The origins of the cold war 1945-49

What was the cold war?

A state of prolong hostility between USA and USSR characterized by propaganda, proxy wars and military and economic competition.

What was the Russian Revolution?

A revolution in 1917 which led to a socialist state being established.

What was Comintern?

An organization established in 1919 which facilitated contact between communist groups in the world

What is the ideology of Communism?

• One party state

• Restricted freedom

• State control

What is the ideology of Capitalism?

• Multi party free elections

• Freedom of speech, worship and individuality

• Private enterprise

What name is given to the alliance of Us, Britain and the USSR?

The big three/ the grand alliance

What was agreed at the Tehran Conference in 1943?

Spheres of influence in Europe

What happened at the Yalta Conference 1945?

• Germany was divided into zones of occupation

• Nazi war criminals were put on trial

• Free elections agreed in Poland

• The USSR would join the United Nations

• Germany would undergo demilitarization

What happened at the Potsdam Conference 1945?

• Agreed that the USSR could take reparations from Germany

• USA felt the elections in Poland had not been free

• Roosevelt died and was replaced by Truman

• Atlee replaced Churchhill

• The USA dropped the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Details of dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

• 6th and 9th August 1945

• Done to prevent USA falling back into The Great Depression

• Japanese cities

• Killed between 150,000 and 246,000 people

• Japanese surrendered to the Allies on the 15th August 1945

Why did Stalin expand across Europe?

Buffer zones or a pursuit of communism

What methods did Stalin use to expand across Europe?

• The Red Army

• Salami tactics

• Cominform 1947

• Comecon established to provide economic support

• The creation of the Warsaw Pact for military control in 1955

What happened in Poland?

By 1947, non-communist leaders were arrested. The government in exile in London that had been allowed into the Lubin government were removed.

What happened in Czechoslovakia?

1945- there was a coalition government. The secret police arrested non-communists. The foreign minister showed interest in the Marshall Plan and ‘fell’ from the window

What was containment?

A way to prevent the spread of communism

Examples were the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the creation of the German state, NATO and the reconstruction of Japan.

What was the ‘Iron Curtain’ Speech?

1946- Churchill delivered this speech in Missouri, he referred to the division of Europe and said that an alliance was needed to stop the spread of communism.