WW2 to Berlin Wall Flashcards
Russian Civil War
1917-20, communists led by Lenin v Tsarist forces (supported by the west)
Comintern
organisation set up in 1919 to facilitate contacts between communist groups throughout the world.
Stalin’s policies
Dictator, murdered millions.
Ruled through terror, generated fear of the west, purges of party members
World War 2
1939-45
In 1941 Hitler launched an invasion on the Soviet Union. By the end of 1941 the Soviet Union, USA and Britain were all on the same side. (Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill).
- Stalin wanted security for the Soviet Union, he needed a second front opened in the West to relieve pressure on the Eastern Front. But Britain and USA refused to do it until the time was right
- Poland was always an issue because of where it was situated
- The Grand Alliance’ only link was their common enemy
-1944 Warsaw, the Polish people attempted to set up a polish democratic government rule. Germans attacked it and the Soviets did nothing to help even though they could of (as they did not want a government set up or it would be harder to take over).
Tehran Conference
1943
Strategy meeting between big 3
-Stalin dominated the discussion and got what he wanted which was opening a second front
-Had different ideas about Germany, Stalin wanted massive reparations but West wanted it to re- build itself.
-Poland-different ideas
Many war tensions at the time: Soviets feared the West were turning against them, Britain and the Soviet Union wanted material support from USA.
Yalta
1945
-Decided Germany would be split into 4 zones, as would Berlin
-‘Sphere of Soviet influence’ was present
-All agreed to join the UN and make peace
-stalin would enter the war with Japan once Germany had surrendered
-
Potsdam
1945
Attlee, Truman and Stalin
-decided Poland border will be pushed back and 5 million Germans will be forced out of their homes
-agreed reparations
Truman didn’t tell Stalin about the atomic bomb which he exploded 4 days after
Soviet Union wanted to share occupation of Japan but Truman said no
The Long Telegram
1946
George Kennan, deputy head of the mission in Moscow, sent a telegraph to Washington saying that Moscow were unable to negotiate and wanted full control and war is inevitable.
Churchill Iron Curtain Speech
1946
encouraged hostility towards the Soviet Union, called for firm action against communism and the teaming up of Britain and USA.
Increased tensions –> stalin saw churchill as a warmonger and spread fear and hatred of communism
Stalin’s takeover of Eastern Europe
Poland - important, used rigged elections
Romania - no strong opposition so overthrew it easily
Bulgaria - rigged elections
Yugoslavia - communism won power independently through Tito’s revolution
Exceptions:
Finland - after signed agreements with Russia they left them alone
Hungary and Czechoslovakia - special as at start had normal elections but later became rigged. more relaxed to begin with.
Stalin’s intentions
- aggressive, expansionist
- wanting to spread communism / have more power
- want to protect themselves ( they had suffered the most losses in the war so didn’t want to be attacked again)
- entitled = killed most German soldiers
- did not want USA to spread its influence over Europe
- Initially there were no clear aims but did later had rigged elections
Containment
Truman Doctrine, Marshall Aid, churchill’s speech, long telegraph
Truman Doctrine
1947
The British government stated they could no longer afford to pay for troops in Greece and Turkey to fight communism. in a speech Truman promised economic stability and money to help countries fighting communism
shows america becoming more involved in world politics.
Marshall Aid/Plan
1947
Plan to provide economic aid to war torn Europe, drawn up by George Marshall, all countries were eligible.
Stalin refused and forced other communist countries to refuse.
Over 17 billion dollars were provided to Europe and by 1952 Western Europe’s economy was growing.
Soviet response to Marshall aid
cominform - set up to help develop contacts with other communist countries 1947
comecon - 1949 rival to marshall aid, provided money to communist countries but not as successful.
Czechoslovakia 1948
Communist coup which allowed them to take over in 5 days
Berlin blockade
- Germanywas split into 4 zones. in 1947 Britain and USA zones came together to form Bizonia.
- 1948, the West created a central bank and new currency, the Deutschmark, which was taken in West Germany and Bizonia. this caused an economic crisis for Eastern Germany.
-Soviet authorities declared the western currency broke potsdam agreements which stated Germany had to be treated as one economic unit.
-1948 = Stalin closed all road, canal and railways that led from the West into Western Berlin.
-Berlin Airlift- 1948-9
lasted 11 months, tensions increased as some were keen to use military violence
West used counter blockade of steel, chemicals and manufactured goods.
Stalin called off in 1949. Airlift was a big success, Germany became more divided with separate economies
1949 - Trizonia (France joined Britain and USA)
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
April 1949
Formed to provide protection to members from communism
First 12 countries joined, West Germany joined in 1955
An attack on one member was regarded as an attack on all
Good - military alliance, economic strength
bad - alliance based on self interests and violence, dominated by USA, relied on nuclear defence
Warsaw Pact
1955
USSR response to NATO
Why did the Cold War start?
- clashing ideologies
- Stalin’s personality
- Spread of communism
- American fear of communism – containment
- USSR expansion
- NATO and warsaw pact
- Formation of East/West Germany
- WW2
propaganda
USA - used jazz and film to attract people, showed communism as a threat, made West Berlin like a showcase of capitalism
USSR - spread ideas that American culture was dirty/sexualised, Stalin’s cult of personality (paternalistic image), Stalin created a fear of the West so they could increase military spending, used ballet and lectures
Europe - Radio free europe which spread news.
