COLD WAR

What was agreed at the Yalta conference?

What was agreed at the Yalta conference?

Stalin would enter war against Japan

Germany into 4 zones

Punish war criminals

Countries in Eastern Europe still part of the Soviet sphere but also have free elections

What were the disagreements at the Yalta conference?

Position of Poland's borders

What was the sphere of influence and the 'free elections' and what type of parties were allowed to be there: communist and capitalist?

What were the impacts of the Yalta conference?

Roosevelt was pleased that the three main states of the USSR - Russia, Ukraine and Belarus - had agreed to join the United Nations

Divided Germany and Berlin into four allied zones. These later became West and East German States.

Poland fall under Soviet communist power because Stalin reneged on his promise to allow free elections and self-determination in Poland after the war.

What were the reasons for the decisions made at the Yalta conference?

Still in war against Germany (common enemy) Didn't want UN to become powerless like LoN Leaders generally respected each other

What was agreed at the Potsdam conference?

Western countries allowed USSR to receive industrial equipment and goods from their zone

Division of Germany

Trialling the war criminals

What were the disagreements at the Potsdam conference?

East Germany taken over by communism in Germany

No free elections

Stalin set up communist government in Poland

Disagreement over Germany: Stalin wanted reparations from Germany
Disagreement over soviet policy in Europe

What were the reasons for the decisions made at the Potsdam conference?

Truman hated communism wanted to be tough on Stalin Americans successfully tested atomic bomb and Stalin not told of this Saw the actions as preparations for a Soviet take-over

Common enemy now GONE

What were the impacts of the Potsdam conference?

Truman had mentioned to Stalin that the USA had successfully tested the atomic bomb through the Trinity test, increased tensions between countries Stalin wanted harsher reparations against Germany, while Truman wanted to protect the German economy

When were the atomic bombs dropped?

August 1945

Why were they dropped?

To end the war between Japan and US

To show the power of the US compared to the Soviets Response to pearl Harbour

How did the atomic bombs increase tension?

Stalin wanted to create a buffer zone between Germany and the Soviet Union, to protect the Soviet Union from any potential invasions from the West

The defeat of both Germany and Japan meant both an end to the Second World War and to the 'Grand Alliance'

What were the West's aims for East Europe?

A strong Germany was made - no repeating mistakes from ToV

Democracy and Capitalism in Eastern Europe

What were the Soviet's aims for East Europe?

• Weak Germany which could never invade USSR (due to the devastating impacts that were incurred due to the invasion which Stalin was mad at Britain and France for not helping)

• Sphere of influence of communist governments

• USSR able to exploit resources in East Europe

What did the West think were the reasons for Soviet expanison?

Stalin was a power-hungry dictator seizing his opportunity to expand the USSR's influence

The USSR was spreading the ideology of communism by forcing it on other countries

Why did Stalin want to maintain power in Europe?

The USSR was setting up a buffer zone to protect itself from future invasions

The USSR needed to protect itself from Western atomic bombs by preventing them from using air bases close to the USSR

What was in Churchill's iron curtain speech?

Hostile towards the expansion of Stalin's control from early stage. He called the division the Iron curtain

Suggested the countries under soviet control had been cut off and were separated by secrecy and suspicion from the West

How did the iron curtain speech build tensions?

Stalin believed that it also reflected the beliefs of Truman and the US government This led to even greater tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union, leading to a build-up of military forces by both sides

How did Stalin gain control of Eastern Europe?

Only communist candidates, caused Poland to become a coalition

Arrest and Execution of Leaders such as Jan Masaryk and then opposition parties had been banned

All of these were known as salami tactics and helped establish Stalin's sphere of influence around the Eastern Bloc One country Yugoslavia freed itself from German control and so USSR had less control over it

What was the US response to the soviet expanison?

TRUMAN DOCTRINE - MARSHALL PLAN-

What was the truman doctrine?

TRUMAN DOCTRINE - oppose the spread of communism (by non-military means). This was also known as the policy of containment- of containing the spread of communism. Announced by President Truman in 1947.

What was Marshall aid?

MARSHALL PLAN- USA promised $17bn of aid- paid for by American taxes. Available to any country which applied. Supported post-war recovery to help struggling economies and prevent extremist ideas taking hold.

Why were the doctrine and aid set up?

To stop communism spreading to Europe Policy of containment - Contain spread of communism Help them recover from the depression and recover European markets

What were the USSR reaction to the doctrine and aid?

Set up Cominform to defeat USA, setting up the satellite states

Saw this as economic imperialism and forbade countries receiving Marshall aid. Set up COMECON to aid satellite states and unite the economy

Main reasons for the start of the Cold War?

