Emergence Of The Superpowers 1945-1962 Flashcards
What is the revisionist view of the grand alliance?
Saw soviet actions as legitimate response to American economic and strategic European imperialism. American was against communism because it deprives them of economic access in the USSR. US wanted to expand capitalism under the guise of protecting freedom and democracy.
When was the grand alliance formed?
1941- German invasion of the USSR and the Japanese attack on pearl harbour.
What was the Atlantic charter of 1941?
Charter signed by Roosevelt and Churchill committing to a post war world based on peace, self determination and democracy.
What was the declaration of the United Nations 1942?
Declaration signed by the whole grand alliance, based on a world of freedom, peace and justice.
What were the agreements made at Yalta 1945?
- Germany would be divided into 4 zones, each one run by a different ally.
- Berlin would be similarly divided.
- United Nations was formally ratified.
- USSR gained land from Poland.
- Declaration of liberated Europe, committed any of the big three to assist any EU country to gain independence.
Who were the members of the Yalta conference?
Stalin
Churchill
Roosevelt
What were the post Yalta conditions?
War had devastated the Soviet Union and mass destruction had hit hard so soviet security was important.
Declaration of liberated Europe meant nothing to Stalin and he baca me wary of American economic policy as he thought they were expanding to become a world power.
Agreements made at Potsdam 1945?
Germany was to be completely disarmed and demilitarised.
De nazification was to be carried out and all war crimes would be judged.
Decentralisation of political systems and USSR was to receive reparations from other zones an addition 25% from western zones.
Failures of Potsdam 1945?
Did nothing to reinforce any unity, failed to define consensus.
Contributed towards growing suspicion and uncertainty between USA and USSR.
What was the main issues concerning the German problem?
Question of reparations to be taken away from Germany by the Soviet Union, Potsdam enabled the USSR to take 15% of industrial capital equipment in exchange for other materials and a further 10% without exchange.
What were the two problems with the German problem?
1- dependent on the fact that materials going to the USSR weren’t required for German recovery
2- meant east and west had to communicate daily
What action did Truman take in 1946?
He transported 25 million tonnes of coal from the western zones to other western EU states! Soviets saw this as an American strategy to rebuild economies based on capitalism.
What did stalins manipulation of the German communist party and the social Democratic Party lead to?
The communist controlled socialist Union party.
What was trumans diplomatic tool and what effect did he think it would have on Stalin?
Atomic bomb monopoly and he thought it would make Stalin more compliant.
What was the polish question?
Russians failed to conduct free elections in Poland (the route for soviet enemies to attack) therefore going against the declaration of liberated Europe.
