Early Europe

Question 1

Results of Potsdam

Answer 1

USA president Roosevelt was replaced by Truman, Churchill was replaced by Clement Atlee. Stalin and Roosevelt’s positive relationship wasn’t shared with Truman

Truman dropped the atomic bomb on Japan the day before Russia was to invade preventing the USSR from gaining the spoils of war without telling Stalin

British and American attitudes towards USSR hardened

Question 2

Resentment of the past

Answer 2

Loss of a common enemy made the Allies less willing to rely on Stalin

Stalin remembers when the Allies fought as Whites against Reds during 1917 Russian Revolution

Stalin also remembers when the Allies ignored his pleas for a second front during the war

During the 30s Britain and France refused to form an alliance with Russia against Germany

Question 3

Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe

Answer 3

The USSR invaded many countries surrounding Russia to get rid of the Nazis occupying them but after that the Soviets stayed and converted them to communism to create a buffer zone

Britain and Russia had a deal where Britain wouldn’t involve itself in Bulgaria or Romania so long as Russia wouldn’t involve itself in Greece, this was the percentages deal

During the Greece civil war against communism the communist side was supplied arms from Czechoslovakia however the Allies believed this to be the USSR breaking the percentages deal

The Allies viewed this as an attempt by Stalin for world domination resulting in the policy of Containment, Truman Doctrine speech, Marshall Aid and the Iron Curtain speech

Policy of Containment was designed with the belief that communism would spread into economically unstable countries

Question 4

Events in Berlin

Answer 4

Berlin was located in Russia’s zone of Germany but Russia only controlled East Berlin

Allies united their zones’ economies into Trizonia and introduced the Deutschmark as a new currency excluding East Berlin

Stalin was humiliated as people left East Germany to the west through Berlin which impacted propaganda and the economy as those people couldn’t contribute to the Eastern economy. Stalin also hated the drastic difference in living standards as East Berlin didn’t benefit from Marshall Aid

Stalin blocked off supply routes to Berlin but the Allies used air drops to send supplies despite risk of war, Soviets never shot down any planes likely from fear of starting a war