Topic 3 - The Cold War Flashcards
Who are the ‘Big Three’?
Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill
Why was the Grand Alliance formed?
To fight the Germans during WW2
What happened at the Yalta conference?
They discussed what to do with Germany, and agreed it should be split into 4 zones of occupation
What happened at the Potsdam conference?
They agreed Germany would be divided into four zones, however German economy would run as a whole
The US and the USSR were deeply suspicious of each other
What changed in world politics before the Potsdam conference?
Germany surrendered, removing the US and USSR’s common enemy. Roosevelt was replaced by Truman, who wanted to show American strength by delaying the conference until the A-Bomb was ready
When was the Potsdam conference?
July/August 1945
When was the Yalta conference?
February 1945
What occurred on the 6th of August 1945?
The first ever atomic bomb was exploded by the US in Hiroshima, Japan
Why did the US detonate the first atomic bomb?
In the hope of demonstrating US power and military strength, and scaring the USSR into doing what America wanted e.g. giving up control of Eastern Europe
What were the effects of the first US atomic bomb detonation?
Rather than scaring the USSR into submission, it was a trigger for the strengthening and improved military of the USSR- Stalin tightened his control in order to create a buffer zone, and began developing his own atomic weapons
When was the iron curtain speech?
March 1946
What was the iron curtain speech?
A speech by Churchill in which he used the metaphor ‘iron curtain’ to describe the division between the capitalist West and communist East
What were the effects of the iron curtain speech?
It was the first “declaration” of war and it was the formalisation of the unsaid divide that existed between the East and West
When was the Truman Doctrine?
March 1947
What was the Truman Doctrine?
Where Truman wanted to rebuild the war-torn countries economies, by offering large sums of money ($400 million to Greece and Turkey) in order to make capitalism appear strong
He also made a statement outlining the difference between capitalism and communism, describing communist as relying on “terror and oppression”.
When was the Marshall Plan announced?
June 1947
What was the Marshall Plan?
Where America offered $12.6 billion dollars to war torn countries. It was also offered to Eastern countries, however Stalin refused it
Why was the Marshall Plan a big deal?
Prior to the Marshall Plan, the US had a policy of isolation, however now they were setting themselves up in opposition to communism, with their new policy being containment of communism
It was also disliked by Stalin- he referred to it as “dollar imperialism”
When and what was Cominform?
In October 1947, Stalin set up cominform as a way of directing and controlling his satellite states
What are satellite states?
A satellite state is a country that is formally independent in the world, but under heavy political, economic and military influence or control from another country
When and what was comecon?
In January 1949, comecon was set up in order to organise trade, industrial and credit agreements within the East. For example Bulgaria’s trade with other comecon members increased by 80% since the 1930s
What were the outcomes of the conferences?
- Tensions were rising; differences began to arise over the future of Germany and Eastern Europe, as well as Roosevelt being replaced by Truman, who was more distrustful of the Soviets
- They had agreed to split Germany and Berlin into zones of occupation
When did the USSR build their first atomic bomb?
1949
When did the US build their first atomic bomb?
1945
What were 2 major causes for the end of the Grand Alliance?
- Germany’s surrender (loss of a common enemy)
- Truman replacing Roosevelt (he was much more distrusting of the Soviets)
What was the USSR meant to do in Poland, and did it stick by it’s word?
It was meant to include multiple political parties, but instead it was turned into a communist democracy
When was the Long Telegram?
1946
When was the Novikov Telegram?
1946
Summarise the details of the Long Telegram
- The USSR saw capitalism as a threat that must be destroyed
- The USSR was building it’s military power
- Peace was not an option
Summarise the details of the Novikov Telegram
- The US wanted world domination
- The US was building it’s military power
- The USSR was the only country remaining that could stand up to the US
How did the Soviets “free elections” work?
- The USSR held elections, thinking the communist parties would win, however they didn’t
- So instead the USSR fixed the elections, ensuring communism did indeed win
- Once in power, they would shut down any of parties, making the country a single party state
What was the impact of the complete Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe on superpower relations?
- The US viewed it as a betrayal of what was agreed in the Yalta conference
- It was also seen as Soviet expansion into Europe, and a stepping stone towards the takeover of the West
Other than “free elections”, how did the USSR also take control of Eastern European countries?
Through supposed coalition governments, which quickly were taken complete control of by the communists
What were Truman’s main concerns?
- After the war, much of Europe was poor and hopeless, and communism attracted those in these kinds of situations, therefore it could spread easily
- Some governments like Greece and Turkey were too poor to prevent communist invasions, and if they became communist it would trigger a domino effect across Europe and the Middle East, with them also turning to communism
When was the Truman Doctrine?
1947
What was the Truman Doctrine?
A speech made by Truman, saying:
- countries had to make a decision between communism and capitalism
- communism meant a lack of freedom
- the USA should provide money and troopsto help free governments from communist takeover
What was the Marshall Plan?
$13 billion offered to many European countries to help rebuild them- the US hope that as many turned to communism due to the terrible state they are in, the money would prevent this
What was the USSR response to the Marshall Plan?
They critised it as an attack on them, as it threatened their control
What did Cominform include?
- It removed any Soviet opposition in Soviet satellite states
- It encouraged the satellite states not to take the Marshall Plan money
What were the consequences of Cominform and Comecon?
It meant Eastern Europe in general was now one big camp, as it tied all the satellite states together
When was NATO set up?
1949
What was NATO?
A military alliance, in which if one country was attacked, the rest would give aid
What was the significance of NATO?
- It showed that the West was not prepared to accept future Soviet aggressions
- It led to the Soviet creation of the Warsaw Pact
What was Bizonia and Trizonia?
The US and British zones merged to create Bizonia. Then the French also merged to create Trizonia.
What was the Soviet reaction to the formation of Trizonia/West Germany?
They thought it was the West teaming up against the East, dividing them and forming a clear two sides
When was West Germany officially formed?
1949
When was the Deutschmark introduced?
1948
What was the Deutschmark?
The official currency of West Germany, which greatly improved the economy of West Germany
What was the Soviet reaction to the introduction of the Deutschmark?
It improved the economy therefore the living conditions of West Germany, therefore the Soviets feared it would cause the East German people to want to migrate to the more appealing west
What were the causes of the Berlin blockade?
To prevent East to West migration
What was the Berlin blockade?
The Soviets blocked all transport links from West Germany to Berlin, meaning it was unable to get any resources. This was an attempt to demonstrate the USSR strength, and to force the West to pull out of Berlin
What was the Berlin Airlift?
As all land routes in East Germany were blocked, in order to get the necessary resources like coal and food to the West Berliners, they responded with a huge airlift.
What were the 3 main consequences of the Berlin Blockade?
- Portrayed the US as strong, caring and peaceful, whereas the USSR as aggressive, weak and threatening
- NATO was formed (which later led to the Warsaw Pact)
- East and West Berlin became official separate states
Why did both sides having nuclear weapons help prevent war?
Because any military confrontation could quickly become a nuclear war, which would be devastating for both sides due to the immense damage they can cause
What was the Warsaw Pact?
A military alliance of the East
What were the main consequences of the formation of the Warsaw Pact?
- There were now two opposing military alliances, meaning if war occurred it would be of a far greater scale
- It meant the USSR now had control over the military of all their satellite states, tightening their control over the East and heightening their power
How did Hungary feel towards communism?
Due to restrictions placed on Hungary by Comecon, Hungary experienced economic hardship, so for the majority of Hungary communism was very unpopular
