Flashpoints In Europe And The Impact On International Relations (unrefined) Flashcards

1
Q

What did the western allies do in January 1947/48? What was the Soviet reaction to this?

A

Bizonia (47) and Trizonia (48)
A merging of the British and American (47) and French (48) economic zones in Germany and Berlin

This was perceived as the west grouping together against the USSR

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2
Q

What was the name of the West German currency introduced by the Allies

When was it introduced?

A

The Deutschmark

(Announced June 20th)
Introduced on 23rd June 1948

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3
Q

What was the name of the East German currency introduced by the USSR

When was it introduced?

A

The Ostmark

June 24th 1948

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4
Q

When did the Berlin Blockade start?

A

24th of June 1948

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5
Q

What did the USSR claim the Berlin Blockade was caused by?

A

Technical difficulties and essential repairs for the
- canal
- road
- rail
Links between East Berlin-West Berlin and West Germany-East Germany

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6
Q

Why did the USSR enforce the Berlin blockade in actuality? (3)

A
  • To prevent devaluing of the Ostmark, which was only recently introduced
  • to attempt to remove the Allies from Berlin and possibly Germany
  • most importantly, to regain control
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7
Q

When was the FRG (Federal German Republic or West Germany) given a constitution?

A

(7th) June 1948

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8
Q

How was the Berlin Blockade enforced? (3)

A
  • canal, rail and road links shut
  • soviet troops surrounded West Berlin
  • Gas, coal and electricity supplies were cut from the east
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9
Q

How many people lived in West Berlin in 1948?

A

2 million

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10
Q

What was the USSR’s stance on Germany, compare this with US.

A

USSR:
- wanted Germany weak
- also wanted to spread communism

US:
- felt rebuilding Germany would benefit US economy
- wanted to spread liberal democracy and capitalism

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11
Q

How long did the West Berliners have before they ran out of supplies?

A

6 weeks

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12
Q

How much money did the US invest in West Germany through Marshall Aid?

A

$1300 million

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13
Q

why was Berlin so important to the allies? (2)

A
  • symbol for freedom - microcosm
  • potential domino effect in Europe if Berlin became communist
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14
Q

What was the code name for the Berlin Airlift?

A

‘Operation Plainfare’

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15
Q

When did the Berlin Airlift formally start?

When did the first supplies arrive in Berlin however and where?

A

July 2nd 1948

June 26th, Templehof airfield.

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16
Q

By the end of the Berlin airlift, how much supplies were being delivered per day?

A

13000 tonnes

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17
Q

How long did the Berlin Airlift last?

A

324 days

Ended on 12th May 1949

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18
Q

What were the results of the Berlin Airlift? (7)

A
  • propaganda defeat for the USSR
  • 101 died
  • Cost $224m
  • led to NATO - April 4th 1949
  • FRG (May 1949) and GDR (October 1949)
  • arms race intensified
  • containment appeared to be working
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19
Q

What is NATO and what is their key principal?

A
  • The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
  • Founded on the principal of defence of all attacked members
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20
Q

When did the FRG join NATO?

A

(May) 1955

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21
Q

At what stage did the USSR view NATO expansion as a threat?

A

When Italy, Turkey and Greece joined

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22
Q

When was the Warsaw Pact established?

What was its core principal and why was it established?

A
  • May 1955
  • Founded on the principal of defending all member states upon attack
  • established in retaliation to NATO expansion
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23
Q

What communist country did not join the Warsaw Pact?

A

Yugoslavia

24
Q

Who coined the ‘Domino theory’ and when?

A

Dwight D Eisenhower and his Secretary of State, Dulles, in 1954

25
Q

What was significant about Eisenhower’s views on communism and his actions?

A
  • He was a hardline anti-communist who inherited a similarly hardline republican congress
  • he was not keen on intervention and prioritised cheap foreign policy i.e. alliances
  • talked big, did very little
26
Q

Despite Eisenhowers reluctance to spend, did he pledge to offer military and economic support?

A

Yes, only if absolutely needed

27
Q

What smaller military alliances did the West form abroad?

A
  • SEATO (south east Asia) - 1954
  • Baghdad Pact (Middle East) - 1955
28
Q

When did Stalin die, why was this especially significant?

A
  • 1953
  • he embodied soviet communism and his death provided hope for a thaw in the Cold War
29
Q

Who succeeded Stalin as leader of the USSR and how long did he rule?

A

Georgi Malenkov
1953 - 1955

30
Q

Who succeeded Malenkov in the USSR?

