US, British and USSR relations in 1945 Flashcards
When was the Russian Revolution?
October 1917
When was the Yalta Conference?
4-11 February 1945
Who was Joseph Stalin?
was born Joseph Djugashvili, but adopted the name Stalin because it meant ‘steel’. He was one of the leaders of the Bolshevik party, but was not considered an intellectual. This made him seem less important in the early days of the Soviet state, but he quietly accumulated power and had succeeded Lenin by 1929
Who was Franklin D. Roosevelt?
had been US president since 1933. He ended the USA’s isolationism when he entered the war in 1941. Roosevelt was a committed democrat but he was prepared to support the USSR in the Grand Alliance, and was optimistic that meaningful international cooperation could continue after the war had ended
Who was Winston Churchill?
became prime minister in 1940. He established a working relationship with Stalin but quickly became deeply suspicious of his post-war intentions. Churchill was anxious to ensure unity among the Western capitalist powers in the face of what he regarded as a fundamental threat from the USSR
What is meant by collective security?
the principle whereby states would cooperate with each other as a means of reducing insecurity and minimising the need for defensive alliances
What is the United Nations?
an international organisation set up in 1945 with the primary aim of preserving world peace through the collective cooperation of its members
What was agreed at Yalta?
At Yalta it was agreed that:
* Germany would be divided into four zones, each administered by an allied
power. These were to be the USA, the USSR, the UK and France
* Berlin would be similarly divided
* the United Nations Organisation would be formally ratified
* the USSR would gain land from Poland, and Poland would be expanded to
the north and the west
* a Declaration on Liberated Europe should be created
What were the Axis States?
The Axis states were Italy, Germany and Japan. In 1937, these three countries signed the Tripartite Pact, a ten-year military alliance. This agreement was referred to as the Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, and once the Second World War began, the three powers were collectively referred to as the Axis powers
Who was Vyacheslav Molotov?
was a loyal supporter of Stalin. He served as the Soviet Foreign Minister from 1939 to 1949 and again from 1953 to 1957. He was the leading Soviet representative at Yalta and Potsdam, and many regarded his attitudes as making a major contribution to the collapse of East–West relations
Who was Anthony Eden?
was British Foreign Secretary between 1940 and 1945. Eden had been central to allied planning and diplomatic negotiations throughout the war, and he supported Churchill at Yalta
When and what was the Percentages Agreement?
October 1944. Churchill and Stalin met in Moscow. The basis of the agreement was to establish the percentage of predominance Britain and the USSR would each have in Eastern European states. For example, in Romania the USSR was to have 90 per cent while in Greece Britain had 90 per cent. In Hungary it was to be 50 per cent each
What was the Lublin Government?
During the war, a Polish government in exile existed in London. The USSR supported a pro-communist government which had been set up on Poland’s liberation. This was based in the Polish city of Lublin. Stalin had ensured that non-communist leaders who had resisted the Nazis were eliminated so they could not transplant the Polish government in exile back into post-war Poland
How many Soviets were suggested dead after WW2 and what were the effects of the war on the USSR?
25 million plus mass destruction of towns, cities, agriculture and industry
When was the Potsdam Conference?
17 July to 1 August 1945
