TOPIC 2

Question 1

Nuclear Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagaski

Answer 1

6th August: Hiroshima (Kettle Bay)
9th August: Nagasaki (Fat Man)
Heavy casualties: 150k - 215k

Orthodox: this act in WW2 ended - it was necessary if not the war would never have ended
Revisionist: this was one of the key points to argue American blame.
Post-revisionist: they believe that the USA was guilty of this act and see it as unnecessary
Post-post-revisionist: they argued that Stalin was already aware of this aim

Question 2

Soviet: Europe in Ruins

Answer 2

Dead: 27,000,000

Stalin believed the USSR’s success in the war meant the triumph of communism as an ideology – he wanted to expand communism in the areas occupied by the Red Army

He was determined to gain security for Russia against Germany and felt it could be achieved by establishing control over Poland and other Eastern European countries

The Russians resented the imbalance of economic power and monopoly power the US had over them

Question 3

US: Europe in Ruins

Answer 3

Dead: 274,000
The dollar became the key currency for trade worldwide
The US was the sole possessor the atomic bomb – it had nuclear monopoly
Most of the population thought it should be returned to isolationism but the US leadership didn’t

Question 4

Britain: Europe in Ruins

Answer 4

Dead: 350,000
It was in debt and asked the US for loan
Atlee, who replaced Churchill, was a democratic socialist, but who disliked Stalin and the USSR

Question 5

French: Europe in Ruins

Answer 5

Dead: 600,000
Asked for loans to the US, like GB

Question 6

Chinese: Europe in Ruins

Answer 6

Dead: 1,300,000 dead
Civil war: Mao and the Communists won on the 1st October 1949
Earned a permanent seat at the UN Secretary Council

Question 7

German: Europe in Ruins

Answer 7

Worthless currency
Administered by the ACC – each country could take reparations from their sector

Question 8

Japanese: Europe in Ruins

Answer 8

Mainland was occupied by the US
Dead: 2,350,000 – 2,700,000

Question 9

Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe

Answer 9

When the Red army liberated the countries in Eastern Europe, it sought Communist sympathisers from each nation
Coalition governments were set up, following the Declaration on Liberated Europe
- Communists were put in positions of power + opposition parties were weakened + destroyed
- Elections were rigged and the countries eventually became communist

Question 10

Poland: Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe

Answer 10

June 1945: the Polish government was dominated by the Lublin Poles – recognised by GB and US
- 21 members, 14 of them communist
1947: rigged elections took place and Poland became a communist state

Question 11

Romania: Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe

Answer 11

1944: Coalition government dominated by Communists was set up
February 1945: King was ordered by the USSR to appoint a PM chosen by Stalin
Mid 1945: Communists were in control of the country
1947: monarchy was abolished

Question 12

Bulgaria: Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe

Answer 12

1945: Communist Fatherland Front won the general election
1946: Monarchy was abolished

Question 13

Hungary: Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe

Answer 13

1945: Non-communist Smallholders’ Party won the General election
- Smallholders: 57 and Hungarian communists: 17%
1947: rigged elections took place and Hungary became a communist state

Question 14

Czechoslovakia: Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe

Answer 14

It hadn’t been liberated by the Red Army
1946: Coalition government between Communists and non-communist
- President Benes (non-communist) and PM Gottwald (communist)
1947: Economic crisis
March 1948: Communists organised a military force + seized power in Prague – arrested non-communists
- Jan Masaryk (non-Communist Foreign Secretary) fell (or was thrown) from a window
Mid 1948: Rigged elections took place and Czechoslovakia became a communist republic

Question 15

Iran: Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe

Answer 15

1941: Iran was occupied by the USSR and GB
1945: joint occupation of Iran was supposed to come to an end
- USSR refused to pull out its troops, and thus GB also remained
- US presented the issue to the UN, where the USSR’s actions were condemned in the Security Council in 1946. Stalin agreed that the troops would be pull out
o Soviets bullied the Iranians into making a Soviet-Iranian oil deal before they left
o 3 key communist politicians were appointed to the government
o Iran then reversed this when the USSR left
- The US saw this as the USSR’s desire to expand communism elsewhere

Question 16

Turkey: Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe

Answer 16

1945-6: USSR had an ambition for naval bases in Turkey to control the Dardanelle straits –it demanded bases in Turkey because its safety depended on this country.
- US decided to act against what it saw as Soviet expansionism. It feared a Russian attack on Turkey and prepared a war plan which included the use of atomic bombs
February 1946: the Turkish ambassador in Washington died
- His body was sent home in the US Missouri accompanied by 2 aircraft carriers
- This was a gesture for support for Turkey against Soviet pressure
o The naval vessels stayed in the area
o This signalled to the USSR that Turkey was a friend that shouldn’t be bullied by Communist Russia – Stalin thus backed down

Question 17

Greece: Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe

Answer 17

1946-9: Civil war broke out.
The British and Americans sent help to the Greek royalists
- The US media covered the event deliberately inaccurately by stating that the USSR was responsible for the Cicil war and was helping the Communists
o This was portrayed as evidence of the Communist advance and determination to take over the world
- Stalin, however, respected the Percentage Agreements which gave GB the majority of influence in Greece
- The Royalists won – the majority of Greece was communist and would have voted for the Communists in a free election