Why did the US–Soviet alliance begin to breakdown in 1945? Flashcards
What were the long-term disagreements between the USSR and the USA?
The history of uneasy relations between the West (USA, Britain, Western Europe, and Allies) and the Soviet Union. 1
Started in 1917, which is when Russia became communist. Later it changed its name to the Soviet Union.
The West tried to overthrow the government during the revolution.
Stalin was also really unhappy with appeasement.
The Soviet Union was very similar to Nazi Germany since it was a dictatorship.
They sent people to camps when they opposed Stalin which used them as free labor.
Ideological reasons-was the breakdown inevitable? 1
Capitalism vs communism, liberal democracy vs single-party state.
They were too different to ever get along.
What was the during the war and post-war disagreements?
Wartime disagreements and suspicions. 2
The west suspected that the USSR would just take all of Germany’s territory for themselves and vice versa.
Attitude towards Germany and who would have influence over the post-war world.
What were the political beliefs of the US?
America is a democracy, with free, multiparty elections.
What were the political beliefs of the USSR?
The Soviet system is communist with a one-party rule and no political opposition allowed.
What were the economic beliefs of the US?
The US economy is capitalist and the system is controlled through market forces of demand and supply. Business and property are usually privately owned.
Americans generally saw their policies as doing the right thing rather than serving the interests of the USA.
(Being free from the control of the government was more important than everyone being equal. )
What were the economic beliefs of the USSR?
Most of the economy was controlled by the state and was subject to long-term central planning.
Many in the USSR saw the USA’s actions as selfishly building its economic empire and political influence.
What were the social beliefs of the US?
The US has freedom of religion and political beliefs. Freedom of speech is very important and is written into the constitution.
(Being free from the control of the government was more important than everyone being equal. )
It was the world’s wealthiest country. But as in most
capitalist countries, there were extremes - some people
were very wealthy while others were very poor.
What were the social beliefs of the USSR?
There was a constitution in 1936 but Soviet citizens have few rights. Millions of people were persecuted in the 1930s due to their religion.
For communists, the rights of individuals were seen as less important than the good of society as a whole. So individuals’ lives were tightly controlled.
The USSR became an economic superpower as hier economy had grown rapidly in the 1920’s and 1930s, the general living standard however was less than the US. That being said the unemployment rate was much lower and it was rare to see people unemployed and extreme poverty was rarer than in the USA.
Why were relations between the Western powers and the USSR not good before the Second World War?
There had been tension between the West and the USSR since the communist party came to power in 1917.
Powers like the USA and Great Britain had intervened in the war against the communists. This contributed to the Soviets’ fears about future attacks from capitalist countries.
During the 1930s, Stalin believed that Britain and France were happy for Germany to expand in the east and this contributed to his decision to seek the Nazi-Soviet pact.
The Western leaders were suspicious of the Soviet Union because they feared that they wanted to expand into central Europe.
Communist members talked about the need for a worldwide revolution increasing the likelihood of a conflict between communism and capitalism.
What were the positive relations during the war?
Then the USSR invaded Germany in 1941 and relations between the West and the USSR were seen positively since it emphasized the common goal of defeating the Nazis.
Britain sent merchant ships to help the USSR by supplying them with much-needed materials.
The USA also agreed to extend the lend-lease program to the Soviet Union.
The Leaders of the three countries met up together for the first time in Tehran in November 1943 to discuss a date for the invasion of France. This showed the good relations between Britain, The USA, and the USSR.
During this time their military officials and politicians met up regularly to discuss details of organizing the war.
What was the Lend-Lease program?
The Lend-Lease program was when the USA lent, leased, and sold military equipment to countries fighting Germany, Italy, and Japan.
What were the negative relations during the war?
However, beneath the surface, there were still tensions and Stalin had obsessive secrecy which prevented him from sharing his battle plans with either Britain or France.
Churchill would not share his knowledge of the Enigma codes with the USSR. The Enigma codes are the codes that the Germans used to send private messages to each other.
British and American pilots who flew the supplies and aircraft of the USSR often complained about how the Soviets did not trust them.
Sailors at Soviet ports were given small amounts of money to spend and were not allowed to move around freely.
When and where did the Big Three meet in 1945?
The Big Three- Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill met at Yalta in February 1945. Germany had not been defeated yet but it was clear that this was going to happen.
Yalta is a city in the Crimean peninsula which was part of Ukraine. Ukraine had always been part of the Russian Empire and part of the Soviet Union.
International relations between Ukraine and Russia
Ukraine gained independence after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
In 2014, Russia under Vladimir Putin seized control of Crimea- making it part of Russia.
Now in 2021, Russian troops are massed on the border between Russia and Ukraine.
In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine.
What were the 5 agreements?
Japan Elections War Criminals Germany United Nations Eastern Europe
