Unit 3 // Chapter 1: Reasons for CW in Europe Flashcards
List the reasons for the Cold War in Europe.
1) Ideological conflict between the USA and the USSR
2) Alliance to resist German advance in Britain and the USSR
3) Perceived delay in opening a second front
4) Disagreements during negotiations for a post-war settlement
- Yalta Conference: Different goals between the Western powers and the USSR
- Potsdam Conference: USSR had already invaded Poland, USA no longer gave concessions to the USSR because they had the military upper hand against Japan (atomic bomb) and no longer needed their help to end the war in the Asia-Pacific
5) American nuclear monopoly and dropping of atomic bombs on Japan
6) Post-WWII: Devastation of Europe and rise of the superpowers
7) End of wartime alliance and competition for influence between the superpowers
8) Establishment of Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe
Explain how the ideological conflict between the USA and the USSR led to the outbreak of the Cold War in Europe.
1) Democracy + Capitalism (Free Market Economy) VS Communism (in terms of social, economic and political differences)
2) Ideological conflict between the two had been present long before WWII, but tensions became evident after the Russian Revolution in 1917.
3) Western European democratic countries were concerned that e communists would spread their ideas to their countries, and incite similar revolutions there
3) USA also viewed USSR as a threat to its own political and economic security and influence → prompted them to provide military and other forms of aid to the ‘Whites’ (Russian anti-communist forces) during the Russian Civil War (1917)
5) USA gave the Whites an edge through this added advantage
6) Even though the war was long ago, the feelings of suspicion continued as Stalin felt that the West would find any opportunity to eliminate communism.
7) This would eventually lead to both sides competing for influence in Europe to strengthen their own ideology → ideologies unable to co-exist because of mistrust and suspicions → actions taken by the other are seen as threats to the safety and survival of the other → tensions → CW
State and explain how the alliances made during WWII led to the outbreak of the Cold War in Europe.
1) Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact: Agreement between Germany and the USSR to not go to war with each other for the next 10 years
- Originally enemies
- USSR was trying to form an alliance with Britain and France within the same year, so it showed how quickly they switched sides because they were trying to form alliances/ pacts within a very short time frame
- The USA viewed this to be manipulative of the USSR: willing to take advantage of the situation of Germany’s expansion to benefit themselves
- Felt that they could not be trusted, hence feelings of mistrust continued into the 1940s
2) Stalin later formed an alliance with Britain to resist German advance in Britain and the USSR
- Military alliance between the two effectively put the USSR on the side of the allies
- Showed how quickly the USSR changed sides in times of crisis; made them lose more of what little was left of their credibility as a power that made ties on the sole basis of being able to benefit from the alliance
- Did not form alliances based on common ideologies, hence mutual trust between the two parties was not always guaranteed as seen from the NS pact; alliances involving the USSR were proven to not be long-lasting because once the benefit/ perk was out of the picture, the alliance was no longer necessary
- Like a parasite leeching on its host; moved from host to host in order to reap maximum benefits for themselves - - Feelings of mistrust
Explain what happened during the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences, and how it led to the Cold War between USA and the USSR.
1) February 1945: Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill met at Yalta to decide on final strategies against Germany, as well as the arrangements for post-war Europe
2) Differences in goals between the Western powers and the USSR
3) Control of Poland: Western powers wanted Poland to be able to hold free elections to choose its own government VS USSR wanted Poland to be under Soviet influence and control
4) What was eventually agreed on: for Poland to be able to hold free elections to choose its own government
After the Yalta Conference:
4) However, the USSR went against the terms of the agreement and manipulated elections in Poland by arresting non-communist Polish leaders and establishing a new communist government in Poland
5) This caused tensions between the two countries as the USA would be angered by the USSR’s dismissal of the terms of the agreement
6) This would cause tensions → cannot see eye to eye → competition to spread sphere of influence → constant retaliations → CW
Explain how the perceived delay in opening a second front led to the Cold War between the USA and the USSR.
1) The Soviet Red Army faced immense pressure from Germany’s continuous attacks, and Stalin urged the Allies to open a second front in France to relieve the pressure
2) USA and Britain had been providing assistance to the USSR in the form of economic aid and military supplies
3) They also invaded Italy, Germany’s ally, in 1943
4) However, it was not until June 1944 that the second front was opened with the D-Day landings
5) The Allies delayed the opening of the second front until there was an acceptable likelihood of its success
6) However, Stalin suspected that the second front was delayed so that USSR would have to continue fighting Germany on their own for a prolonged period of time, deplete their resources and minimise losses for the USA
7) Stalin also suspected that the USA and Britain hoped that Germany and the USSR would weaken and destroy each other in the process
8) Suspicions → tensions between both sides → gives them reason to retaliate against the USSR/ justifies their case → CW
Explain how the devastation of Europe led to the rise of the superpowers, thus leading to the outbreak of the Cold War between the USA and the USSR.
