Beginnings of the Cold War – Flashcards

-millions of lives lost on all sides -bombing had destroyed houses, factories, shops and entire cities -by 1945 there were millions of sick, hungry and homeless refugees throughout Europe and the rest of the world -rise of superpowers. Before war there were many countries that could claim to be great superpowers eg USA, USSR, Britain, France, Germany, Japan. By 1945, military strength of USA and USSR put them in league of their own. Other countries were not rich or strong enough to exercise real international leadership. -unlike before the war, Roosevelt opposed isolationism.

A right-wing system of government generally lead by a single strong leader or dictator who uses physical force and intimidation to maintain control and power. (Nazi party and Hitler)

A set of beliefs and characteristics. Communism and Capitalism were conflicting ideologies and their economic systems were strongly opposed to one another.

-democratic system of government. The President and Congress (equivalent to our parliament) of the USA were chosen in free democratic elections -a capitalist economy. Business and property were privately owned. Individuals could make profits in businesses or move jobs if they wished. -although world's wealthiest country, under capitalism there were always great contrast between the rich and the poor. -believed in the freedom of the individual.

Withdrawing from international politics and policies. A policy the USA followed in the 1920s and 1930s. However, now faced by Communism extending into Eastern Europe, the US government was prepared to help and support people and countries that wanted to become democracies. This was seems as simply the defence of people's freedoms against a system they did not want.

-communist state under Stalin's dictatorship. Governed by Stalin and committees of the Communist Party. -People could vote in elections for the Supreme Soviet (equivalent to British parliament) but could only vote for members of the communist party. Supreme Soviet had no real power (only met two weeks a year) -people's lives closely controlled. The rights of individuals seen as less important than the good of society as a whole -planned economy. Government owned all industry and planned what every factory would produce. -standard of living much lower than USA but there was not the extremes of wealth and poverty.

Feb 1945 (it was clear that Germany was losing WW1so the Allied leaders met at Yalta in Ukraine to plan what would happen to Europe after Germany's defeat.

The Big Three: Stalin (USSR), Roosevelt ( USA) and Churchill ( Britain)

To discuss the challenges that peace and the defeat of Germany would bring: -what to do with Germany and it's leaders once Germany had surrendered -what was to happen to the occupied countries after they had been liberated, especially those in Eastern Europe -how to bring the war with Japan to a spray end -how to create and maintain a peace that would last

-Stalin agreed to enter war against Japan once Germany had surrendered in return for territory in Manchuria and Sakhalin Island -Germany would be divided into 4 zones: American, French, British & Soviet (Berlin the Capital was deep in the Soviet zone, so it was agreed that Berlin itself would be divided into 4 zones -They would hunt down and punish war criminals responsible for genocide -Countries liberated from the occupation of German army would have free elections to chose gov they wanted -joined the new United Nations Organisation that aimed to keep peace after the war -Eastern Europe would be a 'Soviet sphere of influence' as Stalin was concerned about future security of the USSR

Unlike the USA, the USSR had been attacked many times in the past. Stalin was determined that this would never happen again. In his view, the USSR was only safe of the countries around it were controlled by Communist governments. He believed that if he did not them up, the USA would set up hostile countries on his borders

An estimated 20 million

Poland. Stalin wanted border of USSR to move westwards into Poland, and Poland in then could move it's border westwards in Germany. Churchill did not approve, but knew he could do nothing about it because Stalin's Red Army were in control of Poland and East Germany. Roosevelt also unhappy but Churchill persuaded him to accept it as long as the USSR agreed not to interfere in Greece (where the British were attempting to to prevent Communist takeover)

The war against Hitler had United Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill (they had a common enemy) and at Yalta they appeared to get on well. Although they were not all able to agree, they were still able to negotiate and do business with one another.

May 1945. Allied troops reached Berlin. Hitler committed suicide. Germany surrendered. The war in Europe was won.

July 1945. A second conference for the Allied leaders was arranged in the Berlin Suburb of Potsdam.

