Origins of the Cold War 1917-45

Question 1

What form of government does capitalism work well with?

2 details why

Answer 1

Parliamentary democracy

With freedom of speech and civil liberties

Question 2

What was the socialist economy used by the Soviets known as?

Answer 2

A command economy - centrally planned by the government, top down approach

Question 3

What did Marxist-Leninists believe determines reality, as opposed to..?

Answer 3

Economic/ material factors

NOT religion

Question 4

Name the three ‘enemies’ of Marxism-Leninism

Answer 4

1. Capitalism
2. Liberal Democracy
3. Religion

(& Fascism)

Question 5

How did the future visions of Woodrow Wilson and Lenin diametrically oppose each other?

Answer 5

• Wilson: free, democratic world with free trade and cooperation between nations
• Lenin: World Communist revolution

Question 6

What were the Riga Axioms?

Answer 6

Calls for US gov. by US ambassadors/nobility to prevent spread of communism

Question 7

What pre-WW2 event created lasting Soviet distrust for the West?

Answer 7

The backing of the ‘Whites’ in the Russian Civil War from 1919-20 by the West

Question 8

What event in 1920 determined Soviet foreign policy and aims for post-war Europe settlements?

Answer 8

Poland defeating Russia in a war and extending their border into Russia past the Curzon Line

Question 9

What might have suggested to the West that Soviet foreign policy was focused on aggressive expansion/ world revolution?

Answer 9

The Comintern encouraging Communist groups in other countries and supporting subversive activities

Question 10

How and why did US-Soviet links improve in the 1930s?

Answer 10

The Great Depression hit America, and many disillusioned business men and workers saw the great industrialisation of Russia as an opportunity

Question 11

When did President Roosevelt acknowledge the existence of the USSR for the first time?

Answer 11

1933

Question 12

What caused a reversal in the sympathetic feeling towards the Soviets from the Americans in the early 1930s?

Answer 12

Stalin’s purges 1934-38

Many Americans forced to leave

Question 13

What made Stalin start to take a more active role in the West in the 1930s?

Answer 13

Hitler came to power - fascist government swore Communist Russia as enemy and committed to a future invasion

Question 14

How did Stlain start to take a more active role in the West during the 1930s?

Answer 14

1. 1934 - Joined the League of Nations
2. 1935 - Signed a pact with France and Czechoslovakia
3. 1936 - Intervened in the Spanish Civil War to assist the Republican government against the Nationalists

Question 15

What did Stalin hope to gain from signing a pact with France and Czechoslovakia in 1935?

Was this achieved?

Answer 15

Hoped it would lead to close military cooperation against Germany

French suspicions of Soviet Communism prevented this

Question 16

What was Stalin’s view of Britain and France’s appeasement of Hitler’s demands for part of Czechoslovakia in the 1938 Munich Agreement?

Answer 16

Feared they were setting up the Nazis to destroy Communism, especially as he was not invited to attend the conference

Question 17

Why did Stalin sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact in August 1939?

Answer 17

To buy himself time to get ready to fight Hitler

Question 18

What did the Nazi-Soviet Pact allow to happen?

Answer 18

The Nazi invasion of Poland in September and WW2

Question 19

How did Stalin benefit from the Nazi invasion of Poland?

Answer 19

Took back the land they had lost from Poland in 1920, as agreed on with the Nazis

Question 20

By 1941, where areas other than Poland did the USSR expand into?

Answer 20

1. The Baltic states
2. Parts of Finland

Question 21

What triggered the USSR being brought into WW2?

Answer 21

The Nazi invasion of June 1941

Question 22

What triggered the US’s entry into WW2?

Answer 22

The attack by Japan on Pearl Harbour in December 1941

Question 23

What were the USSR’s aims for the war?

Answer 23

1. The complete defeat of Germany
2. An area of direct Soviet control in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Soviet occupied Germany
3. An ‘intermediate zone’ of nations with Communist-friendly governments such as Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia

Question 24

What did democracy mean for Marxist-Leninists?

Answer 24

1. Economic equality
2. Where there were no extreme class-divides

Question 25

What did democracy mean to the Western European states and the USA?

Answer 25

1. The **liberty** of the individual 2. Equality before the **law** 3. Freedom of **speech** 4. A parliament elected by the **people** to whom the government is ultimately **responsible**

Question 26

What were the USA's aims for the war? What were many of these reminiscent of?

Answer 26

1. Global free **trade** 2. A **United Nations** 3. **Security** in the **seas** against attacks like Pearl Harbour ## Footnote **Wilsonianism**

Question 27

What were Britain's aims for the war?

Answer 27

1. To retain its **empire** 2. Be on **friendly** terms with the **USA** and **USSR** 3. To **prevent the advance of Communism** towards the Suez Canal and the Middle East

Question 28

Why did Britain want to prevent the advance of Communism towards the Suez Canal and the Middle East?

Answer 28

Because Communism would most likely **damage British economic interests** there

Question 29

When was the Atlantic Charter signed?

Answer 29

1943

Question 30

What was the Atlantic Charter? Why might it have looked suspiciously like the West ganging up together?

Answer 30

Committed **Britain and America** to 1. The complete **defeat** of Germany 2. The setting up of a **democratic** order Stalin and the USSR were **not present**

Question 31

When was the Tehran Conference?

