Topic 4 - Who was to blame for the Cold War? Flashcards
Characteristics of communism
- far left idology
- insiped by Karl Marx
- NO voting
- NO freedom
- the state control the economics
Why were the other allies concerned about Stalin (While they were allies in WWII) [4]
- fears the Stalin will sxpand USSR
- afraid/concerned of attempts at further communist revolution
- Don’t trust the Soviet Militar - Stalin didn’t share his battle plans (sus)
Conferences during and at the end of WWII [3]
- Tehran
- Yalta
- Potsdam
Tehran
Where & When?
Who?
Decisions made?
alliance?
Tehran - Iran (neutral territory)
November 1943
Roosevelt, Chuchill, Stalin
Planning the war
How to get France back from the Nazis
Overall works well
agreed to many things
tensions are there
sus
Yalta
Where & When?
Who?
Decisions made?
alliance?
Yalta - in USSR
October 1994
Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin
Talks about use of spehre of infludence after the war - what they are going to do
- Germany - spilt into 4 groups
- War in Japan
- Esablishment of the UN
etc
working well
make decisions
differenct country want different things
–> tension
commitments get broken (LIKE WHAT?)
Potsdam
Where & When?
Who?
Decisions made?
alliance?
Potsdam - in Germany (near Berlin
July 1945
Truman, Atlee, Stalin
New Polish/German boreres
Countries get DeNazified
sort out Germany exonomic system
cannot fully agree
Ruhr access denied to USSR
–> USSR mad.
Why did the USA-USSR alliance begin to break down in 1945 [4]
- removal of the common enemy
- ideological differences
- history of hostility
- the USSR in world affairs
Results of the Potsdam Conference
increasing differences between USSR and USA causing tension to increase
referred to “iron curtain” descending across Europe. West from East
Democracy from communism
Stalin’s excuse(?) to the buffer zone
Stalin accused church of trying to provoke war against the USSR. Soviet Union been invaded twice in 30 years. This was simply creating a “buffer zone”
so invasion will never happen
How had the USSR gained control of Eastern Europe by 1948.
+ examples
USSR army advanced through areas of Eastern Europe, driving back the Nazis. –> but remained
Yalta conference –> elections were held in those countries
1948 - communist countries
rigged elections and intimidation
for example:
Poland rigged election gave communists 80% of the votes
opposition leaders arrested and murdered.
Cominform
1947
set up by the USSR to ensure all communist parties of eastern of eastern Europe followed the soviet model of communism
- in response to Marshall aid
How did US react to soviet expansion?
- Truman doctrine (March 1947)
–> provide aid in forms of and money.
–> worked in Greece
Policy of containment
- Marshall Aid (June 1947)
–> countries after war were facing economic collapse.
+ if europe became financially stable –> good trading partner for US - offered money –> in return they woudl buy US goods and allow american investments
- 13 billion $$
- Stalin banned in eastern European countries.
What was the Berlin Blockade?
- their motives
- 1948
- Berlin was divided into 4 parts after WWII (USSR, USA, Britain, France)
- Western powers created a new currency
–> soviets refused - 3 western nations join
–> Bizonia - Stalin felt threatened by the joining
- blocking all traffic moving west to eat
- turned off all gas and electricity
–> hoping he could force the other three powers out of Berlin - Berlin fully dependent on the USSR
Airlift
11 months - 300,000 flights
cargo - coal, food , medicines, petrol
Worked really well
Consequences of the blockade
USSR failed
1949 NATO was set up - US membership
1949 Comecon was set up
