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Summary An analysis of Cold War AQA history
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a detailed analysis of the cold war based upon the criteria of the 2022 exams. Involves statistics, profiles, dates, evidence and facts
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History - Paper Two: Cold WarSection 1:
Tension at Yalta (4th to 11th of February 1945): On the 4th of February 1945, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill met
in the Crimerean city of Yalta to publicly introduce the Grand Alliance. The Conference was somewhat publicly
manipulated by the three leaders who used the event to create the belief that the alliance was functioning and
cooperative (evident in the multiple pictures taken from the conference which present the three leaders as laughing
and smiling.) However, in actuality, the three leaders did conflict despite having some agreements.
1. Germany and Berlin would be divided into four zones occupied by the US, UK, France and the
USSR.
2. The United Nations would be formally ratified.
3. The USSR would receive land from Poland which would be expanded through the north and west.
4. The Declaration of Liberated Europe would be introduced.
Roosevelt and Churchill Stalin
The establishment of a collective security which would The USSR was to be in control of their own destiny
be represented through the United Nations. through expansionism.
Long term alliance with the USSR. Cooperation with the Anglo Americans.
The abolishment of spheres of influence. Security through spheres of influence.
The reestablishment of Germany as a democracy. The maintenance of Germany’s weakness.
Construction of a world bank. Economic reconstruction through reparations.
Stalin Roosevelt Churchill
The Second World War had a Roosevelt was willing to negotiate Churchill was aware of Stalin’s
devastating effect on the Soviet with Stalin to maintain his position intention of expansionism across
Union with an estimated 23 million as an ally in a postwar Capitalist postwar Europe. In April 1944,
soldiers dying, whilst the US only society. Although he did not agree Churchill wrote to Prime Minister
lost close to 405,000. The country with Stalin, he equally did not want Anthony Eden stating “I have tried
was physically destroyed as well as to create hostility, this cooperation in every way to put myself in
agriculture and industry. Stalin’s he was nevertheless mocked for, sympathy with these communist
priorities revolved around the however when considering Truman, leaders. I cannot feel the slightest
assurance that Eastern Europe was fundamental in the maintenance trust or confidence in them. Force
would remain a Soviet sphere of of peace. Roosevelt’s capability to and facts are their only realities.”
influence and that in the future, cooperate with Stalin was successful Due to the threat that Soviet
Germany would become a as it appeared friendly and did not expansion would have on British
Communist state. Stalin believed underestimate the power of the industrialism, Churchill knew in
that to achieve this, the country USSR, therefore encouraging order to create security for the UK,
would need to remain economically hostility. Nevertheless his actions he would need to maintain a close
weak to maintain its vulnerability suggest a naivety for his neglect of relationship with the US.
and therefore lack of threat. For the security of Eastern Europe. Churchill equally wanted to create
where Roosevelt may be considered Arguably, the death of Roosevelt protection for Poland who were the
as “naive”, Stalin was arguably symbolically represented the death reason Britain had joined the War in
“ambitious.” He equally had an of the alliance. He wanted the four the first place and whose
interest in Poland, which had been a leading countries to work as government was exiled in London.
threat in the USSR’s history. ‘policemen’ who maintained world It is suggestable whether his distaste
peace was apparent.
Tensions at Potsdam (July 17th to August 1st 1945): The war in Europe ended in May 1945 following Hitler’s
suicide on April 30th. On April 20th, Roosevelt died and Potsdam marked the meeting of the Grand Alliance with the
introduction of Truman. 9 days into the conference, Winston Churchill lost the General Election and was replaced
with Labour Prime Minister, Clement Attlee. The Potsdam Conference marked the last ever public meeting of the
,Grand Alliance prior to the beginning of tension in 1946 (Iron Curtain Speech and Long Telegraph.) Unlike
Roosevelt, Truman was much more suspicious of the USSR’s behavior particularly in their ideas of expansionism, and
as a result, Truman told Stalin of the first successful testing of the atomic bomb which occured on the 16th of July.
