Part 3: Rival Blocs/Berlin wall 1948-55 Flashcards

1
Q

When was the fall of Czechoslovakia?

A

Prague coup- February 1948

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2
Q

When was the Berlin blockade?

A

June 1948-May 1949

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3
Q

When was NATO agreed?

A

April 1949- defence agreement between Western Europe and USA

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4
Q

When was the Chinese communist revolution?

A

October 1949

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5
Q

When was the outbreak of the Korean war?

A

June 1950- communists invading non-communist country

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6
Q

When did the USSR first successfully test an atomic bomb?

A

August 1949

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7
Q

When was the Pleven plan?

A

1950

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8
Q

When was the EDC treaty signed?

A

May 1952

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9
Q

What was the American vision for Europe?

A

Rebuild Europe in the image of the USA- European and economic union to create a united states of Europe (Would deter from communist gov and boost world trade)

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10
Q

What was the French vision for Europe?

A

Western integration as the key to great industrial resources of the FRG to the defence of Europe against communism and the USSR, but without re-establishing a strong/threatening Germany

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11
Q

What was the British vision for Europe?

A

Refused to commit to further integration of Europe, instead cultivating its links with the USA and British commonwealth
Wanted NATO as a means to rearm W. Germany + align it with Western powers of NATO rather than integrated Europe

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12
Q

Why was the ECSC formed?

A

To exploit Germany’s coal and steel resources for their own rearmament purposes without risking a strong Western Germany

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13
Q

Why was Adenauer keen to join the ECSC?

A

To integrate Germany with Western powers to form a partnership with them and receive protection from soviet powers

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14
Q

Why was Britain not keen to join the ECSC?

A

It wanted to keep its coal and steel industry for itself not lose control of them

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15
Q

What was the ECSC ?

A
European Coal and Steel community:
Formed 1952 (July)- 6 member states (Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, W. Germany)
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16
Q

What impact did the ECSC have?

A

Regulated all their coal and steel industries so all economic needs of each state for these vital raw materials would be met. ECSC laid foundation for Western Europe’s economic and political integration

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17
Q

What role did Cominform have?

A

Promote ideological unity among the communist parties of Europe. To complete sovietisation of the soviet satellite states, coordinate activities of communist parties around the world + combat Titoism

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18
Q

Who was in Cominform?

A

All soviet Bloch communist parties and communist parties of France and Italy

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19
Q

What was Comecon?

A

Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON)

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20
Q

Who was in comecon?

A

USSR, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania- GDR joined 1950

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21
Q

When and why was Comecon founded?

A

1949- to integrate the economies of E. Europe into that of the USSR’s
only existed in name until 1954 when a secretariat was established, 1959 given more authority/better organised

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22
Q

What was included in the bilateral treaties of friendship between Eastern European countries?

A

Agriculture collectivised, centralised economies established, 5yr plans laid foundations for large-scale industrialisation/development of heavy industry

23
Q

What methods did Stalin use to keep close integration between the satellite countries?

A

Summoned leaders of Eastern bloc states to Moscow frequently, used direct participation of soviet ambassadors/advisors in internal affairs of satellite countries, threat of red army

24
Q

What actions caused Stalin to distrust Tito?

A

Yugoslav attempts to play an independent role in Balkans: talk of forming a Balkan federation, Stationed Yugoslav troops in Albania to protect Greek communists- guerrilla camps without consulting Albanian leader or Stalin- Stalin feared he’d provoke USA or be most powerful communist force in Balkans

25
Q

After the split, how did Stalin try to put pressure on/ possibly overthrow Tito?

A

Communist leaders of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia called to Moscow Feb 1948, Stalin vetoed the stationing of Yugoslav troops in Albania- proposed smaller Yugoslav-Bulgarian union, Tito refused so Stalin withdrew soviet personnel from Ygslv & accused its leaders of being political/ideological criminals

26
Q

What was Tito’s relationship with the West after the split?

A

Looked to West for assistance; abandoned support for Greek communist rebels, in return got financial aid/arms from UK/USA, close links CIA and Yugoslav secret service
1954- Ygslv/Turkey/Greece signed Balkan mutual defence pact aimed at USSR and its alllies

27
Q

How was Tito’s Yugoslavia different from Soviet satellite states?

A

Broke from soviet model of centralised economic control, began to experiment with worker’s self management of factories, prices not fixed by gov after 1952, businesses could export their products without gov involvement

28
Q

How did NATO try to weaken the USSRs position in E Europe?

A

USA/UK economic assistance to Ygslv, 1949-52 (unsuccessful) operations to remove Albanian leader Enver Hoxha to get rid of soviet sponsored gov, Attempts to undermine soviet authority by complaints to UN of human rights issues, E European refugees helped financially, Radio free Europe- anti-Soviet broadcast - sponsored by USA

29
Q

What happened with the policy of new leaders in the USSR in 1953?

A

They began the process of destalinisation- more open to reform and discussion about issues such as the future of Germany

30
Q

Who was the new leader in the USA in 1953?

A

Eisenhower- tougher policy, and even spoke of the rollback of communism, alongside new secretary of state John Foster Dulles- pursued a policy of brinkmanship - threatening to use nuclear missiles

31
Q

What happened in April 1953?

