The Cold War 1940s

November 1943-Tehran Conference

-Britain and USA are would help USSR fight Germany in France

-USSR would help USA fight Japan

-Area of Poland would become part of the USSR after WW2

February 1945-Yalta Conference

-Germany and Berlin split into 4 (USA, France, UK, USSR)

-Agreed that there would be free elections in Eastern Europe

-Germany would pay $20 billion in reparations

-Nazi party would be banned

July 1945-Potsdam Conference

-Nazi party banned

-Germany and Berlin split into 4

August 1945-Development of the Arms Race

-USA uses two atomic bombs, one in Hiroshima, one in Nagasaki

-USA refuses to share the science with USSR

-This scares Stalin and encourages him to develop his own nuclear weapon

1946-’Long Telegram’

-Partly in response to Stalin’s forcing of Communism on Poland, George Kennan published the ‘Long Telegram’, accusing USSR of trying to spread Communism and encouraging Harry Truman to combat this.

1946-’Novikov Telegram’

Nikolai Novikov responded to the ‘Long Telegram’ with the ‘Novikov Telegram’, accusing the USA of attempting to achieve world domination.

March 1946-’Iron Curtain’

Winston Churchill blames the USSR for an ‘iron curtain’ descending across Europe due to Stalin’s efforts to expand Communism further.

1947

Communism expanded into Eastern Europe through rigged elections and intimidating opposition leaders-Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia became Communist in 1948

1947-Truman Doctrine

Truman committed to containing the spread of Communism. This led to the Marshall Plan.

1947-Marshall Plan

As a result of the Truman Doctrine, $17 billion given to other Eastern countries, including $400 million to support Greeks against a potential Communist revolution.

1947-Cominform

Stalin created Cominform in 1947 to help European Communist Parties work together to spread Stalin’s ideas.

June 1948-Berlin Blockade

Stalin cut off all road rail and canal links to West Berlin following fears over the creation of Trizonia and America pumping money into their section of Berlin and Germany.

Truman responded to the blockade with the airlift, approximately 800 flights a day.

April 1949-Creation of NATO

Western military alliance which committed 12 member countries to defending all others.

May 1949- Stalin called off the blockade

Victory for USA. Germany became two countries- West Germany (FRG) and East Germany (GDR.

1949-Creation of Comecon

Co-ordinated production and trade of Eastern European countries. They were expected to trade with each other and not the Capitalist West.