Revision notes on the Cold War History Higher IB- personally I found this to be the hardest part of History Higher therefore these extensive notes should be able to help anyone who is also struggling with understanding this part of history.
Origins of cold war
Tension between east and west
Two Rival ideologies
The West The USSR
Economic differences: Economic differences:
Individuals should be able to compete with each other Capitalism crates divisions between rich and poor. Thus all
with a minimum of state interference and make as much businesses and farms should be owned by the state on behalf
money as they wish. This is known as Capitalism. of the people. This is communism.
Individuals are thus encouraged to work hard by the
Goods will be distributed to individuals by the state.
promise of individual reward.
Everyone will thus get what is needed and everyone will be
working for the collective good.
Political differences: Political differences:
Individuals choose government through voting. There is a There is no need for a range of political parties, as the
range of political parties to choose from. Communist Party truly represents the views of all the workers
and rules on behalf of the people.
Individuals have certain rights, such as freedom of speech
and freedom of the press. Individual freedoms valued by the west are not necessary.
This is known as liberal democracy. This is a one- party state.
The Russian Civil War 1917
● The Russian Civil War was fought between the Bolsheviks (supporters of communism), under the name of the Reds, led by
Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin and the Whites (supporters of democracy.)
● The West was fearful that Russia would become communism, and thus, they sent in aid to the Whites.
● In Britain, Winston Churchill urged the Cabinet to send aid to the Whites and they did. Likewise, with Roosevelt and the
American Congress.
● Analysis: it can be argued, therefore, that the stems of the Cold War originated in the Russian Civil War. Joseph Stalin was
already under suspicion of the West and their attempts to eradicate communism. It can be argued that these actions by the
West planted the seeds for the origins of conflict later on in the future.
● Evaluation: The West should not have sent in troops to help the Whites, as they already were under serious disadvantage
with the Reds having control of the government beforehand. Other nations were also helping the Whites, and they could
have just let them deal with their own problems. By doing so, the USSR and the West may have had a more constructive
and better relationship and they could have avoided the Cold War.
What was the Cold War?
, ● The Cold War is a term used to describe periods of hostility and high tension between states that stops just short of war.
● The USA and the USSR had emerged as the two competing superpowers following the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. The
rapid escalation of nuclear armament by both of these countries made the results on any possible direct conflict
unthinkable.
● 45 years of ideological conflict, a conventional and nuclear arms race and wears thought by proxy on battle fields fought in
Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Grand Alliance 1941
An alliance created between the USA, GB and the USSR to defeat the common enemy that was Hitler. It was a’ marriage of
convenience’ between communists and capitalists. Once Hitler was defeated the Alliance became uneasy. Between 1943 and 1945,
the leaders of the Grand Alliance met at three international conferences: Teheran, Yalta and Potsdam
Why did the superpowers distrust each other?
Differences in ideology were at the heart of the West’s distrust of the USSR.
● Communism threatened the basic freedoms valued by the West: the rights to own property, religion, freedom of speech
etc.
● Western leaders knew that Stalin was a cruel dictator; hardly any better than the dicator that they have just defeated:
Hitler.
● The USSR had been attacked previously, Germany had invaded Russia in 1914, in 1918, and Allied forces had invaded Russia
during the Civil War Hitler had invaded in 1941. Stalin believed it was essential to have friendly countries on his border to
prevent this happening again.
● Stalin did not trust the West. The West had been appeased Hitler in the 1930s - Stalin believed they had wanted Hitler to
destroy communism. The West was also slow to open a Second Front during the Second World War to help the Russians
fight Hitler.
Stalin was convinced that the west wanted to see the Soviet Union destroyed.
Teheran Conference 1943
● At Teheran, Churchil, Roosavelt and Stalin discussed the main issues of concern that were the basis of the decisions made at
the later conferences.
● They discussed post war activities and hopes.
Main agreements:
● Stalin would declare war against Japan and help the USA to defeat them once the war in Europe was over.
● Agreed that the aim of the war was Germany’s unconditional surrender, and that it should be kept weak after the war.
● Poland could take land from Germany, and the USSR could keep land it had taken from Poland in 1939.
● An international organisation should be set up to settle disputes through discussion and negotiation (later became the
United Nations).
● The USA and Britain would attack Germany in Western Europe, helping the Soviets fighting in the East
However;
● Lacked clear resolutions and commitments of Yalta and Potsdam.
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