Cold War-Origins

What was decided at the Yalta Conference?

-Germany divided into 4 zones

-Berlin would also be divided in a similair way

-UN formally ratified

-USSR would gain land from Poland

-Declaration on liberated Europe created

When was the Yalta Conference?

4-11th February 1945

Outcomes of the Yalta conference

-Collective security was founded on the UN.

-Germany would remain weak indefinitely

-Appeared to give cause for great optimism however, relations were already deteriorating.

Stalin’s priorities 1945

Ensuring that Eastern Europe lay within the soviet sphere of influence. Stalin aimed to keep Germany economically weak as this was in the interests of the USSR, until it could be taken as a communist state.

Roosevelt’s Priorities 1945

Commitment to cooperation for a lasting post war settlement.Although Roosevelt views this basis as reflecting an American concept.

Roosevelt was criticised for having a degree of naivety and not understanding the security needs for Eastern Europe.

Churchill’s Priorities 1945

Convinced of soviet expansionism. Churchill possessed great distrust for the soviet union and worried that the USSR would threaten Britain’s imperial interests. Therefore Britain must create an alliance with the USA.

Terms of the Potsdam Conference

-Germany was to be completely disarmed

-Denazification and re-education to be carried out

-Religious toleration to be restored

-Germany to become single economic unit with common policies in industry and finance.

-USSR to recieve reperations from its own zone and 25% from western zones.

When was the Potsdam Conference?

17th July-1st August 1945

Consequences of the Potsdam Conference

Stalin became convinced that USA and its allies were threats to soviet dominance of Europe. This increased his obsession with Soviet security. Stalin viewed the USA as having an anti-soviet agenda.

Potsdam offered no long term plan for the future of Germany and did nothing to reinforce international cooperation. It failed to address the growing suspicion and uncertainty that had develop between East and West relations.

Truman focused on confrontation rather than cooperation. Truman became convinced that force may be necessary to ensure soviet compliance.

How did Poland become communist?

Pro-Stalin Lublin government was created.

The Provisional Government Of National Unity(Coalition Government) was formed in June 1945 and it contained parties from both ends of the spectrum.

The Peasant Party was led by Stanislaw Mikolajczyk(Fled in 1947) this party was weakened by the communists strengthening their own links with Polish socialists.

Wladslaw Gomulka priminister of Poland, while communist was not fully loyal to Moscow this led to him being replaced by a compliant pro-stalinist, Boleslaw Bierut.

The provisional Government of National Unity was dissolved Jan 1947, and the peoples republic of Poland was created

Intentions of Stalin in Eastern Europe

To create a buffer zone, this was completed by 1948. The Defensive zone made up of satellite states reinforced the defensive capability of the USSR. Loyalty to Moscow was an essential part of this regime, the satellite states could not run independently to the USSR. This level of commitment gave the Soviet Union power and security.

Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary

In Romania the communists were popular and there was little opposition towards the red army which already occupied Romania as a result of WW2.

In Bulgaria the strongest political opponent Nikolai Petkov was faced with trumped up charges and executes. manipulated elections and forced removals categorised the takeover of Bulgaria.

In Hungary the communists allied with other political parties in order to challenge their greatest opponent. The smallholders party. By 1949 all opposition to Moscow backed Hungarian communists had disappeared.

Czechoslovakia

Czech communist leader Klement Gottwald expressed interests in accepting western aid and was executed in 1947. President Edward Benes agreed to support a communist dominated system due to growing opposition. Benes resigned in 1948 and the Moscow communists took control.

Affects of ‘The Long Telegram’

George Kennan sent message to US state department February 1946. Kennan believed East-West relations would inevitably collapse due to the USSR demonising the the west for domestic political reasons.

The telegram referred to the urgency for action by the USA. Kennan called for the focus on containment of soviet expansionism. This added to Truman’s growing certainty that the Soviet Union was a threat to western democratic values.

Soviet reaction to ‘The Long Telegram’

Soviet ambassador in Washington concluded that US foreign policy was based on economic imperialism. the aim of the USA was to use economic power to make states dependent on it and establish global supremacy.

