Who Was To Blame For The Cold War? Flashcards
What Was It About : Capitalism
- Land and industry owned privately
- Some rich some poor
- Government is democratic (elections)
- People enjoy freedoms
- USA was capitalist country that emerged from WW2 as a leading superpower
What Was It About : Communism
- Land and Industry owned by government
- People work for government
- Everyone is equal in terms of wealth
- Communist dictatorship (no choice)
- Lives strictly controlled
- USSR was communist country that emerged from WW2 as a leading superpower
What Was It About
-Tension and rivalry between USA and USSR between 1945 and 1991
War Time Alliance Strength
- Strategic, not bond of brotherhood
- United by common enemy (Nazi Germany)
War Time Alliance Strength : Division Before War
- USA ans UK helped fight Communists during Russian Civil War
- 1920s, USA persecuted Communists in Red Scare
- 1926, British government dealt harshly with general strike fearing Communist take-over
- Stalin deeply suspicious of British policy of appeasement fearing Britain hoped Germany would destroy USSR
- 1939, Stalin angered US and UK by signing Nazi-Soviet Pact
War Time Alliance Strength : Divisions During War
- Stalin angry that USA and UK delayed invasion of France until 1944
- Left USSR to fight Nazi Germany alone in Europe between 1941 and 1944
War Time Alliance Strength : Divisions Immediately After War
- US and USSR emerged as dominant superpowers
- Both determined to ensure their way of life dominated the world
Yalta Conference
AGREEMENTS
- 1945
- Stalin agreed to enter war against Japan
- Germany and Berlin split into 4 zones
- Free elections in all liberated countries
- UN would be established (all three allies would join)
- Nazi war criminals would be brought to justice
- Eastern Europe would become a ‘Soviet sphere of influence’
Yalta Conference
DISAGREEMENTS
- Over Poland
- USA and UK wanted Capitalist ‘London Poles’ to lead Poland
- Stalin wanted Communist ‘Lublin Poles’ to lead Poland
- Stalin wanted to move borders westwards to create a buffer zone
- Churchill and Roosevelt opposed but eventually agreed
Potsdam Conference
TENSION
-1945
-Churchill often bridged the gaps but now replaced by Atlee
Truman replaced Roosevelt
-Truman informed Stalin that USA had successfully tested an Atomic Bomb
-Truman furious that Stalin Red Army was occupying countries in Europe and installing pro-Communist Governments instead of free elections
Potsdam Conference
AGREEMENTS
-Most arrangements agreed at Yalta (division) were implemented
Potsdam Conference
DISAGREEMENTS
- Stalin determined to cripple Germany with harsh reparations
- Truman opposed
- Stalin wanted to share in occupation of Japan
- Truman Opposed
Iron Curtain
- Speech made by Churchill after losing election (during tour of USA)
- 1946
- Accused USSR of drawing an Iron Curtain across Europe
- Post-war division of Europe
- Stalin had established pro-soviet dictatorships in all eastern countries behind the curtain
- In the west were the capitalist free Countries
East Germany
- Remained under Red Army control
- Communists established German Democratic Republic
- 1949
Poland
- Communists took full control in 1947
- Non-Communist coalition partners were forced into exile
Hungary
- Communists took control in 1945
- Rival politicians and religious leaders were imprisoned
Romania
- Communists took control 1945
- Monarchy abolished in 1947
Bulgaria
- Communists took control in 1945
- Leaders of other parties were executed
Albania
-Communists took control in 1945
Yugoslavia
- The Communist Marshal Tito took control 1945
- Remained fiercely independent of USSR
Czechoslovakia
- Communists in coalition government from 1945
- Gained full control in 1948
- Rival parties banned
Cominform
- Established 1947
- Led by Stalin
- Enabled USSR to control Communist countries of Eastern Europe
Containment : Greece
- 1947
- USA paid Britain to keep troops stationed in Greece to prevent Communist take-over
Containment : Truman Doctrine
- 1947
- Truman promised USA would support any country threatened by a communist takeover
Containment
- Policy established by Truman
- USA would prevent the further spread of Communism throughout the world
Containment : Marshall Plan
- General George Marshall warned that poverty affecting the whole war-torn Europe was creating perfect breeding ground for Communism
- Recommended USA provide $17 billion of aid to help recovery
- Congress initially rejected the plan
Containment : Marshall Aid
- Congress agreed to Marshall’s plan after the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia
- pro-American leader Jan Masaryk died in suspicious circumstances
- $17 billion provided
- Stalin prevented countries of Eastern Europe from receiving it
Berlin Blockade
- 1946, Britain, France, USA combined zones into Trizonia (West Germany)
- 1948 introduce new currency
- Within 3 months there were signs that Germany was recovering
- Stalin saw this a provocation as he wanted Germany to remain crippled
- Recovery of Berlin particularly bothered Stalin as Berlin was deep into his zone
- 1948 Stalin blocked all roads, railways and canals between west Germany and west Berlin
- Hoped to forced Allies put
- Truman determined to maintain West Berlin as an oasis of Capitalism
Consequences of Berlin Blockade : Berlin Aircraft
- For 10 months, the Western Allies airlifted supplies into Berlin
- Three planes landed every minute
- Widespread fear that war would break out if the planes were shot down
- 1949 Stalin lifted blockade
Consequences of Berlin Blockade : Divided Germany
- Following blockade, division of Germany became more permanent
- 1949, British, French, USA zones known as ‘Federal Republic of Germany’
- USSR zone known as ‘German Democratic Republic’
Consequences of Berlin Blockade : NATO
-April 1949
USA ans western European Allies formed NATO
Consequences of Berlin Blockade : Warsaw Pact
- West Germany joined NATO 1955
- USSR and Communist allies in Eastern Europe formed the Warsaw Pact
- Military alliance
- Pledged to retaliate if any member was attacked
Who Was To Blame?
USA
- Truman intimidated Stalin with atomic bomb
- Truman Doctrine was a promise to help any country under threat of a communist takeover; became a policy of ‘containment’
- USA gave Marshall Aid to countries in Western Europe to stop the spread of Communism
- Western Germany united its zones and created a new currency
- Responded to Berlin Blockade with Berlin Aircraft
- 1949 formed NATO
Who Was To Blame?
USSR
- Stalin caused tension at Potsdam by preventing elections in liberated countries
- Installed Communist dictatorships that were loyal to USSR in those countries
- Formed Cominform ans Comecon to strengthen ties between countries in Eastern Europe
- Berlin Blockade
- Successfully tested atomic bomb (arms race)
- USSR formed military alliance (Warsaw Pact)
