

What was the USSR’s response to the dropping of the atomic bomb?

Answer 23

The USSR was determined to make an atomic bomb of its own and Stalin was more distrustful of the West

Question 24

Why did Britain and the USA not open the second front until 1944?

Answer 24

Too risky- especially after the failure at French port Dieppe in 1942 and instead concentrated their efforts first on North Africa, then invasion of Sicily and Italy in 1943.

Question 25

Why was the Polish Warsaw Uprising significant in 1944?

Answer 25

Stalin did not support it allowing Germany to destroy resistance before Russia moved in to take the city. This alarmed the West. It seemed Stalin was happy to see German forces destroy Polish troops as it would make future Soviet control easier.

Question 26

When was Tehran and what leaders were present?

Answer 26

November-December 1943 and Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt.

Question 27

Main agreements at Tehran?

Answer 27

1. New United Nations would have 4 ‘policemen’ (Britain, USA, USSR and China) to ensure peace.
2. Post-war Poland would be redrawn to the boundary Oder-Neisse River, giving the USSR more territory
3. Stalin would join war against Japan after Germany was defeated
4. Invasion of France for May 1944 agreed to open second front
5. Discussed future partition of Germany

Question 28

How did USA feel after Tehran?

Answer 28

Roosevelt established good relations with Stalin due support with Japan

Question 29

How did the USSR feel after Tehran?

Answer 29

Gained Allies acceptance of expansion into Eastern Europe and agreement for second front. USSR would play a larger role in future international affairs due to their role in UN and Stalin had divided Roosevelt and Churchill.

Question 30

How did Britain feel after Tehran?

Answer 30

Churchill not too happy about Roosevelt
and Stalin’s private meetings in the conference and Britain lost prestige due to the agreements on Polish territory considering they had gone to war in 1939 specifically to defend Polish independence.

Question 31

When was the Yalta conference?

Answer 31

February 1945

Question 32

Why were there growing tensions at Yalta?

Answer 32

Churchill was concerned over growing power of USSR and Stalin wanted the West to accept the future of Soviet security needed a barrier against invasion.

Question 33

Key agreements at Yalta?

Answer 33

• Germany divided into four zones
• USSR would annex polish territory they had in 1939
• Stalin agreed free elections in countries occupied by Red Army
• Stalin agreed to Untied Nations
• Soviet Union would receive reparations from Germany ($20 bill)

Question 34

When was Potsdam?

Answer 34

July-August 1945

Question 35

What was agreed at Potsdam?

Answer 35

4 zones of occupation in Germany
Reparations agreed on
No firm agreement on Western Frontier
West supported elections in Soviet-held territory but there was no means of enforcing this.

Question 36

Why was leadership a problem at Potsdam?

Answer 36

Truman had replaced Roosevelt and made no secret of his dislike for Stalin or Communism- they also now did not need Soviet support in war.
Attlee replaced Churchill and was hostile to communism and lacked Churchill’s rapport with Stalin.

Question 37

Aside from leadership, what other problems emerged at Potsdam?

Answer 37

1.The USA had been sending the USSR economic aid under the Lend-Lease scheme which they stopped.
2.It was clear Stalin did not intend to share power in Poland- 16 non-communists who had hoped to take part in the elections had been arrested.
3. The atomic bomb- Truman mentioned to Stalin the US had a new weapon of ‘Destructive force’, but the Russians were already aware.

Question 38

Which areas had annexation of territory under Eastern liberation after the war?

Answer 38

Poland, Finland, the Baltic states, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Romania.

Question 39

How did Russia get involved in the politics of countries of Eastern liberation?

Answer 39

Supported a communist coup in Romania, installed a coalition in Hungary, Soviet forces controlled Bulgaria, military presence in Czechoslovakia, SED set up in Germany and National Liberation Committee in Poland.

Question 40

Identify 2 events which increased tensions between the West and USSR in the period of 1945?

Answer 40

Delays over the opening of the second front, liberation of Eastern Europe, change of leadership