Origins Of Cold War Flashcards
What is a Cold War
The Cold War refers to a state of hostility between nations without physical fighting
Cold War about communism vs capitalism
USA
Capitalist Ideology
Western Block
NATO ( North Atlantic Treaty Organisation )
USSR
Communist ideology
Eastern Block
WARSAWPACT
When Did Cold War start
The Cold War started after the Second World War and lasted for four decades until 1989 when communism in Eastern Europe and USSR collapsed
Cold War started as a result of mistrust between the West and USSR, suspicions and tensions that increased and thirdly during WW2 the USA , USSR and Britain formed a grand alliance in order to defeat Germany
Known as Convenient alliance
The main purpose of the alliance was to decide what to do about Germany and countries controlled by Germany and Eastern Europe once the Nazis had been defeated in the Second World War
Roots of the Cold War
Lenin’s Bolshevik’s government Intended to remove the concept of private ownership in Russia to a philosophy based on the ideas of Karlmax which was in contrast to the Americans economic system which was based on capitalism
The Americans feared the spread of communism and it’s belief in the elimination of private wealth and ownership
End of WW2
Grand alliance was formed
USA providing weapons to Britain and USSR are known as land lease the system or program
Tensions so first within the alliance because
1) USSR are carried the main birthday resulting in Soviet casualties
2) Took two years for the Americans to open a second front in France and Stalin believed Truman used this as a deliberate move to weaken the USSR
3) The USA entered the land lease program
4) Stalin was only informed of the existence of the atomic bomb after the Nazi were defeated when the USA began to consider it necessary to end the war against the Japanese
The Yalta conference February 1945
The Big 3 Wiston Churchill (Britain) , Franklin Rusevelt (USA), Joseph Stalin (USSR) Made temporary promises due to the tension that existed amongst them
Allies decided to defy Germany into four zones of occupation to be administered by USA, USSR, France and Britain
No uniform system of government in the different zones was agreed upon
It was agreed that the German capital city BERLIN which was situated deep in the heart of the song its own would also be divided into four zones
Stalin promised free democratic elections to be held in Poland in the future and in other countries occupied by Russia in Eastern Europe
His interpretation of democracy was very different than that of other allies
Stalin was determined to create a buffer zone Against any future Germany aggression
The big three agreed that eastern Europe would be a Soviet sphere of influence
The Potsdam conference July 1945
Conference emphasised the division of Germany into four zones and that each power to collect a reparations from their zone of occupation
Is Sophie and John was in a neutral therefore it was to receive addition the creations from other zones
To Germany living in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungry were to Return to Germany
The Disagreements
Stalin wanted Germany to be crippled where as Truman did not want the repetition of the treaty of Versailles
Stalin wanted to be compasses of 20 million Russians but Truman didn’t want to make the same mistakes that were made at the end of World War One
USSR spheres of influence (satellite states)
USSR established Communist government in Poland , Czechoslovakia, Hungry, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria and East Germany
Russia regarded this as a defence in Beria because USA had atomic bombs
However the western allies interpreted it as a desire for expansion is the Communist asserted Russian Dominance by moving or communist
West Saw Stalin as Dictator
Winstone Churchill made his famous Iron Curtain Speech in March 1946 ( An Iron curtain had descended from Europe from setting in the Baltic Ocean to Trieste in the Adriatic Ocean
Truman’s Doctrine
Truman feared the Domino theory that if one country fell to communism then those close by would also be at risk of becoming Communist and there would be a chain reaction (Domino effect)
Reason for Truman’s Thoughts of establishing a Doctrine
The Civil war in Greece broke out between communist Guerillas And The Greek government
In Turkey a Similar situation had developed and USA believed that in both cases the USSR Supported communism
President Truman announced a change in policy
USA prepared to send Money , military equipment and advice to any country that was threatened by a communist takeover
The TD became the basis of American policy during Cold War
USA sent Aid to Greek and Turkey
Was a success and contained the spread of communism
The Marshall Plan
Proposed by George C Marshall to aid European Nations in Economic recovery after WW2
Policy of Containment
Marshall investigated post war Economic situation and reported much of Europe was destroyed and people were suffering
USA offered money equipment and good to states in Europe to aid and feee people seeking to preserve their independence and democratic situation
17 Billion of Marshall Aid
Helped rebuild their economy
16 Countries applied
Britain
France
Belgium
Luxenberg
Italy
Netherlands
Denmark
Sweden
West Germany
Portugal
Syria
Switzerland
Greece
Turkey
Iceland
Norway
Was a success economically and politically
Soviet Reaction to TD and MP
Accused USA of dollar diplomacy
Russia forbid Eastern European states from participating in MP
Setting up a comniform
Wanted it to be a counter measure to the Marshall plan
All contacts with non communist countries were discouraged
Council of Mutual economic assistance COMECOME was created to assist Russian satellite states