BELIEFS - Capitalism vs Communism

AIMS - Eastern Europe and Germany, Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan

RESENTMENT - From WW1 and USSR suffering more

EVENTS - Atomic bomb, Russia breaking agreements

When was Trizonia formed?

March 1948 In London it was decided that Western allies should unite West Germany Created the deutschmark, a whole new currency different to Eastern Germany

How did the formation of trizonia increase tensions?

Soviet Union saw this as the West's attempts to weaken the Soviet zone in Germany

Broke agreement at Potsdam as the new currency divided the economies and therefore the countries

Main causes of increased tension which lead to the Berlin Crisis

Truman Doctrine - March 1947
Marshall Plan - April 1947
Trizonia - March 1948
Deutschmark - June 1948

How did the Berlin Blockade impact the West of Germany?

In June 1948 Stalin blockaded off West Berlin and now it was only surrounded by the East

Reliance of food grown in East Germany to feed the west berliners now gone

Prevent access to get into west berlin as the transport routes were blocked

Facts about the Berlin Blockade

A plane landed on average every 3 minutes
79 American and British pilots lost their lives due to fog and ice

How did the West respond to the blockade?

Truman was not prepared to abandon the policy of Containment, especially so soon after his announcement of the Truman Doctrine It was decided that supplies flown into West Berlin would be the most effective way to ensure that war between the two 'Superpowers' was prevented

The impact of the Berlin blockade

Created NATO, which then prompted creation of Warsaw Pact
Created GDR AND FDR, divided Germany, no hope of unification
Permanent tension surrounding Germany and first main crisis of Cold war setting pattern for other events to follow
Propaganda for USA

Why did the blockade end?

Stalin could not stop the Berlin Airlift because shooting down airplanes carrying supplies would lead to war The longer the airlift went on, the more humiliating it became for the Soviet Union On 9 May 1949, the Soviet Union lifted the Berlin Blockade

Why was the Warsaw pact created?

USSR fear of being invaded and ensured that they could transfer forces and weapons

Impact of Warsaw and NATO

The Warsaw Pact confirmed the separation of Europe into two groups
As of August 1949, the Soviet Union had achieved parity with the USA in regards to atomic weapons
The presence of two military alliances in Europe increased the likelihood of war and led to both groups increasing their military power

What was the NATO and Warsaw agreement entailing?

An armed attack against one of them would be an attack against all and was a defensive alliance

When was NATO and Warsaw formed?

1949 and 1955 (by Khrushchev)

What were China’s problems during 1900-1949?

Exploited by European empires and had a corrupt and inefficient government

They were very weak

Frequent famines caused by droughts or floods

Few industrial areas with few machines

Events that led to China falling under communism

the civil war between Chinese Nationalists and Communists with the USA and USSR continuing to support opposite sides until the Communists’ victory in 1949 – a devastating blow for the USA and their policy of containment

Nationalists fled to Taiwan, an island off China’s coast. The USA used its navy to patrol around Taiwan when Communist leader Mao Zedong threatened to invade to crush the remaining Nationalists.

What was the Treaty of Friendship?

1950. It was an agreement that USSR would supply China with loans and military aid to develop China's economy.

Why were the USA worried about communism in China?

It had potential to be a third superpower thus creating an imbalance

Fear of Domino theory : Spread of communism to neighbouring countries, which later happened and first country in Asia to fall to communism

When was the Korean war?

1950-1953

What happened to start the Korean war?

South Korean forces were swept aside and all of South Korea was occupied apart from Pusan, by the communist North Koreans

What did US do in response to the Korean start of war?

They persuaded UN to send military support to Korea and pushed the NKs back to the 38th parallel, along with Douglas McArthur leading the pusback.

USSR had walked out of meeting so could not use it veto power to counter the military decision

What was rollback in the Korean war?

It was the more aggressive policy to drive communism out from where it already existed and the Korean war became offensive

Why did the Korean war end?

After China sent troops and the war became static the stalemate ended when Stalin died and both sides agreed to peace. Now there was a divided Korea

Impact of the Korean war

First instance of warfare, rollback and the UN's role as a tool for USA
UN first involvement, but condemned as a capitalist tool by communists
First proxy war where warfare is actually happening
Marked China as a superpower, proved domino effect happening

Vietnam’s history before falling under communism

the French tried to take back control of Vietnam as a colony. However the Viet Minh fought against this.

In 1954 the Viet Minh defeated the French. The USA helped set up a non-communist government in the south of Vietnam to stop all power going to the communist Viet Minh forces.

When did the Vietnam war take place?

1955-1975

Why did the US get involved in the Vietnam war?

