Edexcel IGCSE History: Early developments in the Cold War 1945-49

What was the Long Telegram?

. 1946, written by George Kenan (an official at the US embassy in Moscow)

. Said USSR was heavily armed, feared outside world, and was determined to spread Communism so there couldn't be a peaceful coexistence between USSR and USA however USA was stronger than USSR so could 'contain' communism

What was the Soviet response to the Long Telegram?

Novikov Telegram:

. Novikov (Soviet ambassador to USA) warned USA had emerged from WW2 economically strong and bent on world domination so the USSR needed to secure its buffer zone in Eastern Europe

What speech did Churchill give about the USSR soon after WW2 and when?

. Iron Curtain Speech

. March (5th) 1946, former PM Churchill condemned Soviet expansion - 'an iron curtain has descended across the continent'

What was the Truman Doctrine?

. (12th) March 1947

. Concerns Greece would fall to Communism

. USA was only Western ally in the financial position to stop this happening

. Truman made speech to US congress in which he promised the USA would provide aid to any country taking a stand against communism

. USA fully committed to a policy of containment (stopping the spread of communism)

What was the Marshall Plan?

. 1947, General George Marshall put in charge of ensuring Europe didn't fall under communist control

. Decided to spend over $12 billion to help European economies recover after WW2 and stop them falling prey to communism

. Can be described as propaganda tool - 'Look how rich we are, you don't need communism. You could be like us. We care about you.'

. Was offered to all countries

What did the USSR say about the Marshall Plan?

. Declared Marshall aid was 'dollar imperialism' and the USA was using its economic weight to gain influence in Europe

. Forbade Eastern bloc countries under its control to apply for Marshall aid

What was the first Soviet policy to respond to the Marshall plan?

Cominform:

. Sep 1947

. Communist Information Bureau

. Aimed to tighten Soviet control of Eastern Europe, to build collective heavy industry in those countries, and to create a trade network between communist countries

. Published its own newspaper to spread communist ideals

. Effectiveness was limited - Yugoslavia left in June 1948

. Disbanded in 1956

What was the second Soviet policy to respond to the Marshall Plan?

Comecon:

. Jan 1949

. Council of Mutual Economic Assistance

. Molotov Plan of financial aid to keep Eastern Bloc countries on its side

What were some allied disagreements over Germany before the Berlin Blockade?

. Allies were using Marshall Aid money to help Germany rebuild their economy, introducing a new, stable currency (deutsche mark), and more jobs for workers in the Western sectors - they didn't want Germany financially crippled again. Stalin, who wanted a weak unthreatening buffer zone, was angered by this

. Under the Marshall Plan, the USA supplied goods to German shops for workers to buy (and to show the communists how well their capitalist economy was doing)

. Jan 1948, Britain and USA joined their zones to create 'bizonia' and make it easier to administrate them

Context of Berlin Blockade

. 24th June, 1948

. Stalin cut all land access to Berlin for the allies

Meaning of Berlin Blockade for West Berlin

. Berlin could now only be accessed by air, restricting travel outside of Berlin

. Food shortage - West Berlin only had enough food for 36 days

. Lack of basic goods like fuel and medicine

Western reaction to Berlin Blockade

. Supplied Western Berlin by airlift

. Did this for 11 months until blockade was lifted in May 1949

. Cost USA $350 million and Britain £17 million

What happened to the way Germany was run at the end of the Berlin Blockade?

. April 1949 (just before blockade was lifted), USA, Britain, and France announced formation of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, formerly trizonia)

. Anti-communists won elections in FRG

. In response, German Democratic Republic (GDR, formerly East Germany) created. Socialist gov there claimed to support free elections but remained in power for the entire existence of the GDR (1949-90)

Other than the splitting of Germany, what was the aftermath of the Berlin Blockade?

. The formation of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) in April 1949 - an alliance of countries around the North Atlantic for their mutual defence

. The USSR responded to the formation of NATO with the Warsaw Pact in May 1955- similarly an alliance of the communist countries of Eastern Europe for their mutual defence

. 29 August 1949, the USSR detonated its first atomic bomb