A

Plan for 4 power conference to discuss German reunification- unpopular with W German leader Adenauer- feared united Germany would be vulnerable

32
Q

Why was the German reunification conference disrupted?

A

Events in the GDR- E German leader Ulbricht had been pushing for rapid industrialisation/high production targets- food/transport prices rising and many skilled workers fled GDR through Berlin

33
Q

What was the response to the issues in the GDR in 1953?

A

Discussion among USSR what to do(KGB head Beria even suggested abandon GDR)
called Ulbricht to Moscow- told to end rapid approach, but Ulbricht refused to fully agree and concessions came too late

34
Q

What is the suggestion of why Ulbricht pushed for rapid industrialisation of GDR?

A

That he provoked an uprising so USSR would have to forcefully intervene- making the reunification of Germany impossible and so allowing GDR to survive

35
Q

What was the GDR uprising 1953?

A

June 1953- riots/strikes, demand for more pay/rights and re-established social democrat party,- in E Berlin up to 100,000 demonstrated, 17 June soviet troops supressed uprising- 125 killed

36
Q

What was the USA response to GDR uprising 1953?

A

Didn’t directly intervene, hoped seeing soviet force would encourage votes for Adenauer in W Germany,
Eisenhower called foreign ministers meeting, (had to be seen to do something), encouragement of protesters through radio broadcasts

37
Q

What happened at the Berlin conference?

A

Jan-Feb 1954 achieved nothing; USSR rejected Western plans to hold free elections- USSR feared a massive anti-communist vote, West couldn’t accept united neutral Germany- felt Germany would be too vulnerable to communist influence

38
Q

Why was West Germany able to join NATO?

A

UK agreed to leave 4 divisions of troops in W Germany , Adenauer agreed to keep army small + renounce nuclear weapons- joined NATO May 1955

39
Q

What was the Warsaw pact?

A

1955- USSR ad E European states protection against foreign aggression (like NATO)

40
Q

What was the Geneva conference 1955?

A

May 1955- final attempt at compromise over Germany- no real progress made

41
Q

What happened at Adenauer’s visit to Moscow?

A

Sept 1955- ended in failure as USSR recognised GDR as a state in its own right

42
Q

What was the Hallstein Doctrine?

A

Declared by Adenauer (around 1955)- that any state which recognised GDR was unfriendly to the FRG and would lead to an immediate break in diplomatic relations

43
Q

What were the Western factors that resulted in the division of Germany by 1955?

A

Adenauer, EDC, ECSC, Western rejection of Stalin note (World peace movement), Spofford compromise, OECC, Eisenhower & Dulles, NATO, FRG joining NATO, Adenauer Moscow visit/Hallstein, failure of Geneva conf.

44
Q

What was the Spofford compromise?

A

enabled a deal to be done to begin Western military cooperation with NATO troops, easing French fears of invasion

45
Q

What was the role of the EDC in division of Germany?

A

began military cooperation in the West, despite French reservations and restrictions

46
Q

What were the Eastern factors in that resulted in the division of Germany by 1955?

A

East German uprising, Korean war, Ulbricht, China fall to communism, USSR gaining atomic weapons, Cominform/comecon, Warsaw pact, Prague coup, Berlin blockade, creation of SED, Soviet reparations

47
Q

What were the key reasons for the building of the Berlin wall?

A

Refugees from the GDR, Long-term origins/division of Germany, Khrushchev’s aims, failure of international diplomacy, Kennedy’s commitment

48
Q

Why did Refugees from the GDR cause the building of the Berlin wall?

A

1960- 199,000 fled, 1961- 6 months up to June 103,000 fled, widespread unrest in factories, April 1960 farmers forced into collective farms- crops plummeted shortage of food. Skilled workers fleeing= economic crisis

49
Q

Why did long term origins/division of Germany lead to the building of the Berlin wall?

A

Yalta/Potsdam conferences, tension created by Stalin, clash of ideologies, breakdown in relations between USA + USSR

50
Q

Why did Khrushchev’s aims lead to the building of the Berlin wall?

A

Stop/delay NATO decision to equip with nuclear weapons, show USSR he wasn’t ‘soft on imperialism’, divide Western powers, Force West to accept USSR as political and military equals, increasingly confident that USSR could force USA to make concessions over Berlin

51
Q

Why did the failure of international diplomacy lead to the building of the Berlin wall?

A

Khrushchev demanded an ultimatum West didn’t agree, West wanted free elections, USSR wanted two Germanys to form confederation evolving into united state, Khrushchev continual threats- couldn’t agree on anything

52
Q

Why did Kennedy’s commitment lead to the building of the Berlin wall?

A

Kennedy resolved to secure W Berlin as beacon of capitalism + stand tough against communism.
Approached containment with ‘flexible response’- spent more on conventional forces, enlarged nuclear arsenal, CIA covert work, aid to countries threatened by communism, called Khrushchev’s bluff of building the wall

53
Q

What did the building of the Berlin wall impact upon?

A

Citizens of Berlin/GDR, Ulbricht, Khrushchev, Cold war itself, West/Kennedy/Adenauer