The Origins of the Cold War 1945-1949

When was the Yalta conference and what was it?

1945

A lot of tension between Chruchill, Roosevelt and Stalin

Roosevelt and Churchill seemed to have many of the same objectives:

Collective security founded on the United Nations,

the right to national self determination and no spheres of influence,

germanys reconstruction and re-education as a democratic nation,

World economic reconstruction through the creation of the IMF and the world bank

Stalin didnt agree, wanted:

The USSR to be in control of its own destiny

the USSR’s security guaranteed through Soviet spheres of influence in Europe

Germany to remain weak for the indefinite future

Economic reconstruction for the USSR - mainly at Germany’s expense.

It was agreed that:

germany would be divided into 4 zones -USA, USSR, UK, France

Berlin would also be divided

When was the Potsdam and what was decided between who

1945

Atlee, Truman and Stalin

Germany completely disarmed and demilitarised

De-nazification to be carried out. War crimes judged and all former Nazi party members to be removed from public office, education system to be purged of all nazi influences 

decentralisation of the political system was to be undertaken and local responsibility developed

freedom of speech and a free press were to be restored, as were religious tolerance

Germany was to become a single economic unit with common policies on industry and finance 

USSR to receive reparations from its zone and an additional 25% from the western zones

Potsdam failed to address the growing suspicion and uncertainty that had developed between the USA and the Soviet Union after the USA had detonated the first atomic bomb a day before Potsdam

Which country occupied Japan after its surrender in 1945

The USA Which leads to Vietnam and Korea’s freedom from Japanese occupation

How many members did Mao’s communist party have in 1945 and who had more party members, Chinese nationalists or chinese communists

Mao’s communist party grew to over 1 million members

Chinese nationalist army of 2.5 million outnumbered chinese communists 5 to 1

Which country was liberated by US and Soviet troops in 1945 

Korea was liberated from Japan’s occupation

When was the UN set up?

1945

When did Truman send 50,000 troops to assist Chiang Kai-Shek (China) re-establish control after the Japanese retreat

1945

When was Kennan’s long Telegram and what was it?

1946

It was a response to Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe (setting up soviet governments there - Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia)

Kennan was asked to provide a summary of Soviet actions and intentions. The soviets hadnt informed their allies (usa, uk) of their actions and so the USA had to find out for themselves.

In short it said that the Soviets were heavily armed and saw the West as hostile and menacing, they were determined to spread communism and therefore there would be no possible peaceful co-existence between the Soviets and the USA. BUT USA was stronger than USSR and so communism could be ‘contained’

Fundamental in the shaping of US policy towards the Soviet Union and ultimately determining the USA’s role as a global power

What is an example of Soviet expansionism in Eastern Europe after Yalta?

In Bulgaria, Gradualism, manipulated elections and the forced removal of opponents allowed for the takeover. The strongest political opponent facing the communists was led by Petkov.

Despite winning over 20% of the popular vote in the October elections, Petkov was faced with trumped-up charges and was executed. His party was then forcibly absorbed into the Bulgarian communist movement and by 1947 all other political parties had been banned. 

When was churchill’s iron curtain speech and what was it

1946

direct attack on soviet policies - this convinced Stalin that the USA was complicit in a plot with Britain to carry out an anti-soviet ideological assault

Start of clear ideological opposition between the ‘allies’

called for firmer action by the west against the threat of communism

When did the Greek civil war begin and what was its importance

1946

Both the USSR and USA regarded each other not only as a threat to national security but also as being expansionist and a global strategic threat. Mistrust and fear between the countries.