Worried communism was spreading from China, especially after the Viet Minh ties to China became stronger and they were getting money and weapons

Why couldn't the US defeat the Vietnamese?

Lack of support back home The Vietcong used the cover of the jungle, which they knew well, to their advantage.

They fought a hit-and-run guerrilla war against inexperienced American soldiers

The warfare brutality of the US made them extremely unpopular with the civilians who supported Vietcong

What was the My Lai massacre?

The place where US soldiers massacred hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians, mostly women and children, on 16 March 1968, during the Vietnam War. It has become a symbol of US war crimes in Vietnam.

Impacts of the Vietnam war on the Cold war

The policy of containment had failed: their actions in the neighbouring countries of Laos and Cambodia had helped to bring communist governments to power there too.

Cost America over one hundred billion dollars, and damaged reputation and morale at home.

The policy of containment was replaced by a period of détente, a thawing in the tensions of the Cold War

When did Stalin die?

1953

What was the main impacts of Khrushchev's leadership in 1956?

Policy of destalinisation BELIEVED IN PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE, began the THAW

Attended post war summit which was first time the powers had met (GENEVA SUMMIT 1955) Closed Cominform and released thousands of political prisoners

Improve living standards of ordinary soviet and east European people - Gave them televisions and radios allowed for more freedom of speech BUT Polish government had increased the food wages but not the actual payers

Catholic prisoners were released showed leniency to the Church and persecution stopped

AUSTRIA REUNITED

Why did Hungarians rebel against Soviet control in 1956?

Khrushchev's policy of destalinisation gave hope, as he freed prisoners

Hard times as under Comecon they were exploited for resources

Russian troops made them feel threatened as they were at the border and troops were paid for by taxes of the Hungarians and not by Russians

AVH secret police were hated symbol of oppression, they executed 2000 people and imprisoned 200000

Poland protests inspiration

What happened during the uprisings before the Soviet intervention?

Imre Nagy, a moderate communist, replaces hard-line Gero as prime minister. Nagy calls for an end to the violence and promises to make reforms to improve people’s lives.

25-28th October 1956: Fierce fighting in Budapest between rebels armed with petrol bombs and guns and Soviet tanks.

Numerous tanks destroyed. Fighting spreads to other parts of the country, where Soviet symbols are torn down and Soviet sympathisers and members of the AVH police are murdered.

Nagy wants Hungary to leave Warsaw pact and then…

What did Khrushchev respond to the uprisings?

Ordered 200,000 troops and 2500 tanks to fight in the streets. 10,000 Hungarians to have been thought to be killed

Later in 1958 Nagy was executed Stricter politician put into place

Impact of the Hungarian uprising

Over 200,000 fled to West

Other satellite states did not try to challenge authority again

Strengthened Khrushchev's position in USSR and showed limitations to peaceful coexistence

New stalemate as USA could not intervene in sphere of influence and only broadcasted propaganda in support

Arms race key dates 1945 to 1953 P1

1945 - USA drops atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1949 - The USSR's first successful atomic bomb test ends American nuclear monopoly

1952 - The USA successfully tests the first Hydrogen bomb, 2500 times more powerful than the atomic bomb
1953 - The USSR tests its own Hydrogen bomb.

Arms Race Key dates 1955 to 1968 P2

1955 - The USA publishes its Doctrine of Massive Retaliation stating that any attack on the USA or its allies would be met with incredible destructive force
1957 - USSR had created the first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
1958 - The USA tests its own ICBMs
1959 - The USA deploys Polaris submarines capable of launching nuclear missiles close to the shore of the USSR
1968 - The USSR develops an Anti-Ballistic Missile system to shoot down in-bound US missiles

Space Race Key Dates

1957 - The USSR launches Sputnik 1 - the world's first telecommunications satellite. Sputnik 2 was launched later that year and carried a small dog named Laika - the first living animal to go into orbit.
1960 - The USA launches Discovery XIV - the first satellite equipped with a spy camera.
1961The USSR puts the first man, Yuri Gagarin, into space. The USA responds by launching its own Apollo missions, and Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space.
1969 - The American astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, become the first men to walk on the moon.

What was MAD?

Mutually assured destruction

What were the events of the U2 crisis?

Gary Powers was spying on the USSR military bases and got shot down and captured by the Soviets

What was Khrushchev's and then the US's response to this?

Said that an American plane had been shot down, and then the US proceeded to lie about it, saying it was a Turkish weather plane later refused to apologise when Khrushchev knew about the lie.

