Summary
Summary Key Facts For the Transformation of the Soviet State
- Module
- Revolution and Dictatorship
- Institution
- AQA
Key facts for the Transformation of the Soviet State
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
The transformation of the Soviet Union’s international position: the emergence of a ‘superpower’;the formation of a soviet bloc; conflict with USA and the capitalist West; the death of Stalin and
Stalin’s legacy at home and abroad
-7.5 million well-equipment soldiers
-The USSR had developed an atomic bomb by August 1949
-Between 1945 and 1948, the Soviet Union consolidated its dominance over East Germany and the states
of East Central Europe. In 1948, Communist coup in Czechoslovakia
-‘Salami tactics’ enabled pro-soviet governments to control Hungary (1947) and Czechoslovakia (1948)
-The Baltic States and Eastern Poland were occupied by the USSR under the terms of the Nazi-Soviet pact
-Communists under Tito gained control over Yugoslavia
-Tehan (1943) showed key ideological differences between the Grand Alliance of the ‘Big Three’, Yalta
(1945) dominated by conflicting ideas about Poland and Germany post-war borders; Potsdam (1945)
leadership change highlighted West-East tensions (e.g Truman remarked that he was ‘tired of babying the
Soviets’). Especially as, just before the conference began, the US just test launched their atomic bomb- a
clear demonstration of hard power. Disagreements over reparations
-August 1945, Hiroshima and Nagasaki
-‘The Long Telegram’ by US diplomat Kennan in 1946 urged the US to contain communist expansionism
-USSR responded with Novikov telegram in 1946 warning of US hegemony
-Churchill gave a speech in 1946 warning of an ‘iron curtain’ descending upon Europe, advising that
‘strength’ was needed to deal with the USSR. Churchill spoke of ‘communist fifth columns’ which increased
suspicion of communism and led to the ‘red scare’ in US
-Stalin responded by calling Churchill a ‘warmonger’
-By 1947, Western Europe was plagued by economic decline and political instability with strong communist
parties in Italy and France, with up to 2 million party members
-March 1947 announced the Truman Doctrine, committing the US to a policy of containment
-A month later, the Marshall Plan was announced (over $12 billion) and received a hostile Soviet response,
with Stalin calling it ‘Dollar imperialism’. It acted as US power propaganda
-The USSR responded with the Molotov aid to keep Eastern bloc countries on side
-1948 NATO formation against Soviet threat to the west. The USSR made their own defensive alliance with
the Warsaw Pact in 1955
- The original agreement on the partition of Germany ended up slowly centralising with the US, France and
the UK forming the ‘trizone’ which led to the creation of the West German state.
-The Allies then introduced the, much more stable, Deutsch mark currency, which they didn’t inform the
soviets of. This along with the Allied Control Council increasingly excluding the soviets led to increased
tension
-The Berlin Blockade (1948-1949) blocked road and rail routes, meaning 12,000 tonnes of food and coal
couldn’t transport from west to east, which previously kept east germany alive. 318 days long.
-Launch of the Berlin airlift created jobs for Berliners, lasted 11 months. Berlin needed 2,000 tonnes of
supplies to keep citizens alive.
-USSR created their own atomic bomb in 1949.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller lilyedgcumbe. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £6.79. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
70055 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now