Cold war

What is a cold war?

A period of time when two countries do not fight directly against each other. it is instead a war of words and tensions as the countries threaten with military action but non is actually taken. The cold war began during WW2 and is between the USA and the Soviet union.

Peace conference - Tehran

Tehran conference Nov 1943

Leaders: Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin

Russia could keep land in eastern Europe e.g. Poland if they won the war. This would weaken Germany.

An international organisation should be created to settle arguments through discussion not war.

USA and Britain would launch a second attack on Germany so that the German army would reduce troops against Russia given Russia a chance to take away land from Germany.

Peace conferences - Yalta

Yalta conference Feb 1945

Leaders: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin

Churchill felt isolated as Stalin and Roosevelt got on well and made most of the agreements.

Germany was to be divided into 4 zones each controlled by Russia, Britain, France and USA.

Berlin, Germany’s capital, would be divided into 4 zones to be governed as they wished.

Germany would pay $20million in reparations, half of that going to the soviet union.

East Europe was to be looked after by Russia in their Soviet Sphere of influence. Would be elections.

Peace conferences - Potsdam

Potsdam conference Jul 1945

Leaders: Atlee, Truman and Stalin

Soviet troops had defeated Germany and had not taken away their troops from Eastern Europe proving they wanted to stay.

Stalin set up a communist government in Poland after promising not to do this.

Stalin refused to demilitarised his Soviet army when both America and Britain had cut down theirs. Germany would be completely demilitarised.

Stalin and Truman didn’t get on and their relationship suffered as Truman wanted to stand up to Stalin.

USA had tested another atomic bomb in America, Stalin was furious he hadn’t been told and wasn’t involved in the testing.

Telegrams - Long telegram

Sent from Moscow to Washington by US diplomat George Kennan 22nd February 1946

Kennan believed that the attitude of the soviet union is to eradicate America and capitalism entirely, this being the only way for Soviet power to be secure.

‘Necessary that our traditional way of life be destroyed’

Telegrams - Novikov telegram

Sent from Washington to Moscow by Nikolai Novikov a Soviet diplomat on 27th September 1946

Novikov believed the attitude of the USA is to strive for another world war in order to achieve world domination.

‘win world domination in a new war being planned by the most war like circles of American imperialism.’

Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On 6 August 1945, the USA dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, killing around 140,000 people. Three days later the USA dropped a second atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing around 74,000 people.

Official US justification for the dropping of the two atomic bombs was to force the Japanese government to surrender, which it did on 14 August 1945.

Pearl Harbour

On December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy conducted a surprise air and sea assault on the US Naval Station Pearl Harbor, located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. At this time, the US Pacific Fleet was docked at Pearl Harbor. The attack shocked Americans and drew the United States into World War II.

Japan was apart of the Axis powers along with Germany and Italy and was attempting expansion into China were US territories were held.

Iron curtain

A metaphorical barrier symbolising the divide between the capitalist west Europe and the soviet communism of east Europe.

First hearings of the term ‘iron curtain’ in Winston Churchills speech in America.

Satellite states

Countries controlled but not part of the Soviet union. Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland and East Germany.

Greek civil war

Government of Greece in exile in Britain who were not communist.

Communist liberation forces removed Nazi occupation from Greece in 1944.

British send troops to remove communist but left wing protest.

When Britain admits they can’t fight on their own. Financial aid ($400 million) and military advisors are sent to help. America sends help to remove communists.

1949 government wins over communist

1952 joins NATO

Iranian crisis - March 1946

Soviets want access to Iranian oil.

Soviet pulls out its troops after Iran made a formal protest stopping Soviet control of mre resources and land.

Turkish crisis - August 1946

Soviets wish to place military and create route through Türkiye to gain access to Iran and oil.

A note was sent from USA and Britain to USSR reaffirming their support for Türkiye.

Lessening control of Soviets and certification of USA and Britain’s power.

Truman doctrine

Harry S. Truman pledged that he would provide political, military and economical assistance to all democratic nations under the threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. e.g. providing money and advisors for the Türkiye and Greek crisis’s.

Cominform

All communist states to follow rules and information from Stalin.

e.g. spread anti - American propaganda

Comecon

All communist states are to have their economy controlled by Moscow.

e.g. arranged trade with other communist countries and allowed for lending and borrowing, banned trade with capitalist countries.