Origins of the Cold War 1945 - 1949

Cold war

A conflict between the USA and USSR with threats, propaganda and other measures but no open warfare

What was the relationship like between the USSR and their allies pre WW||?

Pre WW|| the USSR was suspicious of other allies they only worked because of the hatred of Hitler

What reasons had the USSR had to be suspicious of their allies?

• Russia became communist (1917) = during the civil war Britain + France sent troops to help fight against communist

• 1920's the US government deported thousands of suspected communists

• 1930's Britain followed appeasement where they tried to avoid war with Hitler. The USSR thought Britain wanted Hitler to get strong

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership of capital

Communism

An economic system where all businesses were run by the government to create equality

What are superpowers?

Nations stronger than other powerful nations = USA + USSR

Which superpower favoured capitalism?

USA

Which superpower favoured communist?

USSR

What did America believe?

Americans put being free and having rights over the importance of equality

How did Americans react to communism?

They thought communism was a threat to themselves personally

What did the Soviet Union believe?

Peoples rights were less important than the country = freedom restricted

In communism what is commonly controlled?

The press, radio, film, and art

What did USSR leaders believe about other countries?

That every country should be run the communist way

Where is Yalta?

Ukraine

When was the Yalta conference?

4 February 1945

What leaders were present during the Yalta conference?

Josef Stalin (USSR), Winston Churchill (UK), Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA)

What happened during the Yalta conference?

They were deciding what to do with Europe after the death of Hitler

What were the relationships like with USA, UK, and USSR during the Yalta conference?

"Never before have the major allies been more closely united not only in their war aims but also peace aims." - President Roosevelt's report

What agreements did the three nations come to at the Yalta conference?

• Stalin agrees to help US fight Japan

• Germany split up into 4 zones + 4 zones of Berlin

• Freed countries have free elections to choose the government they wanted

• The start of the United Nations

What disagreements did the three nations come to at the Yalta conference?

Stalin wanted to make the USSR bigger and push the border of Poland sideways, Britain and USA agreed as long as Stalin didn't involve himself in the communist revolution in Greece

When did Albania become Communist?

1945 - Communists gained power immediately after the war. There was little opposition

When did Romania become a communist country?

1945 - A communist was elected prime minister within a left- wing coalition.

1947 - The communists also abolished the monarchy

When did Bulgaria become communist?

1945 - A left-wing coalition won the election. The communist members of the coalition then executed the leaders of the other parties

What is the united nations?

International organization to keep world peace

When was the United Nations created?

October 24, 1945

Where is Potsdam?

East Berlin, Germany

When was the Potsdam conference?

17 July - 2 August 1945

What leaders attended the Potsdam Conference?

Truman (US), Joseph Stalin (USSR), and Clement Alee (UK)

Why was there tension during the Potsdam conference?

1. Stalin breaks his promise about freed countries electing to choose their government (USSR troops remain in Eastern Europe and controlled Finland, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania)

2. Harry Truman hated communism + suspicious of Stalin = Truman thought Stalin was preparing for a communist invasion of Europe

3. USA developed a bomb = Stalin nervous

When did the USA successfully test the atomic bomb?

16th July 1945 - a day before Potsdam conference

How did Stalin know about the atomic bomb the USA had?

He had spies in the US

Why did the US bomb two Japanese cities?

Germany surrendered in WW|| but Japan refused

When did USA bomb Hiroshima?

6th August 1945

What bomb did the USA use to bomb Hiroshima?

An atomic bomb = "Little Boy"

How many people were killed in the Hiroshima bombing?

140,000

When did USA bomb Nagasaki?

9th August 1945

What bomb did the USA use to bomb Nagasaki?

An atomic bomb = "Fat Man"

How many people were killed in the Nagasaki bombing?

80,000

Can the bombing in Japan be justified?

