Early tension

Includes: Beginning of the Cold War, the end of the Grand Alliance, The breakdown of trust, Satellite States

What was the purpose of the Grand Alliance? (What was the aim, when was it formed, who were the members, and where did they meet?)

Before the Cold War Britain, the USA and the Soviet Union worked together as members of the Grand Alliance, which was created in 1941 to defeat Nazi Germany. The leaders of these countries met three times: at Tehran (1943), Yalta (1945) and Potsdam (1945).

Describe the state of each member during the Grand Alliance (type of regime, leader, etc).

Britain – a democracy led by Churchill – had been at war with Germany since 1939

The USA – a democracy led by Roosevelt – had been at war with Germany and Japan since December 1941.

The Soviet Union – a communist one-party state led by Stalin – had been at war with Germany since 1941.

The Grand Alliance therefore was a ‘marriage of convenience’, in which three countries shared the aim of defeating their common enemy – Nazi Germany.

What happened at the Tehran conference?

(November–December 1943)

The USA and Britain agreed to open up a second front by invading Nazi-occupied Europe.

The Soviet Union would declare war on Japan once Germany was defeated.

The boundaries of Poland would be moved westwards; Poland would gain territory from Germany and lose it to the Soviet Union.

It was also agreed that an international body would be set up to settle future disputes between countries.

This set the scene for the establishment of the United Nations.

What happened at the Yalta conference?

The Yalta Conference (February 1945) Germany, when defeated, would be reduced in size, divided and demilitarised.

It would have to pay reparations. Europe would be rebuilt along the lines of the Atlantic Charter. Countries would have democratic elections.

The UN (United Nations) would be set up. The Soviet Union would declare war on Japan once Germany was defeated.

Poland would be in the ‘Soviet sphere of influence’ but run on a broader democratic basis.

What happened at the Potsdam conference?

(July–August 1945) A Council of Foreign Ministers was set up to organise the rebuilding of Europe.

The Nazi Party was banned and war criminals were to be prosecuted. Germany was to be reduced in size and divided into four zones of occupation run by Britain, France, the USA and the Soviet Union.

Berlin was also to be divided up into zones of occupation.

The Soviet Union was to receive 25% of the output from the other three occupied zones.

What was the general outcome of the three conferences?

The outcomes of the conferences Remember: while Britain, the USA and the Soviet Union were able to work together to defeat Germany, who had surrendered in May 1945, tension was increasing between the wartime allies.

Differences were beginning to emerge over the future of Germany and Eastern Europe. Moreover, Roosevelt’s death had led to Truman becoming president and he was much more distrustful of the Soviet Union.

Describe the end of the grand Alliance - what changed, what did each member want, and what factors led to increased tension?

August 1945 - USA dropped atomic bombs on Japan, giving them a huge military advantage over other countries.

Previously, Roosevelt was prepared to work with Stalin but he died in 1945 and was replaced by Truman, who was more suspicious because Stalin had broke promises he had made in Poland - he was meant to include multiple political parties, but made it just a communist democracy.

This affected Truman’s behaviour at Potsdam, which led to Stalin becoming more agitated.

Increased tension arises between the superpowers, causing the start of the cold war.

Britain was economically exhausted after the war, and was unable to stand up to the Soviet Union on its own, so joined forces with USA, making the conflict between Western and Eastern powers.

Aims:

Britain believed Germany should be rebuilt, whereas Stalin believed they should be forced to pay reparations.

Roosevelt believed Europe should be led as a capitalist democracy with free elections, whereas Stalin believed it should be communist.

Define the term ideology

a set of political ideas about how society should be run – is key to understanding the Cold War. The USA and the Soviet Union had opposing ideologies.

What were the main ideologies from the West?

Said communism enslaved people to the state. Capitalism was based on freedom and democracy:

• Everyone should be free to make money for themselves.

• Individuals are better at deciding what to make / sell than the state.

• Trade between countries makes everyone richer.

What were the main ideologies from the East?

Said capitalism exploited the workers to make the rich even richer. Communism was based on fairness:

• Capitalism only makes some people rich by exploiting everyone else.

• Individuals are not as strong as everyone working together for the same aim.

• The state should take control of the economy and run it to benefit everyone.

What was the Long Telegram?

1946 - A secret report from the US ambassador Kennan in Moscow to President Truman said:

• the Soviet Union saw capitalism as a threat to communism that had to be destroyed

• the Soviet Union was building its military power

• peace between a communist Soviet Union and a capitalist USA was not possible.

What was Novikov’s telegram?

1946 - A report from Novikov, Soviet ambassador to the USA, told Stalin that:

• the USA wanted world domination and was building up its military strength

• the Soviet Union was the only country left after the war that could stand up to the USA

• the USA was preparing its people for war with the Soviet Union.

What were the Satellite states?

Between 1947 and 1949, the Soviet Union spread its sphere of influence to neighbouring countries. Countries like Poland and Hungary became ‘satellite states’ under the control of the Soviet Union.

How did the Communists manage ‘free elections?’

• At the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, the Soviet Union agreed to free elections in the countries in its sphere of influence.

• However, elections were fixed to make sure the Communist Party won and non-communists were removed from government.

• Once in control, the communists shut down the opposition parties and each country became a single-party state. Fixing elections and then shutting down opposition parties was known as ‘salami tactics’

How did the Soviet union gain influence in Eastern Europe?

Bulgaria - A communist government was elected in 1945, and all elected non-communists were executed.

Romania - A communist-led coalition took power. However, by 1947 the communists had taken over and Romania became a one-party state.

Poland - At Yalta Stalin promised to set up a joint communist/non-communist government. He then invited 16 non-communist leaders to Moscow and arrested them. Thousands of non-communists were arrested. The communists then ‘won’ the 1947 election.

Hungary - The communists lost the 1945 election but the communist leader Rakosi took control of the secret police, executed and imprisoned his opponents and turned Hungary into a communist state.

Czechoslovakia - Edward Benes set up a coalition government. However, the communists retained control of the army, the radio and the secret police. In 1948 they seized power completely, turning the country into a communist state.

East Germany - The original Soviet zone of occupation in Germany, it became a communist state in October 1949.

What was the impact of Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe on superpower relations?

The USA saw the Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe as a betrayal of the Yalta agreement, in which Stalin had made promises about holding democratic elections.

• Others saw it as evidence of Soviet expansion: Eastern Europe was a stepping-stone to a Soviet takeover of Western Europe.

• The USA was determined to contain communism through military and economic assistance: the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid.

• The Soviet Union argued it needed to control Eastern Europe as a buffer zone, protecting it from attack by the West. The US response was unnecessary and unreasonable.