Q5 IMPORTANCE

Question 1

WHY WAS HELSINKI IMPORTANT

Answer 1

It was extremely important because it stabilised the situation in Europe by agreeing greater co-operation between the superpowers and their European allies in terms of trade and fighting international terrorism. This limited the possibility of superpower conflict by creating a stable relationship between the USSR and America in Europe.

Question 2

Were any agreements made at SALT 2?

Answer 2

Yes, in 1974, the Vladivostock Agreement, which was part of SALT 2, stated that both sides agreed to reduce their stocks of nuclear warheads to 2,250.

SALT 2 was signed by US President Jimmy Carter and Soviet Premier Brezhnev in 1979.

Question 3

What happened to SALT 2?

Answer 3

Although more far-reaching agreements were made about limiting a wider range of weapons (e.g. MIRVs were limited to 1,320 for each side), ratification of the treaty did not take place. There was renewed concern in America over 2,000 Soviet soldiers who were stationed in Cuba and NATO decided to place long-range ICBMs in Europe.

Finally, when the USSR decided to invade Afghanistan on December 25th 1979, the US Senate refused to ratify the treaty and many said that a second Cold War was coming.

Question 4

What were the short-term effects of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan?

Answer 4

1. The Carter Doctrine
2. SALT 2 was not ratified by the US Senate
3. The Americans decided to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games - 61 countries followed suit and boycotted with the Americans

Question 5

What was the Carter Doctrine?

Answer 5

The Carter Doctrine represented a ‘get tough’ policy towards the USSR. It stated that the USA would use military force if necessary to protect American interests in the Middle East.

The Carter Doctrine also promised US military aid to all countries bordering Afghanistan.

It also included giving the CIA more powers and deciding to fund the Mujahideen.

Question 6

What was the ‘Second Cold War’?

Answer 6

This is a phrase used to describe the period between 1979 and 1985, which marked a new low in superpower relations. As in the 1950s and 60s, the public was extremely concerned about the possibility of nuclear war. This anxiety was reflected in popular culture such as the American TV movie ‘The Day After’ (1983).

Question 7

When was the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and what was agreed?

Answer 7

n 1968, the superpowers agreed that they would not supply nuclear weapons to other states or help other countries to develop nuclear capability. This was important because it stopped superpower conflict engulfing other parts of the world.

Question 8

What was Reagan’s view of détente?

Answer 8

He believed détente had been a disaster for the USA - he wanted to win the Cold War and even stated that he could imagine ‘a limited nuclear war in Europe’. He believed that détente had made the USA weak while allowing the USSR to grow strong.

Question 9

What was SDI?

Answer 9

This was the Strategic Defence Initiative, nicknamed ‘Star Wars’.

Reagan actually believed that the USSR could be forced to disarm if the USA could develop technology to shoot incoming missiles down in space, using an army of satellites equipped with powerful lasers

Question 10

Why was SDI important?

Answer 10

SDI was a turning point in the arms race. During détente, the superpowers had been evenly matched and even worked together to limit and reduce their nuclear stockpiles. SDI was a complete break from this and even broke the terms of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.thus there was a sense of nuclear superiority and therefore this increased hostility and tension between the two superpowers

Question 11

why couldnt the ussr keep up with the usa

Answer 11

The Soviets could not keep up with this development for several reasons:

1. America had already won the space race to the moon in 1969 and by the early 1980s had developed the next generation of spacecraft: the space shuttle;
2. The Soviet economy was too weak to fund a similar, Soviet Star Wars project as well as consumer goods and conventional military spending;
3. The USSR was far behind the USA in the computer technology needed to compete with SDI

Question 12

Why was SALT 1 important?

Answer 12

It was very important because it was the first agreement between the superpowers that successfully limited the number of nuclear weapons they held. It also showed that détente had created an environment in which the two sides could co-operate on important issues

Question 13

What were Gorbachev’s intentions?

