Yellow Flashcards
When were Poland taken over by the USSR?
1947
When were Hungary taken over by the USSR?
1948
How was Poland taken over by USSR?
USSR feared that a non-communist government would be elected so they arrested @6 non-communist politicians in Moscow
How was Romania taken over by USSR?
Monarchy was abolished and communists were elected
How was Czechoslovakia taken over by USSR?
Communists purged non-communists from the government.
How was Bulgaria taken over by USSR?
Monarchy was abolished and communist government was elected
How was Hungary taken over by USSR?
Communists took control of the police to eradicate opponents
When was Kennan’s Long Telegram produced?
1946
What did Kennan’s Long Telegram discuss?
How the USSR could not peacefully coexist with the West
What did George Kennan believe?
- the collapse of East-West relations was because the USSR wanted to demonise the West
- Stalin wanted to replace the fear of Germany and Japan with the fear of Britain and the USA
- the USA should adopt a hardline against the USSR
When was the Berlin Blockade?
1948-49
What were the causes of the Berlin Blockade?
- creation of Bizonia and Trizonia
- introduction of Deutschmark to help economic recovery in West Germany
- the US proposed an economic reform to help German industry but the Soviets believed that it would give the US more infleunce so they rejected
What happened at the Berlin Blockade?
Stalin blockaded all around West Berlin and blocked all road and rail links to western zones and West Berlin which stopped supplies getting in and people getting out
What was the significance of the Berlin Blockade?
- failure was embarassing for the USSR
- caused the creation of NATO
- caused the division of Germany
- proved that the west were willing to stand up to USSR in a peaceful manner
- proved that neither side were willing to risk a nuclear war
What was the Western response to the Berlin Blockade?
- organised airlifts which brought supplies into Berlin (by 1949 - 2.3 million tons)
- neither side could have used force as it would have been seen as an act of war
When was Bizonia created?
1947
Why was Bizonia created?
To help the the British and US zones economically as the Soviet reparations were not allowing German recovery
Why did Germany divide?
After the Berlin Blockade, Western allies wanted to move away from the soviets and communism
When did Germany divide?
1949
What was the purpose of the House of Unamerican Activities?
To investigate any communist infiltrators in US society
What was McCarthyism?
A growing sense that communists were everywhere - particularly within the US government
Who was Alger Hiss?
An American official accused of having spied for the USSR which heightened McCarthyism
Who was Senator McCarthy?
The man who started the idea of McCarthyism as he claimed that there were many communists inside the US government who were influencing decisions
Why was there panic about the Cold War in 1950?
- China had become communist and formed an alliance with the USSR
- USSR had successfully tested nuclear weapons (which ended the US’ nuclear monopoly)
- Stalin had been able to consolidate his power in Eastern Europe
When was McCarthyism rife in the US?
Early 1950s
What policies of Truman’s did Eisenhower accept?
- USA must retain influence over Western Europe and in Asia
- Soviet threat was significant and real (containment was fundamental to US security interests)
- USA must retain a strong nuclear arsenal and conventional forces to deter and counter soviet opportunism
What policies of Truman’s did Eisenhower reject?
- containment was not effective as the basis of US foreign policy
- commitment to major expansion of US conventional forces (regardless of the cost)
Impact of Eisenhower’s New Look Policy
Ended the static position of the US which was created by Truman
What were the two strategies of Eisenhower’s New Look Policy?
Brinkmanship and Massive Retaliation
When was massive retaliation introduced?
1954
What was massive retalitation?
An emphasis and reliance on nuclear weapons - to retaliate in much greater force in the event of an attack
Why was massive retaliation introduced?
It was the most cost-effective method of guaranteeing the USA security and winning the Cold War
How did the NSC 162/2 impact Eisenhower’s New Look Policy?
It stated that the most effective way to deter aggression was to forcefully display determination to use nuclear weapons - which is why they used massive retaliation
What was Brinkmanship?
Using the USA’s nuclear arsenal as a diplomatic tool to force agreements from communist opponents even to the point where a nuclear war may break out
Who’s idea was brinkmanship?
John Foster Dulles’
When were the risings in Hungary and Poland?
1956
What was the rising in Poland?
Workers were on strike to protest about wage cuts and poor working conditions.
Why were there risings in Poland?
- Edward Ochab was nominated to implement destalinisation and so many Poles began to demand political freedom
- Gomulka was elected first secretary of the Polish Communist Party (threat to communist rule)
Impacts of the risings in Poland
- many Poles began to support Gomulka as he had ‘preserved a Polish path to socialism’
- 60 killed, over 200 wounded
What was the rising in Hungary?
Students in Budapest had a demonstration where they listed 16 demands and then workers groups joined and seized power from the communist local authorities.
Examples of the 16 demands of the students in Hungary
- appointment of Imre Nagy as PM
- withdrawal of Soviet troops
- freedom of speech
- multi-party elections
Impacts of the rising in Hungary
- lack of intervention from the west confirmed that Eastern Europe was back in the USSR’s control
- UN demoted the riots to a ‘debating issue’ which showed that they were not getting involved in Eastern Europe
- showed the need for social and political reform in Eastern Europe
- Nagy was appointed PM
- Troops were withdrawn
When did the USSR issue an ultimatum?
1958
What was the USSR’s Berlin Ultimatum?
- Western troops had to be removed from West Berlin
- Berlin was to be declared a free city
- If the west were unable to negotiate a suitable settlement, the USSR would negotiate a separate treaty with the GDR