Good notes for The origins of the Cold War and expansions of the Cold War being China and Vietnam. It is a good summary that includes all the details needed. The layout is simple enough for one to adapt it for their own use and style.
- A period of ongoing hostility, just before “hot war”
o (Use of nuclear/ atomic weaponry)
- A term used to describe relations between two superpowers
o USA and USSR
- Opposing views lead to mistrust and competition
- Both want to advance their economic interest, spread their ideologies,
gain allies and weaken their rivals
- Term “cold war” first used by Bernard Baruch
o Close advisor of Truman
USA
- Democratic
- Capitalist
o Economic system where trade and industries are owned and
controlled privately
o Operating best within a democratic political system
- Depicted as “Uncle Sam” or an eagle with stars and strips
USSR
- One-part rule
- Communist
o Based on Marx and Engels theories that emphasizes common
ownership of the means of production and distribution
o Everyone should work for the common benefit according to their
own capacity
o Would receive according to their specific needs
o Private ownership was abolished
Basic characteristics of the cold war
- Economic or money hand outs
o Buying friends, Dollar vs. Ruble
o Propaganda
o Diplomacy
A war of words
o The Arms Race
Then Space Race
, How did World War 2 intensify the Cold War?
Relationship during the war
- “Marriage of convenience”
o Set aside differences to defeat a common enemy
After Nazi’s invaded USSR 1941
Enemy of my enemy is my friend
- USA provides Britain and USSR with weapons and supplies
o Lend-lease system
- There was tension before the end of the war
o Made tributes in public, behind scenes was bickering
Cause of tension
- USSR fought two years before USA opened a 2nd and invaded France
o Stalin saw this as a deliberate weakening
- USA ended Lend-Lease program with the USSR
- Stalin was suspicious over Western secrecy of the atomic bomb
o He was not informed about it
Teheran conference (November 1943)
- Decision that there will be no Anglo-American invasion of Germany
through Balkans
o Left only USSR to clear Eastern Europe of Nazi’s
o Recognized USSR’s supremacy in Eastern Europe
o Limited West’s participation in post war political affairs here
- Made Stalin believe he had a free hand in Eastern Europe
- Convinced him West would accept Soviet rule in these areas
Yalta/ Crimea conference (February 1945)
Decisions made
- Germany will be divided
o No decision as to what system will govern these zones
- Capital City of Berlin, in USSR zone, will be divided
- USSR set up pro-soviet provisional government during the war
o Stalin promised free democratic elections
- “Allied Declaration on Liberated Europe”
o USSR must allow the countries it occupied to hold free elections
o Stalin’s idea of democracy was very different to other allies
- They would join the United Nations
o Aim was to keep peace after war
- USSR agreed to join war against Japan after the war in Europe ended
- Stalin wanted a buffer zone against Germany as she suffered much loss
What did they disagree on?
- No agreement on the scale of German reparations
- Stalin wanted Soviet boarder to move Westward towards Poland
, o And Poland to move West into Germany
Potsdam Conference (July/August 1945)
- A continuation of Yalta
- But the war in Europe was over
o They were to discuss post-war settlements
- Issues discussed were the same
- Discussions highlighted differences between West and East
o Relations even more strained
o Stalin even more uncompromising
o USA and Britain had new leaders
Main discussions
- Details about the four zones were finalized
- Each power could collect reparations from their zones
o Soviet zone was rural so they got additional reparations form
other zones
- Germans in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungry must return to Germany
Disagreements
- Stalin wanted to cripple Germany
- Issues of Reparations
o Stalin wanted compensation for the 20 million lost
o Truman did not want to repeat the mistakes of WW1
- Agreed at Yalta that pro-soviet governments could be set up in East
o Truman was totally opposed to this
Soviet expansion into Eastern Europe
Soviets territorial gains
- Germany attacked Poland in 1933 and occupied a large part of Eastern
Poland as a term of the Non-Aggression Pact
- Europe was concerned with rehabilitation
o USSR made significant territorial advances into Europe
- Having freed much of Europe during the war
o The red army remained and set up communist governments
Poland, Hungry, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Bulgaria and East
Germany
Reasons for the Soviet take over in Eastern Europe
- USSR felt threatened and vulnerable to the West (atomic bomb)
o Used wartime acquired states as a defensive barrier
- The war strained the economy, this is why Stalin wanted reparations
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