Truman knew that this knowledge would benefit him as it emphasised his global superiority due to his ownership of
atomic weapons, and he believed this would create an advantage for him in negotiations. The knowledge of the atomic
bomb almost metaphorically suggested that the USSR needed to stay in line or they be subjected to the effects of the
bomb. Unknown to Truman, Stalin was aware of the existance of the atomic bomb due to Soviet spies involvement in
the Manhatten Project which had began in 1942, however he used Truman’s confession as being almost justification
for the USSR’s hostility by suggesting the US had used the weapon as a form of threat.
1. Germany was to be disarmed and demilitarised.
2. Germany would be denazified with public trials occurring and a reformation of the education
system.
3. Freedom of speech and press was to be restored and religious tolerance introduced.
4. Germany was to become a single economic unit.
5. The USSR was to receive reparations from East Germany and 25% from the US, French and UK
zones.
Stalin Truman Attlee
By Potsdam, Stalin was aware of the Similarly to Roosevelt, Truman As a result of Soviet expansionism,
potential threat of the US in boths wanted a postwar world based on Churchill had modified Britain’s
desires to dominate Europe. This is national self interest and an open foreign policy to focus upon a clear
evident when considering the trading system based on anti Communist stance. Although
continued presence of the Red Army international economic cooperation. Attlee agreed with the agreements
in Eastern Europe and the Equally, he also agreed to the idea made at Potsdam, he nevertheless
installation of pro-soviet regimes in of a Capitalist world bank financed did not necessarily agree with the
liberated states. Although Stalin had by the US which would minimise total weakening of Germany
agreed with the proposals for the possibility of another Great (similarly to Truman when
Germany, he was aware of the Depression. This would also enable considering how in 1946, General
alterations which he was willing to the US’s geostrategic interests to be Lucius Clay announced that
make within the future to enable financially protected by the Germany would no longer pay
Soviet influence. Stalin saw the territorial expansion of the US reparations. Similarly, he was
proposals of Truman at Potsdam as which typically targeted concerned with the lack of a long
being both threatening and hostile, economically vulnerable countries. term plan for Germany as a whole,
suggestedly, he used this to his Truman’s behaviour quickly something which became an urgent
advantage to appear as being a established him as being requirement in Stalin’s failure to
victim to capitalist ideology. confrontational rather than implement the proposals made at
cooperative, something which he Yalta onto Poland through the
evidently justified through the US’s Declaration on Liberated Europe.
ownership of nuclear weapons.
- Developing tensions in Europe:
Poland Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary Czechoslovakia
In 1939, Stalin’s Lubin Government In Romania, Communism was Unlike most of Eastern Europe,
overthrew the popular due to its differentiation Czechoslovakia’s population was
‘government-in-exile.’ Following from the pre-war regime and had primarily made up of the working
the agreement for free elections at been captured by the Red Army in class. Towards the end of the war,
Yalta in 1945, Stalin established the 1940. In Bulgaria, Stalin gradually Czechoslovakia's communist party
Provisional Government of National gained control through the gained likeability as they gave land
Unity which contained parties from manipulation of elections and the to rural peasants. Gottwald was
both ends of the spectrum. Although forced removal of opponents. elected Prime Minister, however in
he appeared to be allowing free However, the Agrarian Party still 1947, he accepted the West’s
multi-party elections, they were maintained its popularity winning economic Marshall Plan aid.