1953
Stalin died
Berlin uprising
1953
In East Berlin work norms were raised by 10%, living standards had fallen and prices were rising. In June there was a strike where people demanded the withdrawal of work norms, reduced costs of living and free elections. In East Berlin originally 90,000 people stroke which turned into 400,000.
Demonstrations were crushed by soviet tanks, many died, 6000 arrested
Khrushchev’s policies
- 1956= secret speech where he denounced stalin as a brutal tyrant. wanted destalinisation, after this statues of stalin were removed and the secret police became less active
- 1955- Austrian State Treaty ended the occupation of Austria and made it independent, troops were withdrawn
- wanted peaceful co-existence, said war with the west was not inevitable
- Soviet withdrawal from Finland allowing free elections
- But the west misunderstood his motives, shown by his crushing of East Berlin, Poland and Czechoslovakia’s uprisings
US foreign policy in the 1950s
Eisenhower - expected to the tough towards communism, Eisenhower’s secretary of State John Dulles wanted to build up the USA’s nuclear weapons for massive retaliation. Also changed from containment to roll back (actively get rid of communism)
Eisenhower’s New Look - proposed the use of nuclear weapons and technology rather than ground troops and bombs to threaten ‘massive retaliation’
/ = reduce military spending which had escalated in Truman’s years
x = left Eisenhower without any other option that nuclear war to combat soviet aggression
CIA missions - 1953 they were afraid the soviet friendly prime minister would cut off oil exports to the United States, CIA operatives convinced military leaders to overthrow him and restore another leader. Damaged US relations.
Eisenhower Doctrine - United States would provide military and economic assistance to Middle Eastern countries in resisting communism
Geneva conference
1955, world leaders met and discussed world trade, the arms race and disarmament. High point of ‘thaw’
Khrushchev visit USA + plane
1959 - Khrushchev visited USA, and US-Soviet relations improved
Eisenhower was meant to visit the Soviet Union soon after however in 1960 the soviet union shot down a U-2 spy plane, Eisenhower claimed he didn’t know about it until the alive pilot was shown
Khrushchev’s attitudes overview
-destalinisation
-met ‘big four’ wartime allies
-visited USA
-withdrew troops from Austria
-helped Suez Crisis
x created warsaw pact
x crushed hungarian uprising
x Cuban missile crisis 1962
x space race esculated
The arms race
1945- USA dropped atomic bomb on hiroshima but they never told USSR about it
1949- USSR exploded first atomic bomb
1952- USA explode hydrogen bomb
1953 - USSR test lithium bomb
1955- usa had first bomber with intercontinental range
1957 - sputnik 11 carrying the dog into space
1958 - usa launched their first satellite
1960 - both superpowers had enough for MAD
1961- ussr put first man into space
1962 - cuban missile crisis
advantages and disadvantages of MAD
- deterrent effect prevented direct confrontation
- they each respected each other’s spheres of influence
-insurance
-Forced negotiations
x both sides competed more to be the best
x potentially more damage
x huge financial strains
x brinkmanship
x tempted to use it
Poland uprising
1956, workers in Pozan rose up demanding freedom from communism, this was violently crushed by tanks.
The uprising in Pozan made people demand more radical ideas, the reformers put foward Gomulka as their new leader, Khrushchev visited Warsaw and tried to force Gomulka to back down but after seeing the strength of the movement he stopped and put G as party leader if he promised to remain within Warsaw pact.
Hungarian uprising
1956
Anti-stalinist communist Nagy became leader of Hungary. the people demanded free press, multi-party democracy, Hungary’s withdrawal from Warsaw pact. Nagy agreed and declared Hungary as neutral, USSR saw this as an act of open revolt
Taks crushed the uprising, 200000 fled
Khrushchev was seen as brutal but USA were powerless to help
Berlin Crisis and building the wally
Walter Ulbricht had been put into power by Stalin.
1949-61 - 2.5 million people had left the GDR, nearly 1/6th of the East German population. Most were young, well trained so it was very bad for their economy.
1958 - Khrushchev issued his ultimatum giving the west 6 months to agree to withdraw from Berlin or the Soviet Union would relinquish its own berlin rights. West rejected it
1959 - Soviet Union withdrew its deadline. Khrushchev visits USA. 144000 fled
1960 - U2 spy plane shot down. about 200,000 people fled
Between Jan-Aug 1961 181000 people fled, 49% under 25
1961 - Border between East and West Berlin closed, trains stopped and a border of barbed wire was put up.
Brandenburg gate was closed, as were all crossing points
Berlin wall was built
consequences of Berlin Wall
- great propaganda image for the West, shows communism as forceful
- reduces tensions as there is a physical barrier so reduces possibility of fighting
- good for west as they dont want to help the East as it could cause another war, and the wall prevents them from helping –> creates a status quo
- bad propaganda from people trying to escape the wall such as Peter Fletcher’s death.
Kennedy visits Berlin Wall
1963
‘ich bin ein Berliner’ at brandenburg gate
