Who was to blame for the Cold war, 1945-55?

Question 1

Which leaders met at Yalta in 1945 to have innitial discussions about peace?

Answer 1

This was Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill

Question 2

Which agreements were reached at Yalta?

Answer 2

The leaders agreed to join the United Nations, to separate both Germany and the capital Berlin into different zones, to launch a full scale war against Japan once Germany had been defeated, to hunt down and punish Nazi war criminals and to allow Eastern Europe to be a Russian ‘sphere of influence’.

Question 3

Over which topic area did the allies disagree at Yalta?

Answer 3

The borders of and elections in Poland were the cause of dispute.

Question 4

Where did the Allies hold their second peace conference of 1945?

Answer 4

This was held at Potsdam

Question 5

Who was the leader of the USA by the time of the Potsdam Conference?

Answer 5

This was Truman, after the death of Roosevelt. He was much more anti-Communist than Roosevelt.

Question 6

What had America developed between the two conferences?

Answer 6

By the time of the Potsdam Conference, America had developed the atomic bomb.

Question 7

Over what issue did the Allies disagree at Potsdam?

Answer 7

The issue of reparations caused disagreements. Stalin wanted to completely cripple Germany.

Question 8

After 1945, Stalin started to tighten his control of Eastern Europe. Which countries in this area did not come under his direct control, though?

Answer 8

Greece and Yugoslavia.

Question 9

Who was the leader of Yugoslavia at the time?

Answer 9

This was Marshall Tito.

Question 10

What were the ‘Salami tactics’ Stalin used to spread Communism in Eastern Europe?

Answer 10

These tactics saw Communists gain control of countries like Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia ‘slice by slice’, such as gaining a foothold in coalition governments, abolishing monarchies and banning all other political parties.

Question 11

Which organisation did Stalin establish to make sure that all these different Communist countries remained loyal to Moscow?

Answer 11

Stalin set up Cominform to achieve this purpose.

Question 12

Name the two policies with which the USA reacted to Russian expansion in Eastern Europe.

Answer 12

These were the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.

Question 13

What was the basic idea behind the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 13

Idea of containment- not allowing Communism to take over anymore land

Question 14

In which country was the Truman Doctrine first applied?

Answer 14

In Greece, where the USA supported British troops fighting for the Greek monarchy against the communists.

Question 15

What was the Marshall plan about?

Answer 15

It was realised that extreme ideas flourish at times of desperate economic circumstances. Therefore, the USA gave 14 billion dollars to help rebuild Europe and prevent the spread of communism.

Question 16

Events in which country persuaded the American Senate to agree to Marshall Aid?

Answer 16

Events in Czechoslovakia, when the communists seized power.

Question 17

What organisation did Stalin set up in response to Marshall Aid?

Answer 17

He set up a rival economic Union of Eastern European countries called Comecon.

Question 18

Which city did Stalin blockade in 1948?

Answer 18

The city of Berlin

Question 19

How did the Western powers overcome this blockade without resorting to war?

Answer 19

By flying supplies into Berlin at roughly 90 second intervals.

Question 20

Why was the Berlin Blockade an important event in the development of Cold War tensions?

Answer 20

It was the first real stand-off between the two opposing sides, demonstrating that the wartime alliance was clearly no more.
The USA could not be seen to simply withdraw from Berlin as this would undermine the Truman Doctrine. However, if they chose to smash through the Blockade, the West would be seen as the aggressor and would potentially start a war.
The Airlift option was very risky as Stalin could have shot the planes down. Many airmen were killed in accidents and this was a very expensive option for the West.
The

Question 21

Give 5 examples of states in the Warsaw Pact.

Answer 21

Warsaw Pact members included Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

Question 22

Which organisation did the Western powers, led by America, join in April 1949?

Answer 22

NATO – the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

Question 23

Which Treaty, organised by Khrushchev, did the countries of Eastern Europe sign in 1955 in response to NATO?

Answer 23

This was the Warsaw Pact.

Question 24

Why was the development of these two alliances (NATO and the Warsaw Pact) such an important development in the Cold War?

Answer 24

For the first time, it was confirmed that the USA and the USSR were on opposing sides. The wartime alliance was now truly dead.
Both sides had access to nuclear weapons and both alliances were signed on military lines. An isolated argument between two countries now had the potential to escalate into another world war.
Stalin was very concerned at some of the terms of the NATO alliance such as the US military bases in Europe, which he saw as a threat.
Stalin was also angry about West Germany joining NATO - he was concerned about future Russian security if. Germany was allowed to rebuild.

Question 25

Was the development of the two Cold War alliances really such a serious threat?

Answer 25

Some historians argue that these two alliances made a future war less likely as a stalemate point had basically been reached. It would be too much of a risk for either side to start a war, especially with the prospect of nuclear weapons involved.

Question 26

How did the Warsaw Pact help to enhance the USSR’s control?

Answer 26

The Pact was dominated by the USSR. All the forces of Pact countries were placed under a Soviet commander in chief and it permitted Soviet troops to be stationed in these countries for the purpose of defence.

Question 27

Who fought in the Korean War from 1950?

Answer 27

This conflict was fought between North Korea and the American backed South Koreans.

Question 28

Why was the USA so concerned about North Korea’s attempted invasion of the South?

