Core content: Origins of the Cold War

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Western mistrust of USSR

1. Russia threatened Western values and way of life.

2. Roosevelt disliked Stalin’s dictatorship which had led to hundreds of thousands of death in the 1930’s

3. Stalin had signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact in 1938

Soviet mistrust of the West

1. Communists believed capitalism was evil since the rich prospered at the expense of the poor

2. During the Russian Civil war in 1917-1922, Western countries had sent troops to fight against communism

3. In 1942 Russia was fighting Hitler almost alone. The USA joined the war in 1941 and the allies did not open a ‘second front’ until D-day 1944

What could the alliance between the Soviets and the allies be called?

An alliance of convenience. The Big Three realised they had to stay allies until the end of the war in order to beat Hitler.

How did fears after WWII lead to the Cold war?

The USSR had lost 20 million men in WWII and made them concerned about a future invasion from the West. They were also untrusting of supposed allies after Hitler had broken the Nazi-Soviet pact

Stalin wanted reparations from Germany and a buffer of friendly states to protect them from invasion again

Britain and the USA had just fought a war against fascism and wanted to protect democracy in Europe, and to help Germany recover. They were worried that large areas of Eastern Europe were falling under Soviet control

When was the meeting in Tehran?

28 November to 1 December 1943

What was decided in Tehran?

1. The USA and Britain would invade France by May 1944

2. The USSR would join the USA and Britain in the war against Japan once Nazi Germany was defeated

3. Germany would be divided post-war

When was the meeting in Yalta?

February 1945

Who were the big three at Yalta?

Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill

What decisions were agreed at Yalta?

1. Stalin agreed to enter war against Japan after Germany had surrendered

2. Countries liberated from occupation by Germany would be allowed to hold free elections and choose the government they wanted

3. To hunt down and punish those responsible for genocide in Germany

4. Germany would be divided into four zones: American, French, British, and Soviet

5. To join the new United Nations organisation to keep peace

6. Eastern Europe would be seen as a place of ‘Soviet sphere of Influence’

Disagreements at Yalta

1. Stalin wanted the border to move westwards into Poland and argued that Poland could move its border westwards into German territory. He wanted to create a buffer zone and increase Soviet influence

2. Churchill did not approve of Stalin’s plans, but he knew there was not much he could do as his Red Army was in total control of both Poland and eastern Germany

3. Roosevelt also was unhappy, but Churchill persuaded him to accept it as long as the USSR agreed not to interfere in Greece where the communists wanted to take over. Stalin accepted this.

What changed between the conference at Yalta and Potsdam?

1. After the war ended in Eastern Europe, Soviet troops liberated many countries but were left by Stalin and refugees started fleeing in fear of a communist take-over. Stalin had set up a communist government / puppet state in Poland and insisted it was a defence against future attacks. This made the allies suspicious as it seemed like he wanted to take over and assert soviet control.

2. Roosevelt was replaced by Harry Truman after his death, who was much more suspicious and anti-communist. “I am tired of babying the Soviets”.

3. The Americans tested the first atomic bomb in the desert on 16th July 1945 without informing Stalin and only telling him at Potsdam, which made him suspicious

What did the original allies believe Stalin had a right to?

A soviet sphere of influence

When was the meeting at Potsdam?

July to August 1945

Who were the ‘Big Three’ at Potsdam?

Stalin, Truman, and Clement Atlee

What was disagreed on in Potsdam

1. Stalin wanted to incapacitate Germany, but Truman did not want a repeat of the Treaty of Versailles

2. Stalin wanted reparation and compensation from Germany for the war as over 20 million men died, but Truman didn’t want to repeat mistakes

3. Stalin had won agreement in Yalta to set up a Soviet government in Eastern Europe as they would be safe if they were united but Truman did not like Russia’s intentions and developed a ‘get tough’ attitude towards them

How did the atomic bomb contribute to the Cold war?

1. Stalin may have been angry because Truman did not tell him and when he was accounts say it was very casual and brief.

2. The bomb encouraged Truman to seek confrontation. He was more aggressive and switched from pro-Soviet advisors to anti-communist advisors. He dropped the bomb on Hiroshima to get the Japanese to surrender quickly before Stalin had a chance to enter the war in the Pacific.

What did Churchill say in his famous speech and what was its impact?

The Iron Curtain. His high profile figure changes tone as the big three is not actively against Russia. This speech was widely broadcasted which would further divide them with the “iron curtain”. Stalin would have a negative response to this speech, which calcifies the opposition between communism and capitalism.

“an iron curtain has descended across the Continent […] all these famous cities lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere”

Who is the figure who represents Stalin in cartoons?

