Edexcel GCSE History Cold War - Early tensions

Who was the leader of the Soviet Union at the start?

Josef Stalin

What are differences between East and West?

• Soviet Union only has 1 party compared to USA and Britain which have free elections

• Communism vs Capitalism

• All property is state owned in USSR but is privately owned in US

• Lots more individual freedom in West whilst East focuses on rights of all workers

When was the Grand Alliance formed?

June 1941

When was the Tehran Conference?

November 1943

Agreements made at Tehran Conference?

• USA and Britain to set up a “second front”

• Stalin to declare war on Japan after war in Europe is over

• Foundation for UN

• No formal agreement about Germany, but decided it should be made weak

What were the disagreements at Tehran?

• Churchill disagreed with Roosevelt and Stalin on where to open the second front (balkans for him)

• Tension between Roosevelt and Churchill since Roosevelt sees British Empire as a threat

When was the Yalta Conference?

February 1945

What were the agreements made at Yalta?

• After the war Germany would be split into 4 zones

• Germany would $20Bn in reparations, half to USSR

• Stalin agrees to join in war against Japan

• Stalin agreed to free elections in Europe

Who were the 4 countries who were to control an area of Germany?

• United Kingdom

• USA

• France

• USSR

What was the main disagreement at Yalta?

The issue of Poland was the main disagreement since Britain supported the London Poles whilst Stalin supported a communist government

When was the Potsdam Conference?

July-August 1945

Who were the leaders at the Potsdam Conference?

Truman, Stalin and Attlee

What major world events occurred before the Potsdam Conference?

• Germany surrendered on May 1945

• USA successfully developed A-Bomb

• The UN was created in June 1945

What were the agreements at Potsdam?

• Germany to be divided into 4 zones but economy run as a whole

• Berlin also to be divided into 4 zones

What were the disagreements at Potsdam?

• Truman and Stalin disagreed about whether Germany should pay heavy reparations

• No agreement over government of Eastern Europe

When did the US drop the A-Bomb on Hiroshima?

6th August 1945

When was the Kennan Long Telegram?

22nd February 1946

What was the message of George Kennan’s Long Telegram?

• Reported that Stalin wanted to destroy Capitalism since he felt the outside world wanted to destroy communism

• Believed that USSR would back down if met with strong resistance

How did the Long Telegram impact the US government?

It caused the government to adopt a policy of “containment” to stop communism from spreading

When was the Novikov Telegram?

27th September 1946

Who was Nikolai Novikov?

He was a Soviet diplomat working in Washington

What was the message of the Novikov Telegram?

• Said that the US wanted to use their military power to dominate the world

• Believed that Americans no longer wanted to co-operate with the USSR

• Thought American people would support a war

What was the impact in Moscow from the Novikov Telegram?

They believed they now had to develop as much protection as possible in Eastern Europe

When was Winston Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech?

5th March 1946

What was the message of the “Iron Curtain” speech?

He believed that the USSR was a threat to world freedom and peace.

When was the Truman Doctrine?

12th March 1947

What was the purpose of the Truman Doctrine?

• To give economic aid to Greece and Turkey

• He used it to speak of the differences between democracy and communism as being good vs evil

• Enforced ‘contaiment’ policy

When was the Marshall Plan announced?

May 1947

What was the purpose of the Marshall Plan?

To provide economic aid to war-torn countries.

Who were the main gainers from the Marshall Plan?

UK - $3,297 million
France - $2,296 million
West Germany - $1,448 million

When was Cominform set up?

22nd September 1947

Purpose of Cominform for USSR?

• Gave Stalin a way directing and controlling the Soviet Satellite States

• Trading with other Cominform members was encouraged

• Contact with non-Cominform members was discouraged

When was Comecon set up?

25th Januaray 1949

What was the purpose of Comecon?

• Direct competition to the Marshall Plan

• Arranging trade and credit agreements between member countries

What were the consequences of Comecon?

• Bulgaria’s trade with other Comecon members increased from 10% in the 1930s to 90% in 1951

• Tensions between East and West to increase

When was Trizonia created?

March 1948

When did the Berlin Blockade start?

June 1948

Why did Stalin start the Berlin Blockade?

• Wanted to show western powers that a divided Germany wouldn’t work

• As propaganda

• To force the western powers to hand over control of Berlin

What was Operation Vittles?

• Coal, food and other necessities flown into West Berlin

• A new runway was built at Berlin-Tempelhog and an airport at Belin-Tegel

• USA and Britain each able to fly in 1,000 tonnes of supplies every day

When was the end of the Berlin Blockade?

9th May 1949

What were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade?

• Propaganda win for West

• Federal Republic of Germany was created on 23rd May 1949

• German Democratic Republic was created in October 1949

• Creation of two armed camps: NATO and Warsaw Pact

When was NATO created?

April 1949

When was the Warsaw Pact created?

May 1955

When did the USSR first develop the A-Bomb?

1949

When did the USA first successfully test the Hydrogen Bomb?

November 1952

When did the USSR first successfully test the Hydrogen Bomb?

August 1953

When did the USA test first ICBM?

June 1957

When did the USSR test first ICBM?

August 1957

When did Eisenhower take office?

January 1953

When did Stalin die?

5th March 1953

What were the problems in Hungary in 1956?

• Lack of political freedoms

• Problems created by fuel shortages and poor harvests

Who was the Stalinist Hungarian prime minister who got overthrown in 1956?

Rakosi

Who took over from Rakosi in 1956 in Hungary?

Imre Nagy

What were Nagy’s initial proposed reforms in October?

• End one-party state

• Immediate release of many political prisoners

• Soviet troops withdrawn

What did Imre Nagy do that caused Khrushchev to react?

On 1st November 1956, Nagy announced that Hungary would be leaving the Warsaw Pact which caused Khrushchev to react

What was the Soviet’s response to the Hungarian Uprising?

• On 4th November, 1,000 tanks rolled into Budapest

• 20,000 Hungarians killed

• New Pro-Communist Government set up under Janos Kadar

When was it announced that Nagy had been tried and executed?

July 1958

What were the consequences of the Hungarian Uprising?

• Made Khrushchev’s position in USSR much more secure

• Reflected badly on USA since they refused to take action to help Hungary

• Soured relations between East and West