Post war organisations, Hungarian Uprising and Berlin

Cominform (3)

1947

A union of the communist parties in Europe

Strengthened Stalin’s control over communist parties in Europe

Comecon (3)

1949

Offered financial aid to communist countries (countering the Marshall Plan)

Built up trade links between communist parties in Europe

Impact of Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Cominform and Comecon (3)

Divided Europe into two camps

West Germany recovered strongly

USSR strengthened its grip on satellite states

Why did the Berlin Blockade happen? (4)

The Western Allies joined their zones in Germany to create Trizonia, which hugely benefited from the Marshall Plan money

This angered Stalin for two reasons

It made the West look much better than the weakening East

He didn’t want Germany to become strong enough to start another war

When was the Berlin Blockade? (2)

June 1948

Stalin gradually began cutting off access to West Berlin by train, cars, boats then cut off all land access

What was the Berlin Airlift? (2)

To avoid war by ignoring Stalin’s orders, the allies decided to supply West Berlin by air

For 11 months, the Western Allies flew planes bringing 5,000 tonnes of supplies to West Berlin every day, costing over £350 million.

What was the impact of the Berlin Blockade/Airlift? (4)

Huge propaganda win for the US as the USSR appeared aggressive and threatening

NATO (1949) and the Warsaw Pact (1955)

West Germany become a country called the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG)

East Germany became a country called the German Democratic Republic (GDR)

What is N.A.T.O? (3)

Formed in 1949

A defensive military alliance who have a policy of collective defense for all its members

The US placed nuclear missiles in N.A.T.O countries to protect them

What was the Warsaw Pact? (2)

Formed in 1955

A military alliance of Soviet controlled countries

What was the Arms Race? (2)

Began in 1949

The US and the USSR racing to develop new weapons

The impact of NATO, the W.P and the Arms Race (3)

Europe was now divided into 2 opposing military camps armed with nuclear bombs

Both sides followed the policy of MAD

The USSR further strengthened its grip on its satellite states

The Hungarian Uprising: Causes (3)

Hungary suffered under Stalin’s control

Rakosi, the Hungarian leader, was brutal and ruthlessly wiped out opposition

Fodd and industrial products were shipped off to Russia, leaving less for the people

The Hungarian Uprising: Triggers (3)

Destalinisation: Krushchev gave a speech hinting there would be more freedom in 1956

In October 1956, poor harvests and food shortages meant Hungarians began demonstrating against communist control

Statues of Stalin were pulled down and local communists were attacked

The Hungarian Uprising: Nagy’s reforms(4)

Stalin installed Imre Nagy as the new Hungaian leader

He wanted to leave the Warsaw Pact and become a neutral country

Hold free elections leading to no more single-party communist government

UN protection from the Soviet Union

The Hungarian Uprising: Consequences (4)

Krushchev was worried that if Nagy succeeded in Hungary, other countries in Eastern Europe would follow, causing the Warsaw Pact to collapse

In 1956, 200,000 soviet troops invaded Hungary

5000 Hungarians were killed and Nagy was executed

A new puppet leader called Janos Kadar was installed in Hungary, who immediately began “normalising” Hungary

How communism spread (2)

Elections were fixed to make sure the communist party won and non-communists were removed from government

Once in control, the communists shut down the opposition parties and each country became a single-party state