nevertheless rigged to maintain over 20% of the popular vote in Similarly, other non-communist
communism. Although Poland was October 1946, as a result its leader parties were also growing in
primarily Communist, the likes of Petkov was executed and his party prominence. However in 1948,
, deputy prime minister Gomulka forcibly absorbed. In April 1947, members of the government who
were anti-Moscow, believing that Stalin banned the existence of all was anti-communist began to resign
Poland had fought for its own other political parties. following fear for their lives, this as
liberation and should therefore have In Hungary, communists allied with a result enabled the creation of a
the right to choose their own future other political groups to challenge new right-wing group to be
independently. In 1948, he was the power of the Smallholders Party. established with former president,
replaced by Bierut. Political opponents were executed Edvard Benes supporting the group,
and elections manipulated. however, a small time later, Benes
However, similarly to Poland, resigned as a result of declining
Hungarians were not loyal to health, which allowed Communists
Moscow - evident in the close full political control.
alliance which Rajk (leader of
Hungary) established with the
non-soviet regime Yugoslavia. As a
result, Rajk was executed in 1949
and all other political parties were
removed.
Kennan’s long telegram (February 22nd 1946): On the 22nd of February 1946, George Kennan, the second highest
ranking officer) in the US embassy for Moscow, sent the ‘long telegram’ to the US State Department based in
Washington D.C. Kennan had been openly critical of the US’s foreign policy towards the Soviet Union, believing that
it was not threatening enough. Before Yalta, Kennan had supported the idea of splitting Europe into spheres of
influence which Communist influence could not cross without directly threatening the US. Kennan believed that
Communism was a threat to the Capitalist concept of the free world.
1. “To undermine the general political and strategic potential of major Western powers.”
2. “Efforts will be made to weaken the power and influence of Western powers over colonial,
backward, or dependent peoples.”
3. “Everything will be done to set Western powers against one another.”
Kennan emphasises that the Soviet Union viewed the West as being hostile and menacing to the functioning
of Communism and its expansion. He argued that the USA must be prepared to threaten the use of war and
to ensure unity amongst allies. He also encouraged the US to become more active in Europe, something
which as a result would encourage the Truman Doctrine (1947) and the Marshall Plan (1948.) He believed
that socialist expansionism needed to be contained. His telegram concluded by stating that the Soviet foreign
policy was “aggressive” and “ideologically driven” an idea which suggested that the Soviets were not just a
threat to Western Capitalist values, but also a threat to the US’s security. In September 1946, the Soviet
Ambassador in Washington, Nikolai Novikov concluded that the US’s foreign policy orientated around
“economic imperialism” and that the US intended to use the financial vulnerability of poorer countries to
create financial dependency which would give the US political influence.
Iron Curtain Speech (6th March 1946): Although no longer Prime Minister, Winston Churchill nevertheless
embodied the voice of Capitalism as a result of Yalta and Potsdam in 1945. His Iron Curtain Speech ideologically
attacked the Soviet Union’s foreign policy of expansionism which created a curtain separating Eastern and Western
Europe. Stalin interpreted the speech as being hostile towards the Soviet’s desire for security following a past of a
notorious invasion which he spoke candidly about 10 days later to Soviet newspaper Pravda. Unlike Churchill, Stalin
referred to Soviet expansionism as being “peaceful aspirations.” As a response to the speech, Foreign Minister
Molotov accused the USA of being an imperialistic power and effectively abandoned the Declaration on Liberated
Europe agreed at Yalta. “The population around them lie in what I must call the Soviet Sphere, and all are subject in
one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a high measure of control from Moscow. I do not believe that
the Soviet Union desires war. What they desire is the fruits of war and the indefinite expansion of their powers and
doctrines.” Many historians believe that Truman asked Churchill to perform the speech as a representative to the US’s
interests without encouraging direct hostility with the Soviet Union as the speech was performed in Truman’s
hometown of Lamar, Missouri and the speech was approved by Truman the night before during a train ride between
both politicians.
The Greek Civil War and Truman Doctrine: By September 1946, the emergence of the Cold War appeared to be
inevitable following both the Iron Curtain Speech and the Long Telegram. Through the use of the Truman Doctrine,
the US intended to use their financial imperialism through the use of their foreign policy. Prior to the Civil War, Stalin
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