Factor Of Origin And Historiography Flashcards
(18 cards)
Q1: What were the main ideological differences between the USA and the USSR after WWII?
A: The USA believed in liberal democracy and capitalism, promoting individual freedoms and private enterprise. The USSR followed Marxist-Leninist communism, with a one-party state and central economic planning. Each viewed the other as a threat to global peace and order.
Q2: What was the significance of the Yalta Conference in February 1945?
A: The Yalta Conference saw the Allies agree on free elections in Eastern Europe and a Declaration of Liberated Europe. However, these promises were interpreted differently—Stalin aimed to secure a Soviet sphere of influence, which later became a major source of tension.
Q3: Why did the Potsdam Conference in July 1945 increase Cold War tensions?
A: With Truman replacing Roosevelt and Attlee replacing Churchill, the conference was marked by suspicion. The USA refused to grant Soviet demands for reparations and grew wary of Soviet actions in Eastern Europe. Truman also hinted at the atomic bomb, which alarmed Stalin.
Q4: What was the Truman Doctrine (1947)?
A: It was a U.S. policy pledging to support any country resisting communism. Initially aimed at aiding Greece and Turkey, it marked the start of American containment policy and a global Cold War stance.
Q5: How did the Marshall Plan contribute to Cold War division?
A: The USA offered financial aid to rebuild Europe, but required recipients to share economic data and buy American goods. Stalin saw it as economic imperialism and forced Eastern Bloc countries to reject it, further dividing East and West.
Q6: What was the Long Telegram and why was it important?
A: Sent by George Kennan in 1946, it argued that the USSR was expansionist and hostile, and that the USA must contain its influence. It became the foundation of U.S. Cold War policy.
Q7: What was ‘atomic diplomacy’?
A: This refers to the idea that Truman used the U.S. atomic bomb to intimidate the USSR during peace negotiations, particularly at Potsdam—suggesting power, not just peace, was his aim.
Q8: What happened to Germany and Berlin after WWII?
A: Germany and Berlin were divided into four zones controlled by the USA, USSR, Britain, and France. Berlin, although inside the Soviet zone, was also split, making it a hotspot for Cold War tensions.
Q9: What caused the Berlin Blockade (1948–49)?
A: The West introduced a new currency in their zones, which the USSR saw as a step toward forming a separate West Germany. Stalin responded by blocking all land routes to West Berlin.
Q10: How did the West respond to the Berlin Blockade?
A: The USA and Britain launched the Berlin Airlift, supplying West Berlin by air for 11 months. It was a massive logistical success and forced Stalin to lift the blockade in May 1949.
Q11: What were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade?
A: It solidified the division of Germany into East and West. In 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany (West) and the German Democratic Republic (East) were formally established, and Berlin remained divided.
Q12: What is historiography?
A: Historiography is the study of how historical interpretations change over time. It reveals how historians’ views evolve due to new evidence, political context, or academic trends.
Q13: What is the Orthodox interpretation of the Cold War?
A: The Orthodox view blames the USSR and Stalin for starting the Cold War. It argues that Soviet expansionism, broken promises at Yalta, and Stalin’s authoritarianism forced the West to respond defensively.
Q14: What is the Revisionist interpretation?
A: Revisionists argue the USA bears more responsibility. They claim American economic motives and aggressive policies (like the Marshall Plan and use of the atomic bomb) provoked the USSR and created global tension.
Q15: What is the Post-Revisionist interpretation?
A: Post-Revisionists take a balanced view, suggesting both the USA and USSR contributed to the Cold War. They emphasize mutual misunderstandings, strategic interests, and the unique challenges of the postwar world.
Q16: Which historian is associated with the Orthodox school?
A: Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. is a key Orthodox historian who argued that Stalin’s ideology and personality made Cold War conflict unavoidable.
Q17: Which historian argued that U.S. foreign policy was driven by economic motives since the 1890s?
: William Appleman Williams, a leading Revisionist, claimed that U.S. diplomacy aimed to secure global markets, not simply protect democracy.
Q18: Who is the most prominent Post-Revisionist historian?
A: John Lewis Gaddis, whose work balanced internal and external factors, including the roles of ideology, security, and diplomacy in shaping both U.S. and Soviet actions.
