Topic 2

Question 1

Satellite States

Answer 1

Nations under the political, economic and military control of the Soviet Union

Question 2

George Keenan - Long Telegram

Answer 2

Sent by the USA ambassador in Moscow. He reported that Stalin wanted to see the destruction of capitalism. Keenan believed if faced with strong resistance, the USSR would soften its positon.

Question 3

Containment

Answer 3

The long telegram led to the idea of containment. Which is to stop the spread of communism

Question 4

Novikov Telegram

Answer 4

Soviet diplomat working in USA. Showed that Soviets equally did not trust the west and thought the west wanted to dominate the world with their military power - no longer wanting to cooperate with the Soviets.

Question 5

Winston Churchill - Iron Curtain Speech

Answer 5

The speech was made after communist governments were set up in Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria. He made it clear that he thought the Soviet Union was a threat to freedom and world peace

Question 6

Impact of Churchill’s speech

Answer 6

Made relations worse.

Question 7

Truman Doctrine

Answer 7

‘Doctrine’ means beliefs. Truman believed that communism was the ‘evil’. Truman would send military and economic aid to countries trying to prevent it. ‘Isolationism’ was abandoned.

Question 8

Isolationism

Answer 8

Staying apart, not getting involved. When Pearl Harbour was bombed, USA was forced to abandon isolationism. It abandoned it again during the Truman Doctrine

Question 9

Marshall Plan

Answer 9

George Marshall instructed:
Provide $13.7 billion in aid to help war-torn countries but to also stop communism from taking over West Europe. Britain received more than a quarter of the total aid package

Question 10

Dollar Imperialism

Answer 10

Soviet response - Stalin argued that the Marshall plan was a way of using economic might to divide Europe in two and establish an American economic empire.

Question 11

Cominform

Answer 11

Soviet response in 1947. Association of communist parties from all over Europe, allowed Stalin to control more.

Rejected the Marshall plan
Spread propaganda
Ensured loyalty of East European countries

Question 12

Comecon

Answer 12

Soviet response in 1949. Created an aid package based on communist beliefs. Alternative to Marshall plan.

Discouraged trades with the West

Question 13

NATO

Answer 13

An agreement that if any member was attacked, all NATO countries would come to its aid. This meant Americans could keep bases in Europe throughout the cold war.

Question 14

Bizonia

Answer 14

Britain and USA in 1947

Question 15

Trizonia currency

Answer 15

Deutschmark - To give economic unity to the Federal Republic of Germany

Question 16

Soviet response to Trizonia (Federal Republic of Germany)

Answer 16

Separate economic unit from the East. It also accepted that there were two Germanys - East and West. Also Stalin created the German Democratic Republic.

Question 17

Berlin Blockade

Answer 17

There were just two air routes an land routes across East and West Germany. Stalin shut off the land routes in June 1948. Trizonia would have no communication so it would run out of food. It also meant that the west would give up their zones to the USSR. The West knew if they forced in supplies, there would be conflict. But they can send it by air because if Stalin shot it down, he would be seen as the aggressor.

Question 18

Berlin Airlift

Answer 18

USA flew in coal and food along air corridors, but they were not sure if the soviets would shoot it down. The people of West Berlin joined and made a new airport, normal citizens would help unload the planes to help others who needed it. The Americans would soon fly 1000 tonnes of supplies every day. By 1949, more than 170,000 tonnes were sent. On 9th May 1949, Soviets gave in and lifted the blockade. Stalin’s attempt to win a propaganda victory had not worked against the allies. The west had responded in a peaceful way to what looked like a foolish situation Stalin caused.