Cold War: Key Topic 1 - Communism vs Capitalism US-Soviet Relations- WW2
Reasons for the Cold War - 1 party gov/single party rule
- classless society = everyone equal
- many political parties (democratic elections)
- big differences in wealth (majority have
Before WW2:
- wealth shared equally (fairness)= lower than high/average standard of living) - Oct 1917: Bolsheviks took over Russian gov (faced
average standard of living - some have more power (family, education) opposition = made peace treaty w/G to leave WW1); Britain,
- started: 1945-46 (lasted ~ 4o years) France & USA sent forces to support their opposition BUT in
- rights of workers above individual rights - individual freedoms valued
- USSR vs USA / East vs West / Communism vs Capitalism 1922 the Bolsheviks still won.
- state-owned business (state gets profit) - relaxed censorship & religion tolerated
- carried out through: diplomacy, arms race, proxy war - state keeps close control over radio, press, - anyone free to start business - 1938: Britain & France allowed Hitler to take part of
- key features: spying, propaganda, arms & space race, aid film, art & hostile to religion (own profit)- competition Czechoslovakia near USSR border (Stalin had no say)
- Aug 1939: Nazi-Soviet Pact (USSR & G to split Poland)
Agreements/ TEHRAN, Nov 1943 YALTA, Feb 1945 POTSDAM, July-Aug 1945**
Discussions (Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill) (Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill) (Stalin, Truman, Attlee) During WW2:
POLAND - Should be given land from G. - Return of 1921 border positions (major Truman objected return of 1921 + 1941-45: Britain, USA & USSR formed Grand Alliance
- USSR to keep the land it took in 1939
gains for USSR). borders & wanted to see new gov with + June 1941: G invaded USSR- USA & Britain sent weapons, ships,
(as part of the Nazi-Soviet Pact). - free elections (Stalin- pro-communist; less communist influence. aircraft, food to help resist the invasion
+ 25/4/1945: US & Soviet troops met in Central G to defeat it
Britain- exiled Polish gov). - Britain & USA delayed opening of 2nd front (needed to take
GERMANY - Aim of war is to bring about G’s - G & Berlin to be split into 4 zones - split G into 4 zones (economy run as pressure off USSR on E front) to May 1944- deliberate?
complete surrender. (control: USSR, USA, Britain, France. ) whole). - Stalin wanted control over important military sites in G- Soviet
- Keep it weak after - $20bil reparations (USSR - split Berlin (USSR zone) in 4 zones. troops enter Berlin before US
the war as well. get 1/2) - each country take reparations from
- Ban Nazi Party. own zone (USSR had poorest zone = Atomic Bombing: 6th (Hiroshima) & 9th (Nagasaki) Aug 1945
Tehran 1943 - Prosecute war criminals. Yalta 1945 take ¼ industrial equipment). - Stalin wanted to make USSR more secure- create buffer
JAPAN Stalin would declare war on Japan & Stalin agreed to join the war against zone of pro-communis countries in E Europe
supply troops to USA once war in Europe Japan (3 months after Germany’s defeat) - W European countries felt safer under US protection
- Arms race start- more & newer normal/nuclear weapons
was done. - Removed need for involvement of Soviet troops in Japan
INTERNATIONAL Intl. body should be setup to settle UN would be set up (all could join*) - US created stronger negotiating position with USSR
BODY disputes by discussion & negotiation. *USA & France didn’t allow all 16 Soviet - Soviet scientists working on own bomb (29/8/1949)
Republics to join (only Russia, Ukraine, - These weapons could kill millions & destroy world (eg.
Belarus admitted). 120,000 killed in Japan) = nuclear war less likely
2nd FRONT USA & Britain launch attack on G in W
Europe* (delayed till May 1944). **Changes from Yalta to Potsdam:
*Churchill wanted 2nd front in Balkans - 8/5/1945: Germany surrendered
(USSR can’t take over whole of Eastern Potsdam 1945 - April 1945: Roosevelt died = Truman new US President
Europe) - Churchill lost 1945 general elections = Attlee new PM
- Scientists in USA developed atmoic bomb (tested day before)-
EASTERN Stalin agreed all future govs in E Europe Truman objected USSR’s control over
Truman deliberately delayed conference
EUROPE will be decided in free elections. countries in E Europe that were - June 1945: UN created (51 members)- Britain, France, USA, USSR,
liberated from Nazi rule. China had veto powers
key terms: political ideology, capitalism, communism, superpower, USA, USSR, Soviet Union, Roosevelt, Truman, Churchill, Attlee, Stalin, Tehran Conference 1943, Yalta
Conference 1945, Potsdam Conference 1945, atomic bomb, arms race, MAD theory, satellite state, East vs West, Bolsheviks, Grand Alliance, buffer zone, UN
, Soviet expansionism Cold War: Key Topic 2 - Early Developments, 1945- Long Telegram: 22nd Feb 1946 (George Kennan)
- USSR wanted to: see the destruction of
Causes: 49 capitalism, spread its influence & saw the US as an
enemy (wasn’t self-destructive)
Causes:
- memory of what happened 1918-39: most of Truman Doctrine, 1947 - US suffered least damage in WW2 = best position to give
● containment policy to stop communism
E Europe was against the USSR ● confirmed Truman’s fears
aid to European countries
- %s deal: Churchill agreed to USSR control in E Truman - Czechoslovakia became com. in 1948 = worried the US
Europe (informal agreement w/Stalin) Doctrine, 1947 - Marshall made speech after TD- said every country in Eur.
