✏️IDEA origins Flashcards
Dropping of the atom bomb When and what happened? Why was it necessary? Why did this worry the SU? What did the SU continue to do in Eastern Europe and what did it start to develop that shows it felt tension contributing to the start of the Cold War?
August 1945 atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
It ended the war in the Pacific as japan surrendered. This meant there was no need for soviet troops in the battle against japan and this marked the end of the grand alliance.
It was a clear message to Stalin that the USA intended to dominate the post-war period.
Stalin continued his spread of communism in Eastern Europe, Truman was determined to stop this.
SU started to develop its own atomic bomb which showed it felt tension. Germany was now the dividing line between east and west setting the stage for the Cold War.
Yalta
When and what happened?
What were the leaders trying to achieve?
What issues at the conference caused tension?
How did the west react at the next conference and how did this show they felt tension contributing to the start of the Cold War?
February 1945
Focus: what would happen once WW2 victory was achieved. What to do with Germany.
Stalin join war against japan, division of Germany into 4, prosecute nazi war criminals, join UN, countries of Eastern Europe hold free elections once freed from nazi occupation, Eastern Europe would be soviet sphere of influence. Declaration of liberated Europe signed to agree these points.
Disagreed on who should hold power in Eastern Europe specifically Poland. Soviets wanted to keep their influence with communist government. British and USA wanted old polish government to return. Western powers accepted that soviets territory should not include countries in the Balkans but future of Eastern Europe remained uncertain.
In Potsdam Attlee and Truman replaced Churchill and Roosevelt. They wanted Eastern European countries to be independent and hold free elections. Most of Europe was occupied by the Red Army except Yugoslavia and Greece. Leaders couldn’t afford to fight because of japan war so west powers accepted communist governments in power of Eastern Europe.
Potsdam
When and what happened?
What were leaders trying to achieve?
What issues at conference caused tension?
How would Stalin have felt and what did the SU start to do in Eastern Europe and how did this show it felt tension contributing to the start of the Cold War?
July 1945
Attlee and Truman replaced Churchill and Roosevelt and the relations with Stalin were bad. Stalin was less willing to compromise. So decisions at Yalta were revisited.
Germany still being divided as discussed at Yalta. Nazi party banned and leaders tried as war criminals. Germans living in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia were returned to Germany. Poland was to lose some territory in the East to the SU. Truman wanted to stop Soviet growth, Stalin wanted to ensure Soviet security and wasn’t willing to compromise- didn’t trust Truman.
Truman was more anti-communist than Roosevelt.
Stalin’s armies controlled Eastern Europe.
Stalin set up communist government in Poland and wanted to set up pro-soviet government governments in Eastern Europe. Truman saw this as him wanting to build soviet empire.
Stalin wanted to cripple Germany and demanded $10 billion compensation (to make them less of a threat)- Truman disagreed.
Stalin distrusted Truman and American atomic weapons which strengthened distrust.
Stalin continued spreading communism in Eastern Europe despite the other two disagreeing. They couldn’t afford to fight because of the war against japan.
Spread of soviet influence When and what happened? Why did it happen? Why did this worry the west? What new policy did America introduce that shows it felt tension contributing to the start of the Cold War?
SU controlled most of Eastern Europe at the end of WW2
Red army already occupied land taken from Nazis: Poland, Yugoslavia and Hungary.
Communism was popular in Eastern Europe after horrors of Nazi occupation.
Soviets rigged elections and arrested opponents making it difficult for non-communists to gain power.
This worried the west because communism was growing and the SU (their ‘enemies’) was increasing power:
‘The long telegram’ stated that soviets were spreading their influence as widely as possible and that they wouldn’t cooperate with the USA because the SU viewed them as their ‘enemies’.
On the 6th March 1946 Churchill made a speech saying an iron curtain split the east and west though Stalin said the speech was an unfair attempt to paint the SU as aggressive and untrustworthy. This creates tension because now the powers know their negative views on eachother making them more open to negative acts against eachother.
