Who was to blame for the Cold War

Democracy

A form of political system based on popular consent

Capitalist

A form of economic system where most of the economy is privately owned

Communism

an ideology which aims to create an equal society, where the economy controlled by the people and private ownership doesn’t exist

Spheres of influence

A territory where one country has political or economic control

When was the Yalta Conference and who were the Big Three at Yalta

February 1945, Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt

When was the Potsdam conference and who was there?

Jul 1945, Stalin, Truman and Atlee

What caused tension between USA and USSR?

Truman kept the info of the Manhattan Project a secret from Stalin, but when Truman revealed it to him he already knew because he was spying on him.

Manhattan Project

The US research project takes to develop an atomic bomb

What was agreed at Yalta

• There was to be no separate peace

• Germany and its capital (Berlin) would be divided into four occupations

• USSR to intervene in the war with Japan once Germany was defeated

What was discussed at Potsdam

• Polish/German border was to be settled at the Oder-Neisse Line

• Germany would be denazified and war crimes trials were to be held in Germany and Japan

• Stalin wanting to gain a foothold in Japan

  • Future government of Poland

How did the USSR gain control of Eastern Euro by 1948

• Rigged elections

• Soviet troops remained after liberation

• Gradually took over the police and security forces

• In Bulgaria, monarchy was abolished in 1946

Containment

Truman developed this strategy 1945-47. To prevent the USSR expanding any further. Contains Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid

Truman Doctrine

March 1947- an open-ended commitment to help any nation threatened by a totalitarian state’s aggression and to defend free countries threatened by aggressive neighbours throughout the world

Marshall Aid

June 1947 by George Marshall (European Recovery Program)- financial support to stabilise European countries’ economies and prevent communist takeover/ prevents the growth of Communism/ Lasted for four years and provide $3.3 bil for European recovery/ accepted by 16 countries

Cominform

Set up by USSR ensures all the communists parties of eastern and western Europe followed by the Soviet model of Communism

Warsaw Pact

14 May 1955, eight communist countries agreed in Poland to unify their armed forces under a central command in response of the rearmament of West Germany and its incorporation into NATO

NATO(North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)

western military alliance against USSR, April 1949 USA joined NATO,

Trizonia

An economic union of three Western zones into one zone, Britain, France and USA. Created a new currency in the four zones but refused in Stalin’s zone

Berlin Blockade