Modern History ATAR: Unit 4

The Yalta Conference: Date of Conference and Publication

Conference: 4th - 11th February of 1945

Publication: 1946

The Yalta Conference: Rundown

A secret conference held in Yalta between the Big Three (Stalin, Churchill, and FDR) in order to develop the postwar world order in regards to Germany.

The Yalta Conference: 5 Decided Terms

• Control over Germany would be split between the West and the USSR

• The German people would only be given enough recourses to survive (subsistence living)

• German industry was to be confiscated or destroyed

• War criminals were to be prosecuted or executed

• Central and Eastern European countries would be allowed to elect representative governments (Stalin would later backtrack on this)

The Potsdam Conference: Date

17th of July to 2nd of August 1945

The Potsdam Conference: Rundown + Desires of USSR / US

Acted as a follow-up to Yalta in order to decide the fate of Germany in more detail. Russia wanted high reparations, whereas the US didn’t want this and wanted the help of the USSR to defeat Japan.

President Truman quote on the reparations of the Potsdam Conference

“The purpose of reparations is to take out of Germany anything she can prepare for another war.”

The Potsdam Conference: Terms (Acronym: TURDZ)

• Trial: It was solidified that Nazi officials and war criminals would be tried

• Ultimatum : A final ultimatum was issued to Japan

• Reparations: 10% of confiscated German industry was to be relocated to the USSR as reparations

• Deez: Germany was to be demilitarised, democratised, and de-nazified

• Zones: Germany would be split into four zones operated by the USSR, the US, France, and Britain

Bolshoi Speech: Date

February 9th 1946

Stalin quote from the Bolshoi speech regarding WW3

“Another World War is inevitable."

George Kennan’s Long Telegram: Date

22nd of Feb, 1946

George Kennan’s Long Telegram: Rundown

Analysed and criticised the foreign policy of the USSR, citing them to have expansionist goals. Advocated that the policy of containment should be achieved through political, economic, or even militaristic means.

Quote from the Long Telegram

“It is desirable and necessary [by the Soviets] that our internal harmony be disrupted and our traditional way of life destroyed.”

Churchill’s Sinews of Peace Speech: Date

5th of March 1946

Churchill’s Sinews of Peace Speech: Quote

“An Iron Curtain has descended across the continent.”

The Tuman Doctrine: Date

March 12th, 1947

The Truman Doctrine: Rundown

Solidified the policy of containment and indicated a shift away from American isolationism, with Truman declaring that any countries under threat from Communism would receive direct assistance from the US

The Marshall Plan: Date

1948-1951

The Marshall Plan: What?

The US would provide economic aid to West European countries, hoping that it would prevent them from falling to Communism. The idea was that economic instability would create social instability, and that social instability could result in a rise in political extremism, in turn resulting in the potential for Communist revolutions.

The Marshall Plan: Why?

Economists believed that economic vulnerabilitty would lead to capitalist countries falling to Communism, and the loss of international capitalist markets would be incredibly detrimental to the US economy.

The US provided ___ dollars to ___ Western European countries through the Marshall Plan

13.5 billion, 16

Comecon

The Soviet response to the Marshall Plan, involving the USSR providing economic aid to countries within the Eastern Bloc (after denying them access to Marshall Plan money). This made Soviet satellite states more dependent on the USSR and furthered the divide between East and West.

The process and development of the policy of containment

Outlined in the Long Telegram

Announced in the Truman Doctrine

Exercised in the Marshall Plan

The Germany Question: Opposing Plans of the USSR and the West for Germany

The US: Wanted Germany to recover whilst remaining under strict supervision from the West as it would be an invaluable trade partner

The USSR: Would do anything in their power to keep Germany weak after two successive invasions from them in WW1 and WW2

The London Conference: Date, 3 Terms, and Significance

Date: February 1948

Terms: 3 Western zones of German occupation were unified, new currency was introduced, Western Germany was to be democratised

Significance: The USSR weren’t given input in this decision, heightening tensions and divisions between the two halves of Germany

The Deutschmark: Date

23rd of June 1948

The initial exchange rate between the deutschmark and the reichsmark was ___, and it wiped out __% of private and government debt.

one DEM for every REM, 90%

The Deutschmark: Impact

People from East Germany were racing to exchange their reichsmarks, showing the inadequacy of the communist economy of East Germany. The USSR demanded to West Germany that the deutschmark be disbanded. It was the immediate cause of the Berlin Blockade

Berlin Blockade and Berlin Airlift: Date

June 1948 - May 1949

___ tons of ___, ___, and other basic necessities were carried into West Berlin every ___.

4,500, food, fuel, every day

Significance of the Berlin Blockade / Airlift

Made Germany into the main symbol of Cold War tensions, only reinforced through the erection of the Berlin Wall. Also indicated that the policy of containment was a success, leading to the US collaborating more with Europe.