Answer 13

Gorbachev never intended to undermine communism, rather he wanted to be its saviour. He planned to revive communism using a radical programme of reform - often summarised in two words: perestroika and glasnost.

Question 14

who was the leader in hungry beore 1956

Answer 14

rakosi

Question 15

who was the hungarian leader during the uprising

Answer 15

nagy

Question 16

who was the czech leader during the invasion

Answer 16

dubeck

Question 17

who was the czech leader prior to the czech invasion

Answer 17

novotny

Question 18

What happened to Nagy?

Answer 18

He was charged with treason and, in a trial overseen by Khrushchev himself, found guilty and hanged in June 1958. Khrushchev stated that his death was ‘a lesson to the leaders of all socialist countries.’

Question 19

What were the other effects of the Hungarian Uprising?

Answer 19

Apart from the deaths on both sides:

1. A new, strict Soviet government was imposed on Hungary under the new puppet leader Kadar;
2. The USSR had maintained its empire and sent out a warning to other satellite states about what would happen if they tried to break away;
3. The West saw Khrushchev’s recent messages of peace as a sham. Nevertheless, the West had also shown that it was unwilling to interfere in events within the Soviet sphere of influence.

Question 20

Why did Nagy become Prime Minister of Hungary?

Answer 20

Khrushchev’s ‘Secret Speech’ had created hope of reform - but nothing happened. Combined with bad harvests and food shortages, the people of Hungary were so angry that they started protesting in public, calling for reforms. Fighting broke out and the problem spread across the country. Khrushchev made Nagy Prime Minister to try and calm the situation down.

Question 21

How many people did Rakosi get rid of?

Answer 21

387,000 were imprisoned and 2,000 killed.

Question 22

Describe the decisive show of force used by Khrushchev against Nagy and the Hungarian Uprising.

Answer 22

On the 4th November 1956, Khrushchev sent in 200,000 Soviet troops and 1,000 tanks in support of a new Communist leader called Kadar.

Question 23

What were the consequences/effects of the fighting that took place during the Hungarian Uprising?

Answer 23

About 2,500 people were killed by Soviet troops and 20,000 wounded.

Almost 200,000 fled to the West.

About 650 Soviet troops were killed and 1,250 wounded.

Question 24

How did Stalin take control of countries and make them into satellite states?

Answer 24

When countries did not freely elect a communist leader, Stalin cheated and made sure the communist party was elected at rigged elections. He maintained control by:
Making sure the Communist Party leader in each state obeyed Moscow;
Creating fear and mistrust - opponents of Soviet control were to afraid to work together;
Ruthless use of the army and secret police forces;
Making the economies of these countries dependent on the USSR.

Question 25

How did Kennedy react when Khrushchev gave another six-month ultimatum for Kennedy to remove American troops from Berlin after the Vienna conference in June 1961?

Answer 25

He refused to back down: he also prepared America for war, committing the American government to an extra $3.2 billion on defence spending. More worrying, Kennedy decided to spend an extra $207 million on nuclear fallout shelters.

Question 26

At what point was the arms race between the USSR and the USA at the time of the Berlin crisis in 1961?

Answer 26

America had almost 20 times more nuclear weapons than the USSR. Also, American nuclear weapons were able to reach the USSR, whereas Soviet weapons could not reach America.

Question 27

What was a short-term effect of the barbed wire fence?

Answer 27

Soviet tanks were sent to block further western access to the east, causing a day-long stand off with US tanks on 27th October 1961. Finally, after 18 hours, the tanks pulled back one by one. The crisis has passed.

Question 28

What did President John F. Kennedy say about the Berlin Wall?

Answer 28

He said: "it's not a very nice solution, but a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war."

Question 29

Describe Kennedy's visit to Berlin.

Answer 29

In 1963, President Kennedy toured West Berlin, expressing his feelings of solidarity with its people. Kennedy said: "All free men, wherever they live, are citizens of Berlin and therefore as a free man, I take pride in the words Ich bin ein Berliner." West Berlin had become a symbol of freedom.

