US And Soviet Relations 1945-6 Flashcards
When did the USA drop atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan
August 1945 to end WW2
How did the development of the atom bombs make the USA and the west feel
More confident/ secure. Could use it to persuade Stalin to hold free elections in Eastern Europe
What did Stalin do in reaction to the bombs
- he made a buffer zone between Eastern European countries and the west
- tested their own atomic bomb in 1949
How did the development of the atom bomb affect their relations
- increased Cold War tensions as the bomb was so powerful
- made both sides reluctant to go to war
- arms race between USA and USSR
What was the Novikov telegram
A telegram sent by Nikolai Novikov a soviet diplomat in Washington that said that the USA wanted to dominate the world.
How did both telegrams affect American-soviet relations
Both sides now distrusted the other side even more. Led eventually to America’s policy of containment as the USA felt that the USSR was now looking to spread communism and led to the soviet desire to protect itself
What was the Kennan long telegram
A telegram discussing US soviet relations sent by George Kennan, the US ambassador in Moscow. It said that Stalin wanted to destroy capitalism but that the USSR would back down if threatened you the USA
Why did Stalin ensure that every government in Eastern Europe was pro-communist
Stalin wanted to create a buffer zone between the east and the west. The USSR has suffered 2 invasions in the last 30 years- if Eastern Europe was under his control this would make any future invasions less likely
How did the USA interpret this move by Stalin
The USA believed that this was part of Stalins aim to spread communism throughout the world in particular they thought countries in Western Europe were under threat
What was the iron curtain speech
In March 1946 Churchill visited te USA where he made a speech in which he declared that Europe was being divided by soviet policy. In the west were free and democratic states whereas the eastern countries were living under the domination of communism and the USSR l- and ‘iron curtain ‘ separated the two
How did the iron curtain speech affect American soviet relations
It increased tension and mistrust and led the USSR to step up its campaign of anti-western propaganda. Intensified hostility
What were the satellite states
Countries that were freed from nazi rule by the red army. These include- Poland Czechoslovakia Hungary and Romania
How did Stalin set up pro-communist governments
Although Stalin did hold elections these were rigged to ensure communist wins. Politicians from other parties were beaten, intimidated or even murdered (jan Masaryk) even after the war 6million soviet troops remained in Eastern Europe to stamp out opposition
How did Stalin ensure these states relied on the USSR
He set up cominform in 1947, an alliance of communist countries which restricted their contact with the west. This was done in response to the marshal plan. Later on he set up Comecon to coordinate trade between these countries