The Truman doctrine was introduced as a response to the USA’s fear of spreading communism and was an attempt to contain the spread of communism.
Truman Doctrine
When and what was it?
Why was it introduced?
Why was the SU worried about the Truman Doctrine?
What did the SU do across Eastern Europe that shows they felt tension and contributed to the start of the Cold War?
12 March 1947 Truman made speech to congress saying he wanted to support countries threatened by communism.
It was a response to the ongoing events in Europe and was an attempt to contain communism. USA gave financial backing to Greece who were in a civil war with Greek communists. USA didn’t want them to take control of neighbouring Turkey which would give SU access to the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East.
He saw the Truman doctrine as a direct threat to communism and wanted to ensure that all the countries were following the same policies.
So he created Cominform to bring unity to communist countries behind the iron curtain. Members would meet in Moscow so he could ensure they were all following the same policies. He took the opportunity to bring Eastern European communist governments closer to Moscow which shows he feels that the USA are a threat which contributes to the tension at the start of the Cold War.
Marshall plan
When and what was it?
Why was it introduced?
Why was the SU worried about the Marshall plan?
What did the SU do in Berlin that shows they felt tension and contributed to the start of the Cold War?
June 1947. The USA funding European countries to rebuild after the devastation of WW2.
To prevent countries turning to communism and to promote unity in Europe which would halt the spread of communism.
America needed a strong Europe to trade with and money from the Marshall plan would be spent by Europe on American products.
He saw Marshall plan as the USA using wealth to gain support and power. He believed that whoever accepted it would be loyal to USA. So he was concerned when Czechoslovakia and Hungary (country within soviet sphere of influence) wanted to receive American money.
Comecon was created by Stalin in 1949 to provide support and economic stability to Eastern Europe. It would avoid them having to accept Marshall aid or trade with the west. This shows tension because he’s trying to isolate Eastern European countries from America completely.
Berlin Blockade
When and what was it?
Why was it introduced?
What problem did this create for the west in how they chose to deal with the blockade?
How did they react and how does this show they felt tension contributing to the start of the Cold War?
April 1948, Stalin launching a full blockade blocking all transport links so people in the west couldn’t get food, fuel or medicines.
After the west United their sectors of Germany + introduced a new currency to West Berlin and Germany, soviets wanted western officials to withdraw from West Berlin so they tried to get them out by blockading. When this didn’t work and violence increased due to lack of cooperation after British and soviet plane collided, Stalin launched a full blockade.
2.5 million inhabitants of the western sector had to rely on reserves of food + fuel and electricity from power stations in SU to factories and offices in West Berlin were cut.
The Berlin Airlift where Western Allies flew supplies into Berlin- it was a counter blockade so they’re deliberately going against the SU which would’ve angered Stalin and increased tension.
Counter blockade to stop trains travelling from west Germany into the Soviet Union which shows that they’re fighting back against the soviets.
Berlin airlift
When and what was it?
Why was it introduced
How long did the airlift lift and why did this create tension for the SU
What actions did both sides now take over Germany that shows they felt tension and contributed to the start of the Cold War?
26 June 1948-12 May 1949 planes from Britain, America and France flew 4000 tonnes of supplies into Berlin everyday.
It was introduced as a response to the SU blockading Berlin.
On 12 may stalin ordered the lifting of the blockade and so the airlift stopped. This was because war was a possibility and tensions were high- the USA was the only country with nuclear weapons so Stalin stopped the blockade- he gave in to the USA.
Federal republic of Germany created on 23rd May 1949- independent democratic country. This concerned Stalin about a united west.
In response, USSR created German Democratic Republic in October 1949- run in the same way as USSR and had its own secret police ‘The Stasi’.
April 1949 NATO formed with 12 countries from behind the iron curtain- an attack on one country would be considered an attack on all.