For:

• intimidating USSR and others

• war had lasted 5 years + knew honour code

• invasion would cost 75 k - 100 k soldiers lives

• all armies had killed innocents (this is no different)

• Japan attacked first at pearly harbour

• sends a strong message to USSR that USA is powerful

Against:

• 60 + cities were already destroyed, Japan on its last legs

• USA wanted emperor to step down = culturally ignorant

• morally wrong

• not enough time between bomb 1 and 2 to surrender

• bomb was a message to USSR = unfair

Why did Truman become more confrontational?

He held the atom bomb = scared people

Why did Stalin appear more aggressive?

Truman never told Stalin he was going to bomb Hiroshima = furious

What did Stalin do after the release of the USA's atomic bombs?

He ordered for the USSR to develop their own?

What is the iron curtain?

The division between Germany's communist East and democratic West. - named by Winston Churchill

How was there a clear divide between Communist East and Capitalist West in 1946?

Stalin dominated Eastern Europe and by 1946, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania all became communist and were loyal to Stalin

How did Churchill and the USA see the soviet expansion?

As dangerous, they saw Stalin as building his own Communist Empire so he could beat the USA and the Capitalist West

Buffer Zone

An area of land that serves as a barrier between USSR and USA, to get to USSR USA had to go through the East

What countries were in the buffer zone?

East Germany, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia,

What happened in Greece that inspired the Greece and Turkey aid bill?

The Nazis were kicked out of Greece (1944) and two rival groups wanted to control the country. Churchill sent British troops to help the monarchists this caused a civil war. The British didn't have the resources to control the situation and announced they would leave

What were the two groups that were fighting over Greece in 1944 called?

The communists, and the monarchists

What did the monarchists want?

To return the rule of the King of Greece

When did Poland become communist?

January 1947

Why did Poland become communist?

After the war the communists joined a coalition government, then became outright leaders when they forced the non - Communist leader into exile.

When did the civil war in Greece start?

1946

When did the British pull out of the civil war in Greece?

24 February 1947

What happened in Turkey that inspired the Greece and Turkey aid bill?

Truman was scared Stalin would would invade Turkey for the Dardanelles (to release their navy), and the area had lots of oil = make the country rich

What was the Dardanelles straits?

The strip of sea which would let his ships get into the Mediterranean and sail around the Europe

What lengths did Truman go through to get the Greece and Turkey bill passed?

He needed to convince congress to send weapons: he did this by over exaggerating the problem of communism

What is the Truman Doctrine?

A pledge to provide economic and military aid to oppose the spread of communism

When was the Greece and Turkey aid Bill passed?

March 1947

How did the Truman Doctrine affect the relations between East and West?

This made relations worse. Truman had said a lot of bad things about communism to make people hate them even more

What is doctrine?

A stated principle of government policy or a belief or set of beliefs held by a church, political party or group

What did the Greece and Turkey aid bill do?

It gave $400 million of help to Greece and Turkey and stopped them becoming Communist

When did the Truman Doctrine take place?

12 March 1947

What is the policy of containment?

Stop the spread of communism, declaration of war on communism

What did Truman believe about poverty in relation to communism?

Communism would spread to places that faced poverty and hardship

Who did Truman send out to see what Europe was like?

General George Marshall

How much money did Europe owe America in 1947?

$11.5 billion

What was the state of Europe in 1947?

Goods + Foods = running low

Britain had to turn the electricity off to save the coal

"rubble heap, a breeding ground of hate" - Churchill

homeless, refugees

damage caused by warfare to infrastructure

What was the initial Marshall Plan?

The USA needed to send $17 billion of help to Europe to help rebuild them "Our policy is directed against hunger, poverty, desperation, and chaos"

Why did the US Congress refuse the initial Marshall plan?

It was too much and they were worried about getting involved in other countries business

Why did Congress eventually accept the Marshall plan?

Communism took over Czechoslovakia (1948)

Czechoslovakia = coalition

March 1948 - > mysterious deaths, friend of the USA (Jan Masaryk) led to the acceptance of the Marshall plan

What was the promise of the Marshall Plan?

$17 billion over 4 years

Why would the US give Marshall aid?

Build report

Did to stop Communism from spreading in Europe and to sell American goods in Europe