- strategic importance of Poland: act as buffer
Causes:
- 1947: British gov announced they could no longer so poor it could become communist Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ Speech: 5th Mar 1946
zone from W Europe Events: - Missouri, US; USSR threat to freedom & peace,
help Greek royalists (nearly bankrupt) = US help
- security: invaded by Germany in 1914 & 1941 1) 1948: MP created to provide $$ aid to war-torn countries
Events: wanted to spread its power at all costs & iron
so needed E Europe as buffer zone to stop communism spreading to W Europe
- 12/3/1947: Truman gave speech to US Congress; 2) 1948-52: US gave $13.7bil aid ($3.2 bil to Britain; $2.2 bil curtain between E & W Europe
announced US would give $400 million to Greece & to France; $1.4 bil to W Ger) ● Truman- stronger approach against USSR
Events: Turkey = resist communism (US prepared to send $$ 3) 1952: industrial output in Eur 35% higher than pre-WW2 ● Stalin- speech reflected US views (show
- 1945: communist PM in Romania aid to countries to stop communist spread) & said (money used to buy US goods = US benefits) USSR as aggressive) = increase buffer
left-wing coalition gov won in Bulgaria isolationism must be replaced by containment (good Impacts:
zone & anti-Western propaganda
Tito president of Yugoslavia (anti-Soviet) = democracy & evil = communism) - US set itself in direct opposition to USSR & tied W to
- 1946: Greek Civil War began (communists vs Impacts: support it = political & economical divide in Eur grew (‘warmongers’)
royalists- supported by Britain & later the US) - Greek gov able to defeat com. = more W support - Stalin saw this as evidence of US trying to destroy USSR =
- 1947: royalists won in Greece - rivalry between US & USSR grew- Truman said the increased suspicions of W = set up Comecon (Jan 1949)-
support economic development in member states & Novikov Telegram: 27th Sept 1946 (Nikolai Novikov)
com. abolished monarchy in Romania world was divided as free (non-com) & unfree (com)
discourage trade w/the West - USA wanted to dominate the world & no longer
com. largest party in Hungary - US shifted to containment = more involved in Eur.
com. won ‘free elections’ in Poland - US decided on the Marshall Plan
wanted to cooperate with USSR
- 1948: Feb- com. uprising in Czechoslovakia ● Stalin accepted- increased no. of
- 1949: com. dictator (Rakosi) in Hungary
- Sept 1947: Cominform set up- gave
Stalin way of controlling govs of satellite states
Marshall Plan/Aid, 1948 countries in communist buffer zone
creation of com. E Germany (GDR)
*Yugoslavia & Albania were never occupied by
Causes: Events: Impacts:
(Jun 1948-May 1949)
the Soviet Red Army so they had more
independence than other satellite states - Different views on Germany (West wanted to build 1) 14/6/1948- Berlin Blockade- Stalin shut off - 23/5/1949 (3d after blockade): W Germany (FRG)
1st Berlin Crisis
Germany’s economy. USSR wanted to keep it weak) land routes into Berlin (people in W Berlin created (capital: Bonn)- much larger than E Ger.
Berlin - Bizonia (1947- Stalin saw as provocative/against couldn’t travel outside Berlin & had food for 36 - 14/8/1949: allowed to elect own parliament
Impacts: Crisis 1948- Potsdam) & Trizonia (Mar 1948- USSR quit ACC & days) - 15/9/1949: 1st democratically elected chancellor
- US & Britain saw this as betrayal of 49 Stalin thought West was ganging up on USSR- he 2) 26/6/1948- Berlin Airlift/Operation Vittles- - Oct 1949: East Germany (GDR) created
Yalta agreement (Stalin- ‘free elections’) wanted to unite Ger under com.) Allies flew supplies (1,000 tonnes/day) for 11 - Apr 1949: NATO created (formal military alliance by
- Truman saw this as Stalin’s aggression (W - Currency- Deutschmark created in June 1948 (give months (eg. Jan 1949- 170,000 tonnes = cost West to protect themselves from USSR- if one
European takeover next?) Trizonia economic unity separate from USSR)- the US $350 mil)- ⅔ of goods was coal (USSR member attacked all help = US could place weapons
- US more determined to containment policy blockade set up next day shut off electricity) & sent 2.3 mil tonnes of in member states)
through military & economic assistance - Marshall Plan- Trizonia included = goods total - 1952: Greece & Turkey joined
- USSR said the US’s response was unreasona- big difference to USSR zone 3) 12/5/1949- Blockade lifted = prevent war - May 1955: W Ger joined (rearm & allow airforce)
ble/unnecessary - needed E Eur. as buffer zone (Stalin didn’t want capitalist influence) (Allies responded peacefully to aggressive USSR) - May 1955: Warsaw Pact (com. military alliance)
key terms: satellite state, Soviet Expansionism, Long Telegram, Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ Speech, Novikov Telegram, embassy, Truman Doctrine 1947, Marshall Plan/Aid 1948,
isolationism, containment, dollar imperialism, Bizonia, Trizonia, Deutschmark, 1st Berlin Crisis 1948-49, Berlin Blockade, Berlin Airlift/Operation Vittles, East Germany (GDR), West
Germany (FDR), NATO, Warsaw Pact
