2. developing tensions up to 1948 Flashcards
what did the percentages agreement and yalta show to stalin?
-showed stalin that European states liberated from Nazi occupation would fall within the soviet sphere
what were stalin’s actions in Eastern Europe motivated by?
-by national security + soviet territory
why did Stalin want a buffer zone and where?
- to the west
- because he wanted to protect the USSR from the west
what were stain’s tactics to inforce communism?
- form alliances w/ left wing parties+then take control of them
- intimidate opposition
- manipulate election results
where was the former polish government?
-in exile in London
what government was established in Poland?
-pro-stalin Lublin government giving stalin political control
why had stalin failed to conform with agreements made at Yalta regarding Poland?
- the agreement to implement free elections, preserving the role of the Lublin government
- he appeared to allow multi party elections
- but he had ulterior motives
what leader opposed soviet policies in Poland and what happened to him?
- Gomulka (deputy prime minister)
- accused of ‘nationalist deviation’ + replaced by pro-moscow leader
how did soviets occupy Romania?
- communists were popular
- offered alternative to pre-war regime
- red army also occupied Bulgaria, want easy for stalin to occupy w/ minimal intervention
how did soviets occupy Bulgaria?
- soviets manipulated elections
- forcefully removed opponents
how did soviets occupy Hungary?
- soviets allied with other political groups
- political opponents executed
- elections rigged
- absorb the Hungarian Agrarian party April 1947
- by 1949 all political opposition was eradicated
how did soviets occupy Czechoslovakia?
- czech communists popular with rural peasants
- party leader became prime minister in 1947 but he accepted western aid (bad)
- when exiled he agreed to support a communist governed
- left pro-moscow communists in charge when he resigned
- won with 38% of the vote
how did soviets occupy Yugoslavia?
- (leader) Tito was a committed stalinist
- by 1948 soviet influence was limited due 2 conflict w/ Tito+Stalin
what countries weren’t loyal to Moscow?
-Yugoslavia and Hungary
why weren’t Yugoslavia loyal to Moscow and the result of this?
- they refused to be soviet puppies
- Stalin+Tito had conflict over Stalin’s foreign policy
- 1948 they were expelled from Cominform
- leaders accused of abandoning Marxist-Lenism
- survived due to America’s offer of economic aid
what countries accepted the communist regime with minimal opposition?
- Romania
- Bulgaria
- Czechoslovakia
when and what was the long telegraph?
22nd February 1946
- George Kennan
- US embasador in Moscow
- conclusions as to how the US foreign policy should be ratified
- argued they must be ready to unify allies
- containment of soviet expansion
- isolation no longer an option to protect USA’s security
why was the long telegraph described as significance?
-believed to be fundamental in the shaping of the US policy towards soviet union
what did Kennan believe about the Soviet union after Yalta?
- recognised the failing of roosevelt for international cooperation
- believed communism was uncompromising+threat to the free world
- saw the collapse of East-West relations
what did the soviet ambassador believe about the US foreign policy?
-believed it was based on American imperialism to make states dependant on them
when was the iron curtain speech and given by who?
- 6 march, 1946
- Winston Churchill
- directly attacking soviet policies
what effect did the iron curtain speech have on stalin?
- believed the USA and Churchill were planning an anti-soviet ideological attack
- stalin responded 10 days later in a soviet newspaper
what was the name of the newspaper entailing Stalin’s reply to Churchill’s iron curtain speech and what was he implying?
- Pravada (soviet newspaper)
- that he was peacefully trying to seek allies to reinforce USSR’s national security
what had stalin agreed about Greece?
-that they would remain within the western sphere of influence after the war (1944 percentages agreement)