Uncle Joe

What was set up by Stalin to ensure communist loyalty and when?

In 1947 Stalin set up the Cominform to coordinate communist governments and enabled USSR to establish communism and keep them loyal.

How was Czechoslovakia involved in cominform?

1946 Communists were the largest single party and they banned other parties, becoming a single state in 1948 when threatened

How was Bulgaria involved in cominform?

In 1945 Bulgaria’s left-wing coalition won, killing the leaders of other parties.

How was Poland involved in cominform?

Communists joined a coalition government, then became outright leaders in 1947 when they forced the non-communist leader into exile

How was Yugoslavia involved in cominform?

Marshal Tito had led war-time resistance to the Nazis. He was elected president in 1945 but was determined to apply communism in his own way and was expelled from the Cominform in 1948

How was Romania involved in Cominform?

In 1945 a communist was elected PM within a left-wing coalition. In 1947 the Communists abolished the monarchy

How did the USA react to Soviet expansion in Greece?

When Germans left Greece in 1944, there were the monarchists and the Communists. Britain sent British troops in 1945 to help restore order and supervise free elections. In 1946 the USSR protested that the British troops were a threat to peace in Greece and tried to take control by force.

The British couldn’t afford so they withdrew in February 1947

Truman stepped in and some British troops stayed in Greece, paid for by the Americans. By 1950 the royalists were in control of Greece

What was the Truman Doctrine?

The US intervention in Greece marked a new era in the USA’s attitude to world politics, which became known Truman Doctrine (1947). 

Under the Doctrine, the USA was prepared to sent resources to any country threatened by a Communist take-over

Truman accepted that eastern Europe was now Communist. He aimed to stop it from spreading further, called containment

What was the Marshall Plan?

Truman believed that Communism succeeded when people faced poverty and hardship. He sent American General George Marshall to assess the economic state of Europe

Marshall found a ruined economy. Europeans owed $12 billion to USA, and were in shortage of all goods.

Churchill said it was ‘a rubble heap, a breeding ground of hate’

Marshall suggested $17 billion would be needed to rebuild Europe’s prosperity, to which Congress initially rejected.

The Marshall aid was generous but was in self-interest as they wanted to create new markets for American goods. Truman wanted to avoid another Great Depression

How did Stalin view the Marshall Plan?

He viewed it with suspicion. After expressing initial interest, he wanted to nothing to do with it.

He forbade eastern European states from applying for Marshal Aid, believing it would weaken his hold and that the USA was trying to dominate as many states as possible by making them dependent on $

How did Czechoslovakia change Congress’ mind?

In March 1948 the Communists took over the government. It had been trying to pursue policies independent of Moscow.

Anti-soviet leaders were purged, and pro-American Minister Jan Masaryk was found dead below his open window.

Congress accepted the Marshall plan and made $17 billion available over four years.

When was Comecon formed and what was its purpose?

In January 1949 he created an economic union of the Communist countries in eastern Europe, allowing him control of the Iron Curtain economies for the benefit of Russia.

Describe events that led up to the Berlin Blockade

Berlin was divided into four subdivisions: the USA, British, French, and Soviets.

The allies wanted to rebuild Germany whilst Russia wanted to cripple it, and the allies merged their sections, forming the Bi-zonia in January 1947.

To tackle hyperinflation, the allies created a new currency at a conference in London to circulate in West Berlin, leaving out Russia when they decided to do so.

This infuriated Russia, marking the end of the treaty.

Russia then cut resources from the East and blockaded the West, trying to force the Western allies out.

Why didn’t Stalin like the new currency?

He saw it as an attempt to undermine Soviet influence in eastern Germany. He said that he was defending the east German against the new currency, which was ruining it.

What was the Berlin airlift?

The USA and Britain organised the Berlin airlifts in response to Stalin, flying food, fuel, and supplies into West Berlin for 11 months from June 1948 to September 1949

At its peak, planes landed every 30 seconds and delivered over 13,000 tonnes of supplies in one day

On the 12th of May 1949, Stalin re-opened the borders in defeat.

What were the results of the Berlin Blockade and airlift?

In May 1949, American, Britain, and France united their zones into the Federal Republic of Germany and in October 1949 Stalin set up the German Democratic Republic, solidifying the Iron Curtain.

In 1949 the western allies set up NATO as a defensive alliance against Russia to stop Soviet expansion. NATO countries surrounded Russia, so they saw it as an ‘aggressive alliance’. In 1955 the Soviet Union set up the Warsaw pact.

The Arms Race began and the USA set up its own missile bases in Western Europe.