GCSE COLD WAR: Topic 1 - Truman Doctrine

topic 1 - lesson 7 on oneNote

Politics (USSR & USA)

USSR - One political party - The Communist Party
USA - Several parties - voters choose and change their governments

Economy (USSR & USA)

USSR - All industry and businesses owned by the state for the benefit of everyone
Everyone is equal
USA - Most industry and businesses privately owned
Divide in wealth

Influence (USSR & USA)

USSR - Encourage communism in other countries
USA - Encourage trade with other countries

Big Three

Stalin
Roosevelt
Churchill

TEHRAN CONFERENCE (1943)

-A second front would be opened in France in May 1944
- USSR would enter war with Japan after Germany's defeat
-UN would be set up post war
-Poland's borders would be along Oder and Neisse rivers; adding area to Easter Poland for Soviet Union

YALTA CONFERENCE (FEBRUARY 1945)

-Declaration of Liberated Europe - to aid all peoples liberated from Nazi rule
-Soviet Union would enter war against Japan after Germany's defeat
-divide Germany and Berlin into four zones
-hunt down and trial Nazi war criminals
-allow free elections in countries liberated from German occupation
-Setting up a UN

YALTA CONFERENCE DISAGREEMENTS

-Stalin wanted a higher figure of German reparations than Roosevelt and Churchill
-Stalin wanted the Polish border to be further west and a 'friendly' Polish government
But he agreed to free elections

Roosevelt's death

April 1945

Who attended the Potsdam conference?

Stalin
Attlee
Truman

What happened before the Potsdam conference?

-Roosevelt died
-Churchill lost the election and Attlee was prime minister
-US had tested the atomic bomb successfully, Stalin furious that he wasn't consulted.

POTSDAM CONFERENCE (JULY 1945)

-To divide Germany and Berlin into four zones
-Germany to pay reparations in material and equipment
-De-Nazification: Nazi Party banned. Nazis removed and put on trial for war crimes
-Move Poland's border west - along Oder and Neisse rivers
-Full participation in UN organisation

When did the Soviet Union suffer invasion from Germany?

1914
1941

POTSDAM CONFERENCE DISAGREEMENTS

-Stalin wanted massive compensation from Germany. Truman refused seeing Germany as a possible barrier to future Soviet expansion.
-Truman wanted free elections in Eastern European countries occupied by soviet troops. Stalin did not.

Purpose of Satellite States

Soviet controlled areas acted as a buffer zone for future invasions

When were Soviet Satellite States with communist governments established across Eastern Europe?

1948

Elections in Satellite States

Elections held in each Eastern European country but rigged to ensure that Soviet-controlled communist parties took over

Soviet Satellite States

Albania
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
East Germany (from 1949 the GDR)
Hungary
Poland
Romania

Consequences of Soviet Satellite States

-Security for Soviet Union, East Europe could now act as a buffer zone against possible invasion from West
-Increased rivalry - USA, Britain and France believes Stalin's motives were political - expansion fears shown in Long Telegram
-Soviet Union now had control of Eastern Europe, confirmed divisions between East and West stated in Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech

Iron Curtain Speech

March 1946, Churchill made a speech in Fulton, USA saying an 'iron curtain has descended across the continent of Europe' between East and West

When did the Telegrams come out?

1946

The Long Telegram

George Kennan USA's deputy Chief of Mission at US embassy in Moscow. He saw USSR as aggressive and suspicious and recommended firm action. His telegram greatly influenced Truman's policies especially his policy of containment.

Novikov Telegram

Nikolai Novikov, Soviet ambassador to USA. Accused the USA of trying to achieve world dominance.

When did Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan come out?

1947

TRUMAN DOCTRINE (1947)

Truman began a US policy of containment
-USA, especially Truman believed that the Soviet Union was trying to spread communism and Greece was being threatened by a communist takeover. Early 1947, Britain told USA it could no longer afford to support Greece and Turkey.

CONSEQUENCES OF TRUMAN DOCTRINE

-Greek government was able to defeat the communists.
-rivalry between USA and Soviet Union increased the doctrine confirmed and division into ideologies.
-USA became committed to policy of containment and involved in European affairs
-USA decided on Marshall Plan and Stalin set up Cominform

MARSHALL PLAN(1947)

Truman believed that communism generally won support where there was poverty. Many European countries has suffered badly.
USA could help countries recover without returning to communism

CONSEQUENCES OF MARSHALL PLAN

-By 1953, USA proved $17 billion of aid to help rebuild economies and improve living.
-Europe became more firmly divided between East and West. Stalin prevented Eastern European countries from being involved.
-Stalin accused USA of using the plan for its own selfish interests

When were the Cominform and Comecon set up?

1947

COMINFORM

Communist Information Bureau set up in 1947