1 The origins and meaning of the Cold War

Question 1

The Cold war

Answer 1

after 1945 -> clear that there were only 2 great powers (US + USSR)
both have:
1. large populations
2. vast armies
3. rich resources
4. advanced scientific and technological know-how

allies during WW2 -> disagreements about future -> made world “cool”

post war -> divided into 2 sides
1. democratic states under US (capitalist bloc)
2. communist states under SU (communism bloc)
-> open hostility -> serious international crises -> new era

Question 2

2 great powers and what they had

Answer 2

1. large populations
2. vast armies
3. rich resources
4. advanced scientific and technological know-how

Question 3

the two sides the world was divided in

Answer 3

1. democratic states under US (capitalist bloc)
2. communist states under SU (communism bloc)
   -> open hostility -> serious international crises -> new era

Question 4

cold war meaning

Answer 4

tension and hostility between capitalist and communist blocs
cold -> no large scale fighting
when crises -> only threatened each other + exaggerated mistake -> trying to get other to backdown but neither dared risk a “hot war”

Question 5

why didn’t they fight but had a cold war instead

Answer 5

a real war with nuclear powers between them could mean MAD mutual assured destruction

Question 6

how did the hostility of the two sides express themselves

Answer 6

1. propaganda
2. economic competition
3. military alliances
4. spying
5. arms race

Question 7

Why did the US and USSR become rivals

Answer 7

allies united in fighting hitler -> did not mean they could settle disagreements and cooperate in peace

Question 8

main reasons for the cold war

Answer 8

1. ideological differences
2. growing distrust between the USSR and the West since 1945
3. “Iron Curtain” speech by Churchill, 1946

Question 9

Ideological differences of SU and US

Answer 9

1. basic differences in ideologies
2. opinions of nature of society
   -> couldn’t cooperate genuinely after Axis Powers wiped out

political: free election + more than 1 political party + condemned dictatorship vs single party rule + worldwide revolution that would bring communist governments to power
economical: private property ownership + public ownership inefficient vs all means of production should be owned by the state + private ownership allows rich to exploit poor
social aspect: valued individual freedom + limited control on people’s lives vs public welfare > freedom + absolute control over people

Question 10

Ideological differences in terms of politics

Answer 10

free election + more than 1 political party + condemned dictatorship vs single party rule + worldwide revolution that would bring communist governments to power

Question 11

Ideological differences in terms of economics

Answer 11

private property ownership + public ownership inefficient vs all means of production should be owned by the state + private ownership allows rich to exploit poor

Question 12

Ideological differences in terms of social

Answer 12

valued individual freedom + limited control on people’s lives vs public welfare > freedom + absolute control over people

Question 13

Growing distrust between the USSR and the West since 1945

Answer 13

soviet mistrust of the west:
1. western power’s’ intervention in the Russian Civil War 1918-1921
2. resentment towards the western allies during the second world war (1941-44)
3. suspicious attitude towards the united states
4. discontent about the lenient punishment of Germany 1945

Western mistrust of the USSR
1. soviet expansion into Eastern Europe

Question 14

western powers’ intervention in the Russian Civil War year

Answer 14

1918-1921

Question 15

western powers’ intervention in the Russian Civil War

Answer 15

intervened against the communist government in the Russian Civil War -> ill feeling SU vs Western powers

Question 16

Resentment towards the Western Allies during the second world war

Answer 16

stalin -> Western Allies had not helped relieve suffering of people during WW2
-> soviets left to fight germans alone on eastern front (western front not opened until 1944)
-» suffered the highest casualties among the allies

Question 17

suspicious attitude from the US

Answer 17

American president Harry Truman kept news about invention of atomic bomb from stalin before use in WW2 against japan
-> US mot willing to share secrets with USSR -> increase soviet fear and suspicion (west might attack and destroy communism some day)

Question 18

discontent about the lenient punishment of Germany

Answer 18

SU suffer in war -> stalin hate and fear germany -> potsdam conference in july 1945 -> plot to weaken germany permanently (through heavy reparations)
request clashed with wishes of Western allies -> wanted Germany to be reconstructed on the basis of democracy and peace

Question 19

Potsdam Conference date

Answer 19

1945 july

Question 20

The soviet expansion into eastern europe

Answer 20

Germany about to be defeated -> Churchill (British), Roosevelt (America), Stalin met at Yalta in 1945 Feb
Conference -> SU allowed to liberate Eastern Europe (take their land)
Churchill + Roosevelt worried he’ll expand their area of influence into the region -> tolerate demands for Stalin’s support in the war against Japan

end of WW2 -> Soviet boundary in Polish territory -> gained land from Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czechoslovakia + Rumania
advance into Eastern Europe -> damage soviet relations

Question 21

what land did SU gain after WW2

Answer 21

1. Finland
2. Lithuania
3. Latvia
4. Estonia
5. Czechoslovakia
6. Rumania
   boundary extended into polish territory

Question 22

the Yalta conference date

Answer 22

February 1945

Question 23

the “Iron Curtain” speech by Churchill, 1946

Answer 23

early 1946 -> Stalin start to promote communism in eastern EU countries
soviet backing -> communists won elections easily + one party dictatorships set up in Albania, Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland&raquo_space; soviet satellites

term ‘iron curtain’ first used in Churchills speech on 5th march 1946 -» describe barrier set up by SU along borders of her satellites in eastern EU
barrier
1. cut off satellites from Western influence
2. stopped all free communication between east + west EU
3. boundaries barbed-wired
4. all trade relations with West forbidden -» like iron curtain separating them
-» greater suspicion between SU and western countries -> cold war

Question 24

Yugoslavia as a SU satellites

Answer 24

Yugoslavia one of the satellites-> left Soviet bloc in 1948
leader Marshal Josef Tito maintain Yugoslavia communist independent of Moscow

Question 25

iron curtain speech date

Answer 25

5th march 1946

Question 26

why is it called “Iron Curtain” speech

Answer 26

describe barrier set up by SU along borders of her satellites in eastern EU
barrier -> cut off satellites from Western influence -> stopped all free communication between east + west EU
boundaries barbed-wired + all trade relations with West forbidden -» like iron curtain separating them
-» greater suspicion between SU and western countries -> cold war

Question 27

Soviet satellites by 1946

Answer 27

1. Albania
2. Bulgaria
3. Rumania
4. Hungary
5. Czechoslovakia
6. Poland