Willy Brandt quote reflecting on the Berlin Airlift

“It was a heroic episode.”

NATO: Date

April 4th 1949

NATO: Countries Upon Inception

• Canada

• Denmark

• France

• Iceland

• Italy

• The Netherlands

• Norway

• Portugal

• Luxembourg

• The UK

• The US

The Western European Union (WEU)

A pact between the UK, France, and the Benelux Nations to prevent the resurgence of Germany. Led to the establishing of NATO after the WEU was deemed ‘too European’.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

A treaty of mutual cooperation and assistance between countries within Western Europe and the Atlantic. Made to prevent the spread of Communism and to prevent Western European countries from declaring themselves neutral in the conflict between East and West. Furthered the divide and tensions between East and West.

The USSR tested their first atomic bomb successfully in…

August of 1949

Significance of Russia’s atomic bomb

• Ushered in the Arms Race, with the US announcing later in 1950 that the development of a hydrogen bomb had begun

• Indicated that the US was preparing for direct conflict

• Ended the US’ nuclear monopoly

The People’s Republic of China (Communist China) was established in…

October of 1949

3 Impacts of the establishment of Communist China

• Fears of the domino effect worsened

• Another front for the fight against Communism developed

• The USSR was given another ally

Soviet Explanations for the Eastern Bloc / Iron Curtain

• Reinforcement of Russian security against invasion

• Protection against growing ‘American Imperialism’

• America was making Europe economically dependent on them, and the Eastern Bloc would prevent the entirety of Europe falling to the West

Reinforcement of Communist power in Hungary

The non-Communists won the post-war election, however the Soviet-endorsed Communist Party leader would rally the support of the secret police and have the non-Communists executed.

Hungary’s ___ Party won just under __% of the vote in the 1945 election, whereas the ___ Party would win only __% of the vote.

Independent Smallholder’s Party, 60%, Communist Party, 17%

Reinforcement of Communist power in Czechoslovakia (1940s)

A coalition government was established by the non-Communists, however the Communist party maintained control over the radio, the army, and the police. The leader of the Communist party, Gottwald was elected PM, but still faced a lot of internal opposition.

In 1948 non-Communist forces were arrested, Communist sympathisers went on strike, and the non-Communist minister committed suicide, allowing Gottwald total control over the government.

Gottwald was elected Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia in…

1946

Reason for the Creation of the Warsaw Pact

NATO had been an implied threat to the USSR for some years now, and after West Germany joined NATO - right on the border of the Eastern Bloc - the USSR saw this as a direct threat + that the West was trying to restore the infamous Germany.

Warsaw Pact: Date

May 1955

Warsaw Pact: Full Name

The Treaty of Friendship,Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance

The Warsaw Pact: Impact

• Tightened control over Soviet satellite states, bringing them more officially under the control of Moscow

• Heightened tensions between East and West, making war even more likely with the explicit military divisions of NATO and WP

Nikita Khrushchev: Reign

1953 - 1964

Peaceful Coexistence

A policy enacted by Nikita Khrushchev. Stated that war between the superpowers would be greatly devastating, and that they should accept the divisions between capitalism and communism with full understanding that there could never be true cooperation between states.

De-Stalinisation

A policy of Khrushchev which denounced Stalin as a tyrant, aiming to stray away from his policies and political ideologies. The satellite states were encouraged to ‘find their own way to socialism’, whilst an effort was made to increase domestic quality of life and remove harsh Stalinist work policies.

East German Unrest: Date

1953

East German Unrest: Why + What?

• Weakened post-war industry due to reparations

• Harsh work targets and forced collectivisation

• Mass exodus of the population + widespread workers strikes

East German Unrest: US Involvement

The US welcomed the crisis, hoping it would destabilise East Germany and allow it to come under the control of the West. They sent out provocative radio broadcasts to heighten the situation.

