The Cold War Causes

When was the Cold War?

1945-1990

What was the Cold War?

Ongoing political rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union with their respective allies

What political ideology did 'The West' believe in ?

Capitalism

What is capitalism?

Individualism, state deregulation

What political ideology did 'The East' believe in ?

Communism

What is communism?

Collectivism, state regulation

What military weapons were used in the cold war?

Nuclear weapons (WMD)

What is WMD?

weapons of mass destruction

What is N.A.T.O?

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NATO (Cold War)

During the Cold War, NATO focused on collective defence and the protection of its members from potential threats emanating from the Soviet Union.

Why was the Warsaw Pact created?

Dominated by the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact was established as a balance of power or counterweight to NATO.

What was the Warsaw Pact? (countries involved)

The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance for mutual defence which the USSR signed along with Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany and Albania.

When was the Warsaw Pact formed?

1955

When was NATO formed?

1949

What is a proxy war?

A war instigated by a major power that does not itself become involved.

What does MAD mean?

Mutually Assured Destruction

Was their direct fighting in the Cold War?

No

What is the opposite to a Cold War?

Hot War

Why did they not engage in a Hot War?

It would be MAD and could cause destruction of humanity (fissile) from nuclear fission.

What was Operation Manhattan?

Code name for the secret project of first nuclear weapons for the USA

Who was Klaus Fuchs?

A spy who provided the USSR with American nuclear secrets.

What was the containment policy?

Containment was the policy where the West tried to prevent the spread of Communism around the world

When did the USA enter WW2 against German and Japan?

1941

What was the Grand Alliance?

An alliance during WW2 between USA, USSR and UK.

What does USSR stand for?

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

What was the USSR?

A collection of 15 countries controlled directly by Russia, ranging from Armenia to Uzbekistan.

When was the USSR established?

1922

When did the USSR collapse?

1991

Why did the USA and the USSR emerge from WW2 as rival superpowers?

Due to ideological differences

What are superpowers?

Countries that held a dominant and inflential gloval position due to their military and economic strength

What were the nuclear capabilites of the USA?

In 1945 used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

What were the nuclear capabilites of the USSR?

1949 they produced their first nuclear weapon

Why was the USSR a threat to the USA?

They had the largest army.

Why did Russia withdraw from the Triple Entente in WW1?

Due to the Russian Revolution (1917)

What was the outcome of the Russian revolution?

Communism under Lenin

Who was Lenin's successor?

Joseph Stalin

Nazi-Soviet Pact

A secret agreement between the Germans and the Russians that said that they would not attack each other (1939)

Why did Stalin sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

Hoping to avoid a German invasion and gain land in Poland

When was Operation Barbarossa?

The summer of 1941

What was Operation Barbaross?

When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union despite their pact

Consequence of Operation Barbarossa?

Pushed the Soviets into the Grand Alliance as they all had Nazi Germany and Japan as common enemies

When was the Tehran Conference?

November 1943

Significance of the Tehran Conference?

First meeting between the Big Three

Who were the Big Three in WW2?

Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin

Outcome of the Tehran conference?

The USSR would join the USA and Britain in the war against Japan once Nazi Germany was defeated. THe USA and Brtain would invade France (kick out Nazis) by May 1944.

When were the D-Day landings?

6th June 1944

What happened on D-day?

Liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control. Soviet forces push back against advancing German forces from the East

1945 - Poland

By the beginning of 1945 Soviet troops were pushing the Nazis out of Poland and by April 1945 the Red Army had Berlin surrounded

Where did Hitler commit suicide?

In his bunker

When did Hitler commit suicide?

April 30, 1945

Aims of USSR after WW2:

Sphere of influence should be created in Eastern Europe to guarantee Soviet security. The World Bank and IMF should have no authority over the USSR. Germany should be kept in a weakened position to not pose a threat.

Aim of USA after WW2:

Germany should be rebuilt as an independent, democratic state without being punished. Liberated countries in Eastern Europe had the right to self-determinism

Aims of both USA and USSR after WW2:

Grand Alliance continued. World Bank and IMF should be established to rebuild the global economy. Germany should be forced to pay reparations to help rebuild the USSR. UN should be set up to resolve disagreements to avoid war in the future.

What is IMF?

International Monetary Fund- gives emergency loans, criticized for charging interest

When was the Yalta Conference?

February 1945

What was the Yalta Conference?

1945 strategy meeting between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin to decide the shape of post-war Europe.

What was decided at the Yalta Conference (UN)?

UN organisation to replace the league of Nations. USSR, Britain, Frane and China to have power of veto.

What was decided at the Yalta Conference (Germany division)?

Germany was split into four zones once the war was over. The USA, USSR, Britain and France would each control a zone and would bring Nazi criminals to trial as part of the denazification of Germany.

How was Berlin split?

Into 4 zones however the capital lay in the Russian Zone

Bizonia formed:

January 1947 when USA and Britain merged their Berlin zones together

Trizonia formed

March 1948 when France merged with Bizonia to merge their Berlin zones together

What was decided at the Yalta Conference (reparations)?

Germany would pay reparations

What was decided at the Yalta Conference (Poland)

A government of 'national unity' to be set up in Poland. The borders of Poland to shift westwards taking 25% of Fermany and the Curzon line in the East so that East Poland becomes part of the USSR.

What was decided at the Yalta Conference (Elections)?

Free elections to be held in the liberated European countries. This part of the agreement was called the Declaration of Liberated Europe.

What was decided at the Yalta Conference (Japan)?

USSR would help the USA fight against Japan once Germany was defeated.

What was decided at the Yalta Conference overall?

UN, Germany division, reparations, Poland, Elections, Japan war.

