IBDP History HL Paper 2 - Stalin/Lenin, Mao, The Cold War, Hungarian Uprising

Breakdown of Grand Alliance and the emergence of superpower rivalry (1943-49): Ideology

• Bolshoi Speech Feb 1946: Stalin declared Communism was superior, had survived “test of fire.” — It showed the Soviet Union was choosing to focus on spreading its communist ideas and building up its military instead of staying friends with the Western countries.

• The Iron Curtain Speech March 1946: Churchill (UK prime minister) claimed an “iron curtain had descended, dividing the world into free and toleration — This declaration divided the world into opposing ideological spheres.

• The Truman Doctrine 1947: USAs official plan to contain the spread of communism. Started because Soviet pressure on Greece and Turkey, Truman gave 400 Mill to them — it officially divided the world into two opposing ways of life.

• The Marshall Plane 1948: Truman shared money and resources across 16 different countries. 13.3 Billion dollars to Europe (Britain, France, Italy.) it used American economic power to tie Western European nations to the capitalist system.

Breakdown of Grand Alliance and the emergence of superpower rivalry (1943-49): Fear + Agression

• Atomic Bomb (1945, before Potsdam): The US tested an Atomic Bomb in secret just before the Potsdam conference this was in fear, the U.S. viewed the Soviet Union as a future ideological rival.

• The Berlin Blockade (1948) the West feared a total Soviet takeover of Germany, while Stalin feared that a rebuilt, pro Western Germany would become an aggressive capitalist platform against the USSR. Stalin used the blockade as a weapon to force the West to abandon their plans — the fear of Soviet aggression led directly to the creation of NATO in 1949, marking the final death of the Grand Alliance and the total militarization of the superpower rivalry.

Breakdown of Grand Alliance and the emergence of superpower rivalry (1943-49): Economic Factors

• Marshall Plan (1948): U.S. provided $13.3 billion in aid to 16 European nations (like Britain, France, and Italy). The offer came with strict capitalistic conditions. Stalin viewed this economic expansion as an aggressive threat; he believed the U.S. was "buying" the loyalty of European countries to build an anti-Soviet bloc — the Marshall transformed the ideological "Iron Curtain" into a hard economic reality; by forcing countries to choose between American dollars and Soviet security, it finalized the collapse of the Grand Alliance and established two separate, competing superpower spheres of influence.

• The Deutsche Mark (1948): it proved the U.S. was ready to rebuild Germany as a capitalist power. the U.S., Britain, and France created a new, strong currency called the Deutsche Mark to replace the old, nearly worthless German money. They started using it in their half of Germany and West Berlin without getting Stalin to agree to it first. The U.S. wanted a strong currency to fix the economy and make the Marshall Plan work. — It led directly to Stalin’s aggressive Berlin Blockade, showing that the "divorce" between the two sides was now final.

• COMECON (1949): This move forced Eastern European nations to prioritize trade with Moscow over their own national interests, effectively creating an "Economic Iron Curtain" that mirrored the political one — COMECON replaced the possibility of a unified global market with two hostile, self-contained economic systems, making any future cooperation between the former Grand Alliance members impossible.

Emergence of Authoritarian States

Lenin (Russia,1917)

• 400% Inflation (1917): This bankrupted the urban workers. When Lenin promised "Bread,”= a solution to a literal famine caused by the Provisional Government’s failure to manage the war economy.

• 1.7 Million Military Deaths (WWI):This created the "Impact of War." It led to 34,000 desertions per month, providing Lenin with a "ready-made" army of armed, angry men (the Red Guards) who hated the current system.

• The April Theses (1917): By promising "All Power to the Soviets," and “Peace, Land, and Bread” Lenin effectively "out-bid" other socialist parties, making the Bolsheviks the only radical alternative to a failing government.

Mao (China 1927-49)

• Yuan Hyperinflation (1948): 1949, the currency had collapsed to the point where 1 US dollar traded for over 23 million yuan, rendering life-long savings worthless and driving millions into. It destroyed the middle class's savings under the GMD (Nationalists). It proved the GMD was incompetent, making Mao’s communal economic promises look like the only path to stability.

• Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945): The CCP grew from 30,000 to 1.2 million members during this time. While the GMD was weakened fighting Japan, Mao used the time to build a "state within a state"

• 1947 Land Reform Law. 10% of landlords owned 70% of the land. By allowing peasants to seize this land, Mao created an army of 44 million soldiers (the PLA) who were fighting to protect their own new property.

Consolidation and Maintenence of Authoritarian States

USSR: Stalin (1924–1953)

• The Great Purge (1936–1938). Stalin used the NKVD to execute approximately 700,000 people, including

• The Cult of Personality / The "Short Course" (1938).

China: Mao (1949–1976)

• The Anti-Rightist Movement (1957). After the "Hundred Flowers Campaign," Mao identified and persecuted 500,000 intellectuals and "rightists.