-change of leaders. Roosevelt died suddenly in April 1945 and was succeeded by Vice President Harry Truman. He was much more anti-communist than Roosevelt and very suspicious of Stalin's intentions. He saw soviet actions on Eastern Europe as preparations for a soviet takeover of the rest of Europe. During the conference, there was a general election in Britain and Clement Attlee replaced Churchill as Prime Minister. He was much weaker than the other two leaders. -when the war ended, Britain and the USA immediately began to reduce their forces in Europe but the Soviets, who occupied most of eastern Europe, did not. Soviet troops had liberated country after country in eastern Europe, after advancing through large areas of eastern Europe whilst driving back the Germans, but instead of withdrawing his troops Stalin had left them there. Refugees were fleeing out to escape a communist takeover. Stalin set up a communist government in Poland ignoring British and American protests the wishes of the majority of the Polish people, saying that he needed to protect the USSR's borders. -The atom bomb. Truman informed Stalin that he had successfully tested an atomic bomb at a desert site in the USA. He was about to use it against Japan. -the factors that had made the leaders friends had disappeared. They had no common enemy and no reason to work together any longer.

-the Nazi party was to be banned and it's leaders tried as war criminals -the Oder-Neisse line (2 rivers) was to form part of the future border between Poland and Germany

-Germany: Stalin wanted to cripple Germany completely to protect the USSR from future threat. Truman did not want to repeat the mistake of the T of V. -Reparations: Stalin wanted a lot of compensation from Germany as the Soviet Union had been devastated from the war. He wanted to take more reparations from Germany than Britain and USA, who did not want to cripple Germany and repeat the mistakes made at the end of WW1. Stalin was suspicious as to why they wanted to protect Germany and even help it recover. -Britain and the USA denied Stalin a naval base in the Mediterranean. Stalin saw this as evidence they mistrusted him. -Truman and Attlee disagreed with Stalin's communist governments in Eastern Europe. They were suspicious of his motives.

-clear signals that Stalin did not trust Truman and Attlee and that they did not trust him. -In the absence of Churchill, the conference was dominated by rivalry and suspicion between Stalin and Truman. -A number of issues arose on which neither side seemed to appreciate the other's point of view.

Hungary,Poland, Romania,Bulgaria, Albania. Stalin was carrying out his policy to ensure he had friendly governments on his doorstep. However to the British and Americans, he seemed to be building up a Communist empire. Opponents of the communists had been beaten (rigged elections), murdered or frightened into submission.

March 1946. In a speech the former Prime Minister Winston Churchill claimed that and 'Iron Curtain' had descended across Europe, separating the democratic nations of the West from the Communist controlled states of Eastern Europe. The Iron Curtain refers to the border between Soviet-controlled countries and the West.

Political hostility between countries that stops short of actual armed conflict. A term first used by one of President Truman's advisers in 1947.

The two sides increased their stock of weapons, which you would not normally expect after a war.

Where each side takes every opportunity to denounce the policies or plans of the other.

May 1948

To help him keep a tight grip on his neighbours. These countries became known as satellite states because their governments and economies relied so heavily on the USSR.

Imprisoned anyone who opposed Communist Rule, or might oppose it at a later date.

Set up by Stalin in October 1947. (In response to Marshal Aid). It coordinated the work of the com parties of Eastern Europe. It regularly brought the leaders of each Com party Moscow to be briefed by Stalin/his ministers. He spotted independent-minded leaders and replaced them with loyal people. Helped tighten his control over Eastern Europe because it restricted their contact with the West.

Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia. (Was not prepared to accept Stalin's leadership and split with Moscow (was expelled in 1948) so Yugoslavia remained Communist but was cut off from any USSR support)

Set up by Stalin in 1949 to coordinate the production and trade of the Eastern European countries. However Comecon favoured the USSR far more than any other members.

Greece and Czechoslovakia

1944, Germans retreated-two rival groups who had been involved in the resistance of the Nazis, both wanted to rule the country. They were the Monarchists and the Communists. Churchill sent British troops to suposedly restore order and supervise free elections. They actually supported the Monarchists and the king returned to power. The communists tried to take control of Greece in 1946. A civil war developed which the British troops could not afford so in 1947 they withdrew their troops. The Amercians payed (Truman) for British troops to stay , under the foreign policy of the Truman Doctrine, providing arms and money. The coms were eventually defeated in 1949 and by 1950 the Royalists were in control of Greece.