The USA realised that it was the dominant world economy and it intended to use that for its foreign policy

The USSR had successfully established the beginnings of national security via their satellite states in Eastern Europe. USSR wanted to enhance their security by developing soviet satellite states beyond Europe

Stalin had agreed that greece would stay in the West’s sphere of influence 

When the Nazi occupation fell, a civil war erupted between monarchists and Greek communists. Britain had been providing aid to anti-communist forces in Greece but announced in 1947 that aid was was no longer available, and asked the USA to assume the financial burden

When did the Chinese Civil war restart

1946

When did the Philippines establish independence from being a US colony and what resulted from it

1946

When were military academies set up in Pyongyang

1946

When did France try to reoccupy Vietnam, leading to the first indochina war

1946

When was Bizonia created and what was it

1947

The merging of American and British parts of Germany, leading to a clear alliance between the two

economically, it allowed for a more efficient distribution of resources and the implementation of a unified economic policy

Politically, it was a response to growing tensions with the USSR, which was implementing a radically different model of governance in its zone

When was the Truman doctrine and what was it?

1947

of fundamental importance in terms of the dynamics of international relations from 1947

a response to the situation in Greece (having to aid them) but it was designed to have wider application.

Wherever communist forces were attempting to overthrow a democratically elected government, the USA would take action - help any anti-communist government 

US aid and military advisers were sent to support the Greek government and the communists were defeated

Stalin saw this as evidence of US imperialism, a view only reinforced by the launching of the Marshall plan

when was the Marshall Plan and what was it?

1947

Economic support and assistance were desperately needed and so the USA committed large sums of US financial assistance to Europe.

Not entirely humanitarian: Without financial assistance, Europe would not be able to act as a market for US goods

Americans saw poverty as the ideal breeding ground for communism

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Available for any European country to apply for but in practice only went to Western Europe.

Conditions: provide economic records and open up their economy to US capitalist interests (impossible for communist states to do)

Soviet Union saw it as nothing more than a direct attack on communism and retaliated by setting up Cominform and Comecon

When was Cominform set up and what was it

1947

tighten control over communist parties in Eastern Europe and coordinate their efforts against the West.

Its purpose was to ensure that satellite states followed Soviet-style communism, spread propaganda, and resisted Western influence, particularly the Marshall Plan.

When was Comecon set up and what was it

1949

It was established as a Soviet response to the Marshall Plan to foster economic cooperation among the communist states of the Eastern Bloc, promoting trade and resource sharing within the Soviet sphere of influence.

coordinate the economies of communist countries 

What was Japan’s economy in 1947 thanks to the US

174 million dollars

What did the 1947 National security act set up

the CIA and the national security council (NSC)

When did the United Nations set up the temporary commission on Korea (UNTCOK)

1947

When did the French German zone merge with Bizonia and what were the results

1948

The creation of Trizonia was a clear signal of the Western Allies' commitment to a separate West German state, a decision that was met with a harsh response from the Soviet Union, culminating in the Berlin Blockade.

What were the causes of the 1948 Berlin blockade

Marshall aid was not given to east Germany but it was Given to West Germany - eastern zone plundered for resources and the living conditions remained low and were slow to recover - West Berlin was prosperous while east berlin struggled.

Introduction of the new Deutsche Mark would hopefully provide economic stability and aid recovery in West berlin. - last straw for Stalin

What was the Berlin blockade 1948

All road, rail and canal links to West Berlin were severed.

The blockade of the city was interpreted by the US government as the first stage of an attack on West Germany - unlikely.

Stalin probably just wanted to starve the West out of Berlin and prevent the emergence of a separate West German state under US influence. 

What were the results of the 1948-49 Berlin blockade

Berlin airlift-  airlifts of supplies into Berlin, expensive operation but despite constant shortages the city was able to survive. 

Creation of NATO- Berlin blockade demonstrated the need for a more coordinated approach by the West in order to prepare for the possibility of soviet aggression. USA opened talks with Canada and Western Europe. Enlargement of the 1948 Brussels treaty which had been signed by Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg to establish military cooperation in the event of war. Proved to Soviets that thered be no American isolationism, Stalin viewed the creation of NATO as a deliberately provocative action

Creation of FDR and GDR- West and East Germany.West =capitalism, east = communism 

When did the USSR explode its first atomic bomb and what was so significant about it

1949, Earlier than the wet had expected

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