The ___ were urged to sell East Germany to the west for ___.

Soviet Council of Ministers, 10 billion

Polish Unrest: Date

June of 1956

Polish Unrest

• Poland was the first to seek their ‘own path to socialism’

• After rioting broke out in protest to increased work targets the previously popular Prime Minister - Gomulka - was reinstated

• The Polish were granted permission to follow their own road to socialism, but they had to stay in the Warsaw Pact

The Hungarian Uprising: Date

October 1956

The Hungarian Uprising: Why?

• Inspired by the success of Poland

• Due to De-Stalinisation, the hardline Stalinist leader of Hungary was replaced by Imre Nagy

• Nagy’s reforms would catch the attention of Moscow who sent in troops to supress the intellectual uprising

The Hungarian Uprising: Imre Nagy’s 3 Major Reforms

• Free elections

• Private ownership of farms

• Leaving the Warsaw Pact - this was the main point which frightened Moscow

____ Hungarians were killed in the uprising, and ___ fled across the border to Austria

3,000, 200,000

Why was Hungary Essential to the Warsaw Pact

• Geographical location: between Yugoslavia and the USSR

• Domino effect: the USSR didn’t want all countries leaving the Warsaw Pact

• Would signifiy a weakening of the USSR’s control over the East

What did the Hungarian Uprising signal to the rest of Eastern Europe? (2 Things)

• Khrushchev’s promise that Eastern European countries could follow their own way to socialism was an empty one

• The only way to escape the control of Moscow would be to outright escape the Iron Curtain

In the ___s roughly ___ people fled from the East to West Berlin

1950s, 200,000

The majority of German defectors were…

Because…

Skilled labourers and managers

They were the ones who could afford the move

2 Impacts of the mass exodus of East Germany in the 1950s

• It greatly embarrassed Communism, as citizens were uprooting their life solely to escape the Communist regime for a capitalist state. Communism was supposed to be the form of government which created prosperity, so people leaving Communism for a more prosperous state undermined Communism more generally as a concept

• Had negative impacts on the East German economy as skilled workers were leaving

The Berlin Wall began as a ___ and was erected in ___.

Simple barbed wire fence, August of 1961

At least ___ people died crossing the Berlin Wall between ___ and ___.

140, 1961, 1989

Tanks were stationed outside Checkpoint Charlie on…

27th of October 1961

Cause of the Berlin Wall Tank Standoff

Public outrage as people were trying to cross the border to be with their family.

Kennedy quote on the Berlin Wall

“A wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.”

Impacts of the Berlin Wall

• Berlin would become a symbol of Cold War conflicts / tensions

• The ‘Germany question’ was essentially solves and conflict over the two Germanies settled - the construction of the wall signalled to the US that the USSR no longer wished to expand into West Berlin

• Massive social divide as families and friendships were torn apart

Alexander Dubcek replaced the hardline Stalinist leader of Czechoslovakia in…

1967

Dubcek’s 4 major aims and promises

He wanted to create ‘socialism with a human face’, promising:

• Greater freedoms, including freedom of speech and expression

• Reduction in activities of the secret police

• Less censorship

• They would not leave the Warsaw Pact

The Prague Spring: Date and Rundown

The Prague Spring, beginning in 1968, was a progressive period of Czechoslovakia in which party leader Dubcek promised political, social, and economic reform.

2 ‘Radical’ ideas implemented during the Prague Spring

• Opposition parties were allowed to exist and criticise the Communist government

• A new political party - the Social Democratic Party - was formed

The Prague Spring: Death Count

Over 100 people were killed

Impacts of the Prague Spring

• Resulted in the creation of the Brezhnev Doctrine

• Loss of life and increased repression and suppression within Czechoslovakia

• International sympathy towards Czechoslovakia - and, by extension, international criticism towards the USSR

The Brezhnev Doctrine

Defined Communism as:

• A one party state

• A member of the Warsaw Pact

• Moscow had the right to intervene in any country where a Communist government was being threatened

The Arms Race: Dates

Roughly between 1949 and 1991

The US went from having ___ nuclear weapons in ___ to having ___ in ___.

2, 1945, 31,000, 1965

The USSR went from having ___ nuclear weapons in ___ to ___ in___.