Churchill opinion on outcome at Yalta conference?

Churchill was aware of Stalin's ambitions to expand his territory and influence in Europe and the 'percentages agreement' reflected his determination to look after British interests and limit Soviet expansion. Churchill saw Britain's interests as being best served by a close relationship with the USA. Didn't want to interact much with Stalin. Scared that Communism would spread as in Britain there is the first ever majority elected Labour Government. Clement Attlee is left wing.

Roosevelt opinion on outcome at Yalta conference?

Roosevelt was elected president in 1932 and had held power ever since. At Yalta, he was wholly committed to working with the USSR to rebuild Europe and got on well with Stalin. However, it was his view that only a Europe built on American capitalist principles could prevent a future war. Some historians have suggested that he misunderstood Stalin's aims and assumed that they wanted the same thing.

Stalin opinion on outcome at Yalta conference?

The war had devastated the Soviet Union. Millions dead, towns, industry and agriculture destroyed, Stalin's main aim was to ensure that the same thing could never happen again. Many of his ministers and advisors were distrustful of the USA and Britain because they were capitalist but Stalin recognised the need for cooperation. He had built a good working relationship with the other leaders despite their ideological differences and was prepared to negotiate.

When was the Potsdam Conference?

July 1945 five months after Yalta

Big Three at Potsdam?

Clement Attlee (Britain), Harry Truman (USA), Joseph Stalin (USSR)

How did Attlee replace Churchill?

Part way through the Potsdam Conference Churchill lost the election and was replaced by Labour Leader Attlee.

What political government did Attlee run?

Labour

Why did Truman replace Roosevelt?

April 1945, Roosevelt died and so Truman (vice-president) took over as president

Tension over Stalin's red army?

Soviet troops had liverated countries in Eastern Europe. Stalin's red Army remained in those countries. Stalin refused to remove them or begin to demilitarise. USA and Britain didn't approve of Stalin's sphere of influence.

Communist government in Poland

January 1947, Stalin set up a communist government in Poland with no democratic election violating the agreement at Yalta

Test of Atomic bomb

July 1945, the USA successfully tested an atomic bomb.

Tension caused by the testing of atomic bomb?

Truman told Stalin of the bomb at the conference however Stalin believed he should have been consulted beforehand.

Stalin view at Potsdam conference

Convinced that USA was a rival for power and influence in Europe. After WW2 he wasn't willing to compromise and he had the Red Army in Eastern Europe. Didn't trust Truman at all compared to Roosevelt, and the American atomic weapons programme added to this.

Truman view at Potsdam

Self-determination for the countries of Europe. A capitalist society. Bad relationship with Stalin as he was concerned about the growth of Soviet power in Eastern Europe. Truman was convinced that Stalin didn't want to cooperate. He was willing to use force for the USA. Developed the world's first successful atomic bomb.

Attlee's view at Potsdam

Concerned about USSR's expansion into Eastern Europe. Labour government wanted to focus on improving lives of people in post-war Britain. Large-scale social reform, creation of NHS. Vital to stay close with the USA as they were no longer a dominant force

Outcome of Potsdam (Nazi criminals):

Nazi Party banned and former leaders would be tried as war criminals. Germans living in Poland, Hungary or Czechoslovakia would be returned to Germany.

Outcome of Potsdam (reparations):

Russia could take whatever it wanted from the Soviet zone, plus 10% of the industrial resources of the other zones (Britain and US weren't happy with that).

Outcome of Potsdam (rigged elections)

Communists were coming in to power in Eastern Europe through rigged elections.

Outcome of Potsdam (atomic bomb)

Potsdam Declaration demanded Japan's unconditional surrender, Truman had the oprion of using a nuclear weapon against Japan so they no longer needed help from the USSR.

Britain's concern coming out of Potsdam:

They were no longer a global superpower, main concern was how they were going to manage an era of peaceful decolonization

When was Hiroshima bombed?

August 6, 1945

When was Nagazaki bombed?

9th August 1945

When did Japan surrender?

August 15, 1945

How many people were killed instantly by the bomb at Hiroshima?

70,000

Long-term effect of atomic bomb?

Radiation poisoning and severe burns.

Justification of Hiroshima bombing?

Ended another world war. Crime to resist the war effort in Japan so the war would have prolonged the battle with more and more casualties.

Unjustified Hiroshima bombing?

Many civilians died, lasting effect for years after the war ended. The first bombing could perhaps be justified but the bombing of Nagasaki only three days didn't give Japan to formulate a response.

How did the atomic bomb impact relations between the USA and USSR? (Stalin threatened)

Stalin was threatened by the atomic bomb in USA. More tension was created as Truman wasn't fully open about the bomb. This created a justification for then Russia creating their own atomic bomb.

How did the atomic bomb impact relations between the USA and USSR? (Truman seeks confrontation)

The atomic bomb made Truman feel unstoppable and encouraged him to seek confrontation witht the USSR.

Evidence that Truman seeked confrontation with USSR after the creation of atomic bomb?

More agressive attitude at Potsdam. He switched from pro-soviet advisors to anti-communist advisors. He dropped the bomb on Hiroshima to get Japan to surrender quickly before Stalin could enter the war and extend Communist influence into Japan.

When was the Marshall Plan?

1948

What was the Marshall Plan?

Foreign aid to Europe for economic recovery after WW2.

What was Stalin's response to Marshall Plan?

Stalin forbade countries in the Eastern Block to accept Marshall aid to show that Communism could survive on its own proving that it was better than Capitalism.

Iron Curtain

A political barrier that isolated the peoples of Eastern Europe after WWII, restricting their ability to travel outside the region