Answer 31

Novermber - December **1943**

Question 32

What happened at the Tehran Conference?

Answer 32

Plans drawn up that: 1. Allowed the USSR to invade **eastern and south-eastern** Europe alone and create a **sphere of influence** there 2. British, French, Commonwealth and US troops would invade from **France **^{(Operation Overlord)}

Question 33

What event and consequent actions by Britain and the US gave Stalin an excuse to **exclude** the Western allies from Eastern Europe? When?

Answer 33

Britain and the USA **rejected** the USSR's requests to be involved in the organisation of the **first signing of an armistice** with an Axis power, **Italy** ## Footnote **1943**

Question 34

How did the **delay** of the Normandy landings to 1944 feed Stalin's paranoia?

Answer 34

Suspicious that it was an attempt to **weaken** the Soviet Union which had been **fighting longer**

Question 35

What were ACCs (Allied Control Commissions)?

Answer 35

The **occupying** forces' means of setting up **order** in **annexed states**

Question 36

How did US and British ACCs differ to the USSRs'?

Answer 36

* **Western ACCs**: generally allowed new governments to form * **USSR ACCs**: used them to enhance Communism

Question 37

What controversial event happened in 1944 in Poland? Why?

Answer 37

The Red Army did **not** come to the **aid** of the Polish **National Front** in the **Warsaw Uprising**, allowing the rebels to be **crushed** Would make it **easier** for the USSR to take **control** once Germany defeated

Question 38

Which Eastern European states fell quickly to Communism?

Answer 38

1. Romania 2. Bulgaria 3. Yugoslavia 4. Hungary

Question 39

Which Eastern European states' Communist parties were made to cooperate with other democratic groups, forming coalition governments? Why did the Soviets do this?

Answer 39

1. Czechoslovakia 2. Hungary To keep the Allies onside

Question 40

What trouble did Tito initially cause Stalin?

Answer 40

Established Communist governments in Yugoslavia **and Albania** on the eve of the Yalta Conference 1945

Question 41

The governments of which Western-liberated countries set up links with the USSR? Why?

Answer 41

**France and Italy** The Communists had been intrumental in fighting the **German occupation**, and Stalin was careful to pursue **friendly policies** in this countries i.e. setting up **coalition** governments with other left-wing parties

Question 42

When was the Yalta Confernce?

Answer 42

4 - 11th February **1945**

Question 43

Name the 3 things 'agreed' upon at the Yalta conference

Answer 43

1. **Polish borders** 2. Need for **reparations** (USSR) 3. Democratic elections across Europe - **'Declaration on Liberated Europe'**

Question 44

What was the problem with the Yalta Conference agreements?

Answer 44

They were **vague** (e.g. didn't define 'free democracy') and thus easy for Stalin to **manipulate** to a Communist agenda

Question 45

Which American President came to power in **April 1945** and how did this change things?

Answer 45

**Truman** He was more **hostile** towards Communism

Question 46

Who replced Churchill in **1945**? How did this change things?

Answer 46

**Clement Atlee** Stalin had gotten on **well** with Churchill, negotiations became **harder** without him

Question 47

What was the mood of the Potsdam Agreement? Give specific examples

Answer 47

Bad tempered US: accusing Stalin of not sticking to **democratic** element of Yalta Agreement and **expanding** into Eastern Europe

Question 48

The Potsdam Agreement was a ____ **not** a \_\_\_\_ What impact did this have?

Answer 48

The Potsdam Agreement was a **protocol** not a **treaty** **Weakened** the agreements as meant they were **not legally binding**

Question 49

What was agreed at Potsdam?

Answer 49

1. Germany to be **divided** into 4 zones 2. Germany to be ruled by **four High Commissioners** from each power 3. **Reparations** should be taken, and USSR to get **25%** from other occupied zones as they had been most damaged 4. Set up a **Council of Ministers** to deal with **treaties** for other defeated powers like Italy

Question 50

How many casualities were suffered in WWII by: 1. USSR 2. USA

Answer 50

USSR: * **11 million** soldiers (killed and missing) * **7 million** and **20 million** civilians USA: * Only **400,000** soldiers * **No** civilians

Question 51

What was **not** properly decided on at Potsam? What was the general agreement?

Answer 51

* The question of **Polish borders** Accepted that the **Soviets were in control** and there was little the West could do * How much **control** the **ACC** would have on the whole of **Germany**

Question 52

How did Truman try to threaten Stalin a Potsdam? Result and explain why

Answer 52

* Alluded to a 'new weapon' (**atomic bomb**) * Stalin **already knew** about the A-Bomb thanks to his spy network in the US * This only fed into his **suspicion** towards the West * Only served to make Truman **less likely** to get his demands

Question 53

What was the Soviet response to the Americans dropping the A-Bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945?

Answer 53

1. Made them **determined** to make one of **its own** 2. Added to Stalin's **distrust** of the West

Question 54

What were the main factors that caused the Cold War?

Answer 54

Long-Trm Ideological Problems Wartime Disagreements Personalities Post War Problems

Question 55

What evidence is there that personalities contributed to the beginning of the Cold War?

Answer 55

Churchill + Stalin - Percentages agreement Roosevelt + Stalin - bugging Churchill loses election 1945 Truman - Missouri Mule Driver Stalin - Paranoid!