5, 1950, 40,000, 1987

Détente: Dates

Approximately between 1969 and 1979

Détente: Rundown

Détente is a French word meaning ‘a release of tensions’. It was a period of time involving relaxed Cold War tensions, with a number of international treaties being signed.

Reasons for Détente: 3 General, 2 US, and 2 USSR

General Reasons

• Producing and maintaining nuclear weapons was incredibly expensive

• The threat of Mutually Assured Destruction

• The superpowers were concerned about nuclear proliferation (the spread of nuclear technology to other countries)

US Reasons

• The US wanted to withdraw from Vietnam - improved relations would allow this, as the Viet Cong had significant influence from Moscow

• They wanted to reduce spending in the industrial military sector and relocate it to social reform in order to increase their public opinion

USSR Reasons

• The USSR was facing an economic crisis leading to a downturn in quality of living, and saw this as an opportunity to shift the national budget

• With normalised relations the USSR could receive Western technologies through trade as they had before the war

Ostpolitik: Rundown

A series of foreign policies enacted by the West German chancellor, Willy Brandt. Aimed to normalise relations between West Germany and the Eastern Bloc, particularly East Germany. Played a crucial role in the development of Détente.

Plan of Ostpolitik

Aims

• Recognise East Germany and other territorial changes that occurred after WW2

  • Specifically the Oder-Neisse border with Poland

Strategy

• Negotiate with the USSR

• Settle the frontier with Poland

• Negotiate with East Germany

Treaties of Ostpolitik: Dates

• August 1970: Joint Non-Aggression Pact between USSR and Germany

• December 1970: Treaty recognising the Oder-Neisse border with Poland

• December 1972: The two Germanies sign an agreement formally recognising one another (The Basic Treaty)

The Basic Treaty: Rundown

An agreement between the two Germanies to recognise one another - respecting their national sovereignty, promising a potential for trade, and promising peaceful resolution to conflict.

Impact of the Basic Treaty

Laid the groundwork for West European countries to interact and trade with East Germany. Would further Détente, and lead to East and West Germany being accepted into the United Nations

The Helsinki Accords; Date

1973 - 1975

The Helsinki Accords: Rundown

An international peace conference involving all but one European countries (rip Albania) held in order to settle international matters of peace, security, human rights, and trade

The Helsinki Accords: Three Baskets

Basket I: Security in Europe

Involved 10 principles that were to be applied to international relations regarding the matter of peace and war. It was agreed that international sovereignty was to be respected, force was not to be used, and states were to interact and cooperate peacefully.

Basket II: Cooperation in Economics, Science, Technology, and the Environment

This basket addressed matters of trade, the sharing of technology and science, international transportation, and the promotion of tourism between countries.

Basket III / The Final Basket: Cooperation in Humanitarian and Other Fields

This basket sought to promote the free travel and emigration of peoples between states. Fundamental human rights were also made to be acknowledged.

Impact of the Final Basket on the USSR

The USSR would sign the Final Basket, despite knowing full well that they would not respect the rights of the satellite states to travel, speak freely, etc. They would later say “it’s just a piece of paper”. The Brezhnev Doctrine remained in place, and little changed despite the West seeing this as a great step forward.

4 Factors Leading to the End of Détente

• The invasion of Afghanistan

• Human rights violations in Eastern Europe - Carter was criticising the USSR for this

• Development of new nuclear weapons: the USSR was replacing old missiles with new SS-20 missiles - seen as preparation for war

• The presidency of Ronald Reagan: openly hostile to the USSR

The Invasion of Afghanistan: Date

December 1979

The Invasion of Afghanistan: Rundown

The USSR gave support to a Communist insurgency in Afghanistan. The US saw this as extremely dangerous, as gaining control over Afghanistan would allow the USSR to expand its influence towards the Indian Ocean.

The Invasion of Afghanistan: 4 Impacts

• President Carter pulled grain exports to the USSR

• They boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics

• Carter convinced the senate to refuse the ratification of the SALT II Treaty

• Détente was effectively over, and the New Cold War was ushered in

The New Cold War: Approximate Dates

1979 - 1985

Attitudes of President Reagan

• Avowed anti-Communist

• Believed the USSR was an ‘evil empire’

• He believed détente was a mistake - that the US’ trust in the USSR was misplaced