A

Nikita Khrushchev

31
Q

Why did many see Khrushchev as a reformist? (4)

A

He seemed to look to mend relations with the West:

  • Austria was de-militarised
  • Geneva July 1955, first meeting of the West and USSR since Potsdam 10 years prior
  • Cominform dissolved
  • Feb 1956 secret speech
    1. ‘peaceful co-existence’ and
    2. denouncing Stalin
32
Q

Explain briefly what happened in Poland June 1956 (5)

A
  • low wages and high food prices
  • saw Khrushchev as weak
  • rebelled - 53 killed in riots
  • tanks sent to Warsaw at request of communist leader
  • Gomulka appointed as Polish leader - moderate
33
Q

Explain the origins of the Hungarian Uprising 1956 (6)

A
  • became communist 1947
    1. Religion frowned upon
    2. Schools nationalised
  • Magyar culture suppressed - opposition to communism
  • police (AVO) really unpopular
  • Red Army presence, occupying force, really unpopular
  • allegedly USSR stealing Hungarian resources
  • Khrushchev appeared weak
34
Q

Explain how the 1956 Hungarian uprising panned out (7)

A
  • Rakosi (hardliner) replaced by USSR - July 1956
  • Oct 23rd 1956 - riots in Budapest (workers, students, soldiers)
  • Imre Nagy appointed, turns to UN for assistance
  • Oct 28th 1956 - soviet tanks withdrew, protestors confident
  • November 1st - Nagy reforms
    1. Free elections
    2. Leave Warsaw Pact
    3. US/UN help
  • November 4th - soviet clamp
    1. 3/4000 dead
    2. 150000 exiled
    3. Nagy tried and executed in 1958
  • no west intervention, Janos Kadar appointed, reforms introduced but did not leave W.P.
35
Q

What were the results of Hungary 1956 (in terms of international relations)? (6)

A
  • Hungary strictly controlled by communists
  • warning to satellite states to not mess with USSR
  • ‘peaceful coexistence’ Khrushchev seemed meaningless
  • Khrushchev appeared weak, criticised in USSR
  • Eisenhower appeared weak and unwilling to act
  • Cold War intensified
36
Q

Why did the 1958 Berlin standoff happen? (4)

A
  • West Berlin had appeared more attractive than the East - more money
  • between 1949 and 1958, 2 million East Germans crossed
  • demonstrated an avenue for disaffected Eastern Bloc members to go West
  • a lot of propaganda and espionage occurred due to easy passage
37
Q

What did Khrushchev’s 1958 ultimatum state? (2)

A
  • That the West had 6 months to leave West Berlin
  • or the east would block western access to Berlin
38
Q

What were the demands of the ‘Prague Spring’ (April 1968) (7)

A
  • Equal rights,
  • trade with non-communist countries,
  • no censorship of media, more democratic elections,
  • reduced powers for secret police,
  • less state control of economy,
  • freedom of travel and
  • parliament allowed to criticise the government
39
Q

What was the Brezhnev Doctrine and when was it enforced?

A

Proclaimed in 1968

Truman Doctrine in reverse:
- Any Communist country which attempted to make capitalist reforms,
- then other communist countries would act together to prevent this

40
Q

What did Khrushchev do (after the 1958 ultimatum) which seemed to ease tensions?

A

He visited the US in 1959

41
Q

When did Khrushchev reissue his threat of blockading Berlin? Why? (3)

A
  • In 1961 after JFK became president
  • China had criticised him for backing down previously
  • also, Khrushchev thought JFK would be weaker than Eisenhower after the bay of pigs
42
Q

When was the first fence erected on the East/West Berlin border?

A

Aug 13th 1961

43
Q

What was the immediate effect of the Berlin Wall?

A
  • families separated
  • jobs lost
  • no more crossings and no more East Bloc citizens leaving easily
44
Q

What was the situation like in Czechoslovakia in 1968 (pre riots) (3)

A
  • high inflation
  • food shortages
  • decline in living standards
45
Q

How did reformists describe the ‘Prague spring’ reforms?

A

‘Socialism with a human face’

46
Q

What 3 assurances did Dubcek give the Soviets about Czechoslovakian reforms? Why?

A

Czechoslovakia would:
- not leave the Warsaw Pact
- not leave Comecon
- remain in the Eastern Bloc

He did this to emphasise his loyalty to communism and the soviets - stop an invasion

47
Q

Why did the Soviets fear liberal reforms in Czechoslovakia?

A

They feared they would cause instability and would threaten the Soviet security system

48
Q

Which now hardline regimes saw the Prague spring reforms as dangerous

A
  • Poland
  • East Germany
49
Q

Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during the Czechoslovakia crisis in 1968?

A

Leonid Brezhnev

50
Q

Why was Dubcek in such a precarious situation?

A
  • if he backtracked over reforms he risked causing uprisings at home
  • if he continued with reforms, he risked USSR confrontation
51
Q

When did the Czechs and Soviets reach an agreement?

A

Late July 1968

52
Q

How did the Czech invasion pan out? (4)

A
  • 5 Warsaw members involved
  • on 20/21st of August, 400 000 troops entered Czechoslovakia
  • disguised as training manoeuvres
  • before Czech communist conference
53
Q

What name was given to East and West Germany?

A
  • west - FRG - Federal German Republic
  • east - GDR - German Democratic Republic
54
Q

When did riots begin in Hungary?

A

23rd Oct 1956

55
Q

when were tanks removed from Hungary (during protests)

A

28th Oct 1956