Part 2: The Cold War in Europe 1945-50

Question 1

What were US and USSR aims for Germany’s future?

Answer 1

USA: Separate zones not mixed
USSR: Reunified Germany with free elections

Question 2

What was the reality for the future of Germany?

Answer 2

Stalin was keen for a reunified Germany with free elections, he hoped KPD (communists) would form coalitions with other left wing parties and eventually control the gov.
USSR allowed democratic elections prior to any other zone in June 1945

Question 3

What did the US want to do about the communists (KPD) and socialists (SPD)?

Answer 3

They wanted to prevent a merger, so that German ppl would have a clear choice in elections and avoid powerful dominant left wing party

Question 4

What did the USSR want to do about the KPD and SPD?

Answer 4

to merge them to create a powerful left-wing of politics which might be possible across all of Germany

Question 5

What actually happened to the KPD and SPD?

Answer 5

They were merged in the Soviet zone to form the Socialist union party (SUP)- at least 20,000 Social Democrats interrogated/imprisoned/killed to force merger
L. wing politicians in west were suspicious; in a vote in W. Berlin about merging 82% against

Question 6

What did the USA want to do about reparations?

Answer 6

Stick exactly to Potsdam agreements (10% of British and US to the soviets plus 15% for food)
Encourage German economic recovery to help Germany pay for its own food imports

Question 7

What did the USSR want to do about reparations?

Answer 7

Encourage national economic plan of reconstruction for Germany across all zones
Increase production levels in USSR zone and take output directly as reparations payments

Question 8

What actually happened in terms of reparations payments for the West?

Answer 8

West began delaying reparations payments to the East until their zones were self-supporting + could pay for own food imports- important as west zones had more refugees.
May 1946- General Clay announced end of reparations to USSR

Question 9

How did the USSR to end of reparations payments to them?

Answer 9

Increased production in their zones, transforming 213 key German firms into special soviet-controlled companies, total production went straight to USSR

Question 10

What were the psychological impacts of the ending of reparations payments to the USSR?

Answer 10

USA: wanted to force soviets to agree to treat Germany as economic unity
USSR: felt US wanted to impose capitalist economy on a united German economy- feared it would play an important role in a US dominated global capitalist trading system

Question 11

What did the USSR want to do about the zones of Germany?

Answer 11

Merge all the zones together to try to encourage German trade and reconstruction, helping to pay reparations later and thus stick to the agreements made at Potsdam

Question 12

What did the USA want to do about the zones of Germany?

Answer 12

Merge some of the zones together (the Western zones) to form a stronger force of ideology against the west

Question 13

What actually happened to the zones of Germany?

Answer 13

US foreign minister Byrnes offered to merge all zones together- only UK accepted and Bizonia was in Jan 1947
US argued it would be better for economic improvement so reparations could be better paid later
Key offices kept in different states to make it clear that Bizonia was not the creation of a new state

Question 14

What did the USSR want to do at the foreign minister negotiations?

Answer 14

Demand a new Central German administration to stop any merging of Western zones
Reject any proposals that delay reparations being paid

Question 15

What did the US want to do at the foreign minister negotiations?

Answer 15

Insist on no reparations being paid until Germany could pay for its own food and raw material imports

Question 16

What did the UK and USSR suggest at foreign minister negotiations?

Answer 16

At Moscow conference of Foreign ministers (fms), USSR suggested new German central administration under four power control, (to break bizonia)
UK FM Bevin- suggested new plan where USSR zone would return reparations to help balance budgets in West until economy improved

Question 17

What actually resulted from the foreign minister negotiations?

Answer 17

Bevin knew USSR would reject his proposal- what he wanted; said political unity could only come after economic unity
US + Britain continued to build up Bizonia
No real agreement on future of reparations

Question 18

When was the Berlin blockade?

Answer 18

1948-9

Question 19

What were the causes of the berlin blockade?

Answer 19

Temporary agreements of Yalta/Potsdam not enough,
West zones benefitted from Marshall aid but East zone poor and plundered for resources by USSR
By 1948 difference in living standard obvious
Deutschemark intro. in W zones- 20 June 1948
Stalin responded with intro of Ostmark

Question 20

Why was the new Deutschemark introduced?

Answer 20

W. Berlin had become an island of prosperous capitalism, as a symbol of increasing prosperity they decided to introduce new currency- hoped it would provide economic stability and aid recovery

Question 21

What was the Berlin blockade?

Answer 21

The USSR desperately attempted to influence/regain control of future of Germany by severing all links of road, rail and canal with West Berlin

Question 22

How was the Berlin Blockade interpreted by the West?

Answer 22

As the first stage of attack on West Germany (although this was unlikely)

Question 23

How did the West respond to the Berlin blockade?

Answer 23

Airlifting supplies into West Berlin- food and fuel supplies for over 2 million Berliners (over 2 mil tonnes of supplies) flown into city.
despite constant shortages, the city survived

Question 24

When did the Berlin blockade end?

Answer 24

Stalin conceded May 1949, May 12th- 11 days later there was to be council of foreign ministers in Paris to discuss future of Germany and currency question- (no breakthrough was made on either)

Question 25

When/How was NATO formed?

Answer 25

Formed in April 1949: After talks with Canada and the counties of Western Europe

Question 26

What was NATO?

Answer 26

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation: a military alliance (enlargement of the 1948 Brussels treaty signed by Britain/France/Belgium/Netherlands/Luxemburg)
Co operation in the face of war, made it clear to USSR there wold be no return to isolationism for the USA

Question 27

When did merging of the zones occur?

Answer 27

The 3 western zones merged to become the Federal Republic of Germany (FDR) in August 1949 (West Germany). In response the Soviet zone became the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in Oct 1949 (East Germany)

Question 28

How did the Berlin Blockade begin to collapse?

Answer 28

31 Jan 1949: Stalin made considerable concessions in an interview- said he’d lift the blockade dependent only on another meeting of the foreign ministers

Question 29

Why did Stalin want a united Germany?

Answer 29

Stalin wanted a neutral united Germany rather than a capitalist west Germany

Question 30

What was discussed at the Moscow Foreign Minister meetings in terms of currency?

Answer 30

USA and UK agreed to allow the Ostmark into Berlin but the USSR wanted full control over currency so this deteriorated

Question 31

When did the USSR explode its first nuclear bomb?

Answer 31

August 1949- far earlier than the West had expected- prompting some suspicion of soviet spies, the USA’s nuclear monopoly was broken