Later K stormed out of summit meeting which was happening in Paris

Consequences of the U2 crisis

US seen as dishonest and ends trust between them
Good propaganda for USSR , able to capture spy plane and aware of espionage
Thaw is compromised and ends
Eisenhower invitation to Moscow now taken back
Limitations to peaceful coexistence: both sides felt need to spy

Talks about Berlin which could have potentially prevented the Berlin wall now not possible

Why was the Berlin wall built?

Brain drain: 2 million people left East Germany through Berlin as the Inner German frontier was closed in 1952. These people were skilled and good workers
Lure of the West: There was better housing, shops full of goods and relative freedom: all provided by the Western Allies.
Asymmetry of the West: the eastern part was always weaker than the prosperous west

What was Khrushchev's ultimatum in 1958?

Khrushchev wanted to permanently push the West out of Berlin

Khrushchev could instruct the GDR government to block all routes out of Berlin to the FRG

This would create an important buffer zone between the West and the Soviet Union

But none of the summits that he organised to talk about Berlin succeeded so Walter Ulbricht starts to try build wall in Berlin

What happened at Checkpoint Charlie?

27 October 1961 Red Army tanks pulled up to Checkpoint Charlie and refused to allow Americans to pass into the Eastern sector. Lasted for 18 hours. Showed that US was not interested in roll back of East anymore

Consequences of the Berlin wall in 1961

Propaganda for Americans: shooting of people who tried to defect was criticised as a communist tyranny
Stabilised East German economy as there was only one currency
Removed area of conflict as now it was divided

What was the Bay of Pigs Invasion?

Kennedy supplied arms, equipment and transport for…

1400 anti-Castro Cuban exiles to invade and overthrow the communist dictator. Upon landing, these exiles were met with 20,000 of Castro’s troops who ensured that the invasion failed disastrously.

All of the invading exiles were either captured or killed within a few days of them stepping foot back onto Cuban soil.

Who was the leader of Cuba after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion?

Fidel Castro. The US were trying to overthrow him but it was to no avail

What was significance of Cuba to USSR?

It was close to USA and missiles launched could target major cities in US.

Argued that it was retaliation for the air bases US had in Turkey

Who had upper hand in Cuban missile crisis?

Khrushchev's telling the U.S. that if they step down, he will. He has them in a corner and is forcing them to make a decision.

What is brinksmanship?

Pursuing a dangerous policy and pressuring your opponent to the brink of war to give in to demands

The Cuban Blockade:

Kennedy is informed of missile build up in Cuba and the arrival of Soviet ships to island and decided on a blockade to prevent them from bringing more missiles

Khrushchev ignores this and does not admit to missiles in Cuba

What was the proposal Khrushchev gave to Kennedy on the 27th?

That the Soviets are willing to remove from Cuba the missiles which they regard as offensive and he agrees to remove the missiles in Turkey as long as the Soviet Union removes theirs from Cuba.

When was the Cuban missile crisis?

1961

Significance of Cuban missile crisis

Event regarded as closest world has been to nuclear war
Soviets now had communist ally near USA
Lead to thaw of tension due to brinksmanship.

Hotline was set up so two leaders could talk to each other directly rather than sending letters

Nuclear Test Ban treaty after the conference in 1962 where nuclear weapons testing was forbidden

Why did the Prague springs in 1968 happen?

Resignation of Novotny gave the people hope

Dubcek brought communism with a face and allowed free speech and media, less control on the industry

Brezhnev was concerned with this as other countries might do the same and worried that opening borders with West would make sphere collapse

How did the USSR invade?

20th August with soviet troops, no active violence but lots of hatred Jan Palach set himself on fire

Significance of Prague Springs in 1968

Sent a clear signal to satellite countries to not break away
250,000 emigrated since
Ended all attempts to reform communism
USA did not want to interfere with the Eastern bloc
Dubcek removed from power

What was the Brezhnev doctrine in 1968?

Explained soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia and that other satellite states should not retaliate otherwise they will be met with same aggression as Prague

Reasons that detente was not successful

Table tennis and space meeting were one off propaganda stunts
Neither side agreed to SALT 1 signed in 1972
Helsinki was dismissed and Russia continued to ignore human rights

The Non-Proliferation Treaty did not stop other countries developing nuclear weapons (eg China)

Reasons detente was successful

Nixon visited China for a week and supported China’s entry into UN, even though it vetoed it before
Helsinki agreement in 1975 signed by 35 countries allowed USSR to agree on human rights
Diplomatic success of two pandas to US

The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT 1) agreement was signed in 1972. It froze the number of missile launchers. Both sides were restricted to only two sites for anti-ballistic missiles

Why was detente made

Cuban missile crisis shocked both countries and big risk of war
Both countries spending too much on weapons especially USA as they were in economic difficulties due to Vietnam war and weapons

When does cold war end?

1945 - 1991