Answer 28

The Americans feared that they were losing the Cold War. The North was Communist and backed by the USSR and China. Communism had been successful in China whilst the USSR had recently tested their own atomic bomb in 1949. Truman and the Americans felt that they needed to act to uphold the domino theory to prevent the worldwide spread of Communism.

Question 29

Did America act alone to help the South?

Answer 29

No, it had the support of the United Nations. A UN army made up of contributions from 16 nations was sent to South Korea.

Question 30

Who led the UN army in Korea?

Answer 30

The American General Douglas MacArthur

Question 31

How successful was the UN army.

Answer 31

Initially very successful. The North Koreans were forced to retreat back to the border with China.

Question 32

Why was MacArthur removed as leader of the UN army in Korea?

Answer 32

Because he proposed the use of an atomic strike against China - Truman was concerned that this would cause a major war, and argued that this was against the spirit of his Truman Doctrine to contain Communism.

Question 33

After the Communists drove the US/UN forces back, how was peace eventually achieved?

Answer 33

The border between North and South was to remain at its original point - the 38th Parallel.

Question 34

Why was the Korean War a threat to world peace?

Answer 34

It was the first actual fighting between the capitalists and the Communists in the Cold War,
Truman had shown that he was prepared to use force to defend the principles set out in the Truman Doctrine.
MacArthur suggested a dangerous strategy of using the atomic bomb which could have resulted in a major world war.
The War saw the emergence of China as a potentially dangerous threat.
There were some Russians directly involved in the conflict and Russia did actively support North Korea.
The USSR supplied weapons to the North Koreans, bringing them into conflict with the USA.
The US suffered around 50,00 casualties showing the extent of the fighting - and the Chinese around 900,000 casualties.
The war marked the emergence of Communist China as a potential threat to the West.

Question 35

How was the threat posed by the Korean War perhaps not so serious?

Answer 35

Because whilst Truman was committed to sticking to the principle of the Truman Doctrine, his refusal to support MacArthur showed the he didn’t want to make the Cold War into a ‘hot war’.
The War did not spread beyond Korea.
The Ussr did not become directly involved so there was still no direct conflict between The USA and the USSR, although the USSR did supply weapons to the Koreans.
The UN appeared to take united action in order to resist an act of aggression - something that the League of Nations had never been able to do, which raised hopes that future conflict could be avoided/limited.

Question 36

What was Khrushchev’s ‘Secret Speech’?

Answer 36

This was a speech give by Khrushchev in 1956 in which he denounced Stalin’s brutality and stressed the need for peaceful coexistence with the West.

Question 37

Give some examples of peaceful coexistence in action.

Answer 37

Khrushchev attended international meetings such as the Geneva Summit in 1955. Countries discussed the fate of Germany and the reunification of Austria.

Question 38

Why did the Hungarians hope that change was possible?

Answer 38

Khrushchev’s condemnation of Stalin in his secret speech

The change of leader in Poland earlier in 1956

Question 39

Who was the leader of the Hungarian Revolt?

Answer 39

Nagy

Question 40

What were the Hungarians protesting about.

Answer 40

The extent of Russian control which prevented all forms of opposition and restricted freedom.
They hated the Hungarian communist leader Rakosi and the brutality he had shown along with hi secret police, the AVO. Over 2000 opponents had been executed and over 200,000 made prisoner.
They were also protesting against the falling standard of living and increased poverty, which they blamed on Communist policies such as Comecon.
Many in Hungary wanted to end Soviet domination and improve relations with the West.

Question 41

What were the initial successes of the Revolt?

Answer 41

Rioting led to Stalin’s statue being pulled down And prisoners were released. Some security police were hanged by rebels. Nagy became prime minister and Soviet tanks withdrew. He stated that Hungary would reform me organise free elections, and withdraw from the Warsaw Pact.

Question 42

How did Russia respond?

Answer 42

Russian tanks re entered Hungary and crushed the rebellion in Budapest. Nagy was arrested and shot. The Hungarians appealed to the West for help but no one came.

Question 43

How did the Hungarian Rising escalate Cold War tensions?

Answer 43

With Khrushchev’s use of violence to end the rebellion, it was clear that the so-called peaceful coexistence was at an end.
The USSR refused to allow. Hungary to leave the Warsaw. Pact and were concerned about the prospect of Hungary improving relations with the West - a clear message was sent out both to other states in the Soviet bloc and to Western powers.
Khrushchev’s strength and power in the USSR was strengthened
Estimates of between 2000 and 30,000 Hungarian civilians were killed
The Americans protested against this brutality

Question 44

In what ways was the Hungarian Riot not such a serious threat to world peace?

Answer 44

There was no prospect of the USA/the West taking any direct action to intervene - the. Soviet sphere of influence seemed secure,
The event marked more of a stalemate in the Cold War as the West dare not intervene.
The outcome rucked the prospect of further challenges to Soviet authority from other Eastern European States.

Question 45

Which country launched the first satellite into space.

Answer 45

The USSR launched Sputnik 1 in 1957

Question 46

What were other key developments in the space race?

Answer 46

The USA launched their own satellite, Explorer1 in 1958
The Soviets sent the first man. Into space, Yuri Gagarin
In 1969, American Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon.