The Cold War and Grand Alliance Flashcards

Flashcards covering the key features and turning points of the Cold War and understand the nature of the conflict, the grand alliance and the spread of communism

Cold War

A period of extreme tension between states stopping just short of war.

Military Arms Race

Both sides built up both nuclear and conventional military weapons on a prolonged arms race.

Ideological Struggle

Under Stalin, the USSR was an Authoritarian Marxist-Leninist State which believed a conflict between Communism and Capitalism was inevitable and unavoidable. The USA was a Capitalist Liberal Democracy which viewed the USSR as an ‘evil empire’ intent on the destruction of democracy.

Geopolitical Struggle

The conflict was the inevitable result of the struggle for power and resources between two Superpowers.

David Reynolds

Argues that there were 3 Cold Wars: 1948-53; 1958-63 and 1979-85, ‘punctured by periods of détente’, or easing of tension.

Cold War Era

The years 1945-1989 form the ‘Cold War era’ in which the Superpowers competed for economic, ideological and military supremacy.

Howard Roffman (1977)

‘The Cold War proceeded from the very moment the Bolsheviks triumphed in Russia in 1917’.

Wilson’s ‘14 Points’

Advocated an end to empires, self-determination for all peoples’, free trade and collective security through a League of Nations.

Lenin

Preached world revolution and the overthrow of Capitalism. The ‘Comintern’ or Communist International was set-up in 1919 to inspire revolution in the Capitalist world.

USA and USSR in the 1920s and 1930s

Both nations were ‘isolationist’ – withdrawing from world affairs and focusing on their own economic development.

The Truman Doctrine of 1947

Offered military help to states resisting communist aggression like Greece.

The Marshall Plan of 1947

Offered economic help to rebuild Europe and negate the temption of Communism.

The Allies

Broke the USSR blockade by airlifting supplies into West Berlin for 11 months.

The Thaw 1953-57

Agreements were made to withdraw troops from Austria in 1955 and the new Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev promised ‘peaceful co-existence’ with the West.

The ‘Second Cold War’ 1958-62

Khruschev began to threaten the USA and Western Europe with the latest missile technology in order to force the West to withdraw from West Berlin.

The Third or ‘New Cold War’ 1979-91

A ‘Third Cold War’ developed when the USSR deployed a new range of nuclear missiles in Europe and invaded Afghanistan.

Mikhail Gorbachev

Launched a series of reforms known as ‘Glasnost’ (openness) and ‘Perestroika’ (reform) in 1985.

The Lend-Lease Act of March 1941

Enabled the British to defer payment on supplies of weapons until after the war.

The eight-principles of the Atlantic Charter

Defined the Allied goals for the post-war world, presenting the unity of Britain and the USA.

‘Declaration by United Nations’

This military union between the USA, UK and USSR became known as the ‘Grand Alliance’.

Tehran Conference - Poland

Agreed that the USSR could keep territory seized in 1939, Poland would be compensated with land from Germany.

Conclusions – The Tehran Conference

Main outcomes were the agreement on the United Nations, and on the need for a weak post-war Germany.

Yalta Conference – Conclusions

Main outcomes were the agreement on the United Nations; Soviet agreement to join the Pacific War; and the ‘Declaration for Liberated Europe’ pledging democratic governments and free elections in all European countries.

The final breakdown of the Alliance

Stalin had taken over Eastern Europe and it seemed unlikely he would allow free elections. The USSR was also threatened by the atomic bomb – it deepened mistrust between the Allies.

COMINFORM – the Communist Information Bureau

It enabled Stalin to control foreign communists parties and helped him to spread communism in Western Europe.

George F. Kennan

Argued that the USSR was ‘fanatically and implacably’ hostile to the West; and only listens to the ‘logic of force’.

The Truman Doctrine

Truman stated that the USA was obliged to ‘support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.’

The ‘European Recovery Programme’ bill

Allocating the four-year aid programme of $17 billion .

The Truman Doctrine

The policy was a clear departure from isolationism. The US was now committing itself to preventing the spread of communism using any means necessary.

COMECON

The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. This linked Eastern bloc countries to Moscow through economic interdependence, however this would follow communist policies like collectivisation of agriculture and development of heavy industry.

NSC-68

NSC-68 recommended the USA increase its military spending by $35-50 billion!