The ‘Iron Curtain Speech’

March 1946-Churchill

The impact of this was Stalin’s response claiming that the USSR was peacefully seeking Eastern European allies in order to establish security. Foreign Minister, Molotov declared the USA as an imperialist power, effectively abandoning the declaration on liberated Europe as agreed at Yalta.

Impact of the Truman Doctrine

-Developed in response to the Greek civil war, It finacially aided the monarchists in the Greek civil war, the Truman Doctrine institutionalised the division between the East and West for 25 years.

The Doctrine was designed primarily to protect the democracy and freedom, therefore there was no aggressive intent toward any other state. Doctrine was a response to Soviet aggressive, ideological expansionism in Europe.

Doctrine worked in demonising the Soviet Union and presenting communism as an enemy to the US. It also had the impact to make the USSR feel threatened.

Truman wanted a Cold War to start as this would justify USA’s role as a defender of freedom as well as enable the US to act as a world power.

Impact Of Comimform

-Created in 1947, to unite and coordinate the role and actions of different communist groups throughout Europe.

-Consolidated soviet influence in Eastern Europe

-Aimed to undermine US strategy

The Marshall Plan

USA Policy Toward Britain And Europe

USA intended to reconstruct a democratic region that would commit to mutual cooperation. There is no suggestion the United Stated wanted any political or Military entanglement in Europe beyond the time it took to establish reconstruction.

Assistant secretary Of State, Dean Acheson warned that situation in Europe mirrored a wider international problem

Impact Of The Marshall Plan

-Launched May 1947

-Marshall plan invested 13.5 Billion into Europe in the next 5 years.

-Aimed to promote European unity, this would establish a bloc that would reinforce Truman’s idea of containment.

-Continuing economic crisis in Europe may lead to commmunist parties being democratically elected. The Marshall Plan aimed to reverse this trend.

-Soviets saw the Marshall plan as American imperialism, they believed that US influence may spread into the Eastern bloc and undermine their sphere of influence. July 1947 Soviet Union walked out of the Paris Peace Conference. This caused greater tightening of soviet control over Eastern Europe. This led to further division of international relations.

US actions in Germany

Bizonia formed in January 1947. This reinforced the idea that US wanted to create a clearly defined western German State of economic stability. February 1948 a new currency was introduced into Germany this was formally activated in June. In response the Soviet Union imposed a blockade on Berlin.

The Marshall plan recognised the importance of ensuring economic stability and recovery in Germany and its western zones. However, the Marshall plan also closed several policy options for the USA.

March 1947 the foreign ministers council broke up having failed to reach an agreement this was a step towards an increasingly divided Germany. Becoming clear that from the view of policy makers in washington a divided Germany was preferable to a united one. A reunified Germany may become too powerful by manipulating Eastern and western powers. Germany may align itself with the USSR and the extent of American influence may be undermined.

Impact of Bizonia

Merging both British and American zones was a clear indicator the the 4 power system had failed. May 1946- General Clay announced that no further reperations would be made toward the USSR.

Soviet response was to oppose Bizonia. The USSR demanded that a central administration was to be created. USSR accused west of unjustly denying it the reparations that were due.

However, west feared that centralised administration would lead to soviet controlled Germany.

When was the Berlin Blockade?

June 1948

The Berlin Blockade

Bevin argued that the Soviet Unions aim was to spread communism across the whole of Germany and pressure to oust western powers from Berlin was the first step. USA did not withdraw from Berlin, instead planes were used to supply west Berlin with essentials.

Creation Of East and West Germany

West German State approved early 1949, by March an Eastern German State constitution had been drafted. The constitution was based upon a one party system and an East German State was formed.

New west German state was controlled through a high commission involving Britain, France and the USA. this gave them the authority to determine any final decisions on West Germany.

Formation Of NATO

WEU Aims were to prevent any German resurgance that may threaten post war western Europe. By its creation European states were seen as signalling to the USA that west Germany and Europe were under threat from communist advance.

The USA’s thinking was that an atlantic alliance should be created. NATO was a means of reassuring western Europe. it officially came into being April 1949. It was primarily a political defence rather than a military organisation as viewed by the Soviet Union. this was a major factor in the polaristation of Europe .