1) WWII left Europe in a state of chaos, destruction and famine
2) Europe’s agricultural and industrial output was halved compared to pre-war levels
3) Did not possess the funds needed to rebuild its shattered economies, infrastructure or the lives of its people
4) Allied powers, such as Britain and France, also suffered great damage to their physical landscapes, economies and influence, and were no longer in a position to be major post-war decision-makers.
5) Shattered economies and the existence of a power vacuum in Europe meant that most European countries were hardly able to rebuild themselves without external help.
6) This gave the USA and the USSR the opportunity to compete for a dominant role in reconstructing Europe, as well as increase their political and economic influence in Europe → gain allies
7) USA emerged from the war virtually unscathed and had a powerful economy and military
8) USSR had also established its sphere of influence in Eastern Europe, and its military production was second only to the USA by the end of the war
9) Both were in a position to assert themselves as superpowers and shape post-war Europe → USA and USSR became the founding members of the United Nations in 1945
10) No one able to match their power except each other → able to concentrate their time, resources and efforts on reconstructing post-war Europe → form of retaliation against each other → effects of retaliations would be more significant since they’re each other’s only enemies → tensions from competing for allies and spreading influence → CW
Explain how the end of wartime alliance and competition for influence between the superpowers led to the outbreak of Cold War.
1) Removal of common enemy, i.e. Germany, meant there was no further need for the USA and the USSR to remain allies
2) Each sought to strengthen its own political and economic influence in Europe
3) American economic and security needs + desire to support the post-war economic reconstruction and political self-determination of Europe VS security needs and ideological beliefs of the USSR
4) USA feared that the USSR would stir up communist movements and establish communist governments in Europe → possibility of USA losing its sphere of influence and trading markets → possibility of having to trade with USSR, their own enemy had opposing political and economic ideals
5) USSR refused to allow a capitalist Europe to encircle it and threaten its own security and survival
6) Actions taken by each country and the resulting responses led to misinterpretations of each other’s intentions in Europe → e.g. Stalin’s ring of defence (satellite states) being seen as an aggressive plan to expand global communist influence → defensive measure in reality → had been attacked by Germany twice in the 20th century
7) Heightened tensions and distrusts → continued retaliations → CW
Explain how the establishment of Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe led to the outbreak of Cold War.
1) After the war, Stalin began establishing a ring of satellite states around the Soviet Union thorough the use of ‘salami tactics’.
2) Salami tactics: generally started with initial Soviet support for the establishment of coalition governments in Eastern European states, where the local Communist Party was influential. Subsequently, the communists gradually isolated and repressed other parties in the coalition, eliminating them one by one.
3) What Stalin saw this as: a defensive measure to strengthen the security of the USSR and its sphere of influence → had been attacked by Germany twice in the 20th century
4) What the USA saw this as: the USSR pursuing an aggressive plan to expand global communist influence → saw this as another step in this plan, rather than a defensive measure
) Misunderstanding of the USSR’s intentions → tensions → continued retaliations with the misunderstood intentions acting as the motivation → CW
Explain how American nuclear monopoly and dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan led to the outbreak of CW.
1) Both the USA and the USSR were trying to invent nuclear weapons to tackle Germany in WWII. They wanted to possess the most powerful weapons at the same time.
2) However, the USA chose not to tell the Soviets about the Manhattan Project until its first successful test, and this aroused Soviet suspicions. Information about the Manhattan Project had been leaked to the Soviets even before Truman himself knew about its existence, which would’ve made them even more suspicious of the USA because they already knew that they were hiding the weapon from them.
3) When the USA dropped the atomic bomb without discussion with the USSR, it gave the USSR the impression that it was trying to intimidate them.
4) The USSR was also worried that the USA might use the weapon against them, and these worries stemmed from the manifestation of feelings of distrust.
5) By dropping the atomic bomb without consulting the USSR, the USA proved its nuclear strength to the USSR, challenging the USSR to build up its nuclear power to match USA’s abilities. This led to the rise of an arms race and hostilities between both sides.