1947. Events in Greece convinced Truman that unless he acted, Communism would continue to spread. Under the Truman Doctrine, the USA provided military and economic aid and advice to any country which was, in the American view, threatened by communism. Under the Truman Doctrine, the USA helped Turkey as well as Greece.

A foreign policy aimed at containing the political influence or military power of another country. The US policy to stop the spread of communism.

1947. Truman believed that poverty and hardship provided a breeding ground for Communism. He sent Secretary of State, George Marshal to assess the economic state of Europe. Be found a ruined economy. Shortages of all good. Still bread rationing. He came up with a recovery programme-Marshal Plan/Aid. He suggested that around £17 billion would be needed to rebuild Europe's prosperity.

-stop the spread of communism (Truman did not admit this at the time). -make Europe prosperous again. Help economies of Europe to recover. -to provide a market for American exports (it was important for American businesses to have trading partners in the future)

-only 16 countries accepted it. They were all western countries. -Stalin banned Eastern European countries from accepting it. He believed that the anti-communist aims behind Marshal Aid would weaken his hold on Eastern Europe. He also thought that the USA was trying to dominate as many states as possible by making them dependant on dollars

Was not fully part of Stalin's 'Eastern bloc' of countries. Communists were not fully in control (ruled by a coalition government which, although included communists, was trying to stay independent of Moscow). In 1948, elections were due and it seemed that the communists would do badly. March 1948-communist marches and protests. Anti-soviet leaders purged, non-communist ministers resigned. One pro-American minister, Jan Masaryk, was found dead below his open window. May 1948-elections took place but only Communists were allowed to stand- country now fully part of 'Eastern bloc'. Historians believe that Stalin was behind the takeover in Czechoslovakia. -The east and west were now completely divided. Czechoslovakia had been a link between them.

The congress accepted the Marshal Plan and made £17 billion available over a period of 4 years. (Previously they had refused to grant the money, concerned about the amount of money and America's involvement in foreign affairs.)

The Berlin Blockade 1948. The two sides came dangerously close to war.

After the war, their zones were in economic chaos. Stalin feared a recovering Germany and wanted to keep it crippled but the Allies knew that Germany could not feed it's people if it was not allowed to rebuild it's industries. They were wary of rebuilding Germany too quickly, but combined their zones in 1946. With the help of Marshal Aid, East Germany began to recover and prosper.

1948

It seemed that the Allies were building up West Germany in order to attack him. He could not do anything about the reorganisation of the western zones or the new currency, but in June 1948, Soviet troops set up road and rail blocks to prevent any good reaching Berlin from the west. He cut off the 2 million population of West Berlin from Western help. He hoped it would force the Allies out of Berlin. If US tanks did try to ram the road or railway blocks, it would be seen as an act of war.

They flew in supplies by air. (The Berlin Airlift). For the next 10 months, West Berlin was supplied by aeroplanes. One plane landed every 3 minutes day and night. However there were enormous shortages and many Berliners left the city altogether.

May 1949. It was clear that the blockade would not make the western Allies give up Berlin.

-Germany was firmly divided into two nations. West Germany and East Germany. It stayed divided for 41 years and became a symbol of Cold War tensions -it had shown that the USA and the USSR were not prepared to go to war with each other- the effects of actual conflict and nuclear weapons would leave them in ruins.

the Federal Republic of Germany.

the German Democratic Republic. (GDR)

April 1949, at the height of the Berlin Blockade crisis. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation).

At the height of the Berlin Blockade Crisis the western powers met in Washington and signed an agreement to work together. This military alliance contained most of the states in Western Europe as well as the USA and Canada. It's main purpose was to defend each of it's members from attack. If one member was attacked, all others would help to defend it.

1955. They set up the Warsaw Pact (communist version of NATO).