Question 30

Describe the key features of the building of the Berlin Wall.

Answer 30

The Berlin Wall was started on 12th August 1961, when East German soldiers erected a barbed wire fence all around East Berlin (96 miles). By August 16th, the barbed wire was being removed and replaced with a wall of concrete blocks. Within days, West Berlin was surrounded by a wall four meters high and 111 kilometers long. The Wall had 300 watch towers manned by selected border guards (the ZOPO) and 50 bunkers. By the end of August, the Wall seemed all but impossible to cross.

Question 31

How did the East German authorities explain the building of the wall?

Answer 31

The East German authorities tried to explain away the Wall by claiming that the West was using West Berlin as a centre for spying and that the Wall was for keeping out spies. They called the Wall “the anti-fascist protection barrier”.

Question 32

How many refugees fled from East Berlin to West Berlin and then on to West Germany?

Answer 32

Between 1949 and 1961, 2.7 million East German refugees, many of whom were highly skilled, escaped to West Germany.

Question 33

What was the 'Long Telegram'?

Answer 33

In 1946, Truman's ambassador in Moscow sent a worrying telegram to say that: Stalin had given a speech calling for the destruction of capitalism; There could be no peace with the USSR while it was opposed to capitalism; The USSR was building up its military power; The USA should seek to contain communism.

Question 34

What was 'Novikov's Telegram'?

Answer 34

Also in 1946, the Soviet ambassador to America sent an alarming telegram to Stalin saying that: America desired to dominate the world; the US government was no longer interested in co-operation with the USSR; The American public was being prepared for war with the USSR.

Question 35

Why was Stalin annoyed at the Tehran conference in 1943

Answer 35

He was annoyed that Britain and the USA had delayed opening a second front in the war. He was convinced they were waiting for the Communist USSR to damage itself fatally in the battle against Nazi Germany before they would intervene.

Question 36

What was the key difference between Roosevelt and Truman?

Answer 36

Roosevelt was a 'dove' who enjoyed a warmer relationship with Stalin. Truman was a 'hawk' who began a 'get tough' policy against the Soviet Union after Stalin failed to hold free elections in liberated countries such as Poland.

Question 37

What was the Marshall Plan?

Answer 37

Europe had been ruined by World War II, both physically and financially. Europe owed $11.5bn to the USA, there were extreme shortages of goods. The USA agreed to grant $17bn to help feed and rebuild European countries.

Question 38

What happened in the Berlin Airlift 1948-9?

Answer 38

In June 1948 the Allies (USA, GB, France) flew planes over E Germany to W Berlin. A constant stream of planes sent food, clothing, oil and building materials. The planes flew an average of 1,000 tonnes of food and supplies per day, landing every 90 seconds at Schiphol airport. During January 1949, 170,000 tonnes of supplies were flown in. In May 1949 it was clear he hadn’t succeeded, so Stalin re-opened communications.

Question 39

What was the ‘Iron Curtain’?

Answer 39

In 1946, Churchill said that “an iron curtain has descended” between East and West. It was an imaginary line between Soviet-controlled East European countries and the West. The West included: Britain, France, Italy, West Germany (and the USA); The East included: East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Romania.

Question 40

Why was Greece an early battleground in the Cold War?

Answer 40

German retreat in 1944 left two groups fighting for control: monarchists and communists. Churchill sent in British troops to support the monarchists. The USSR complained to the United Nations and a civil war erupted.

Question 41

Why was Churchill suspicious of Stalin at the Tehran Conference?

Answer 41

Churchill was against the Bolshevik takeover and supported the Whites during the Russian civil war. Also, in April 1943, a mass grave was found with 10,000 Polish officers who had been murdered by the Soviets in 1939.

Question 42

Did any countries willingly become a Soviet satellite state?

Answer 42

Yes! Albania became communist in 1945 and there was no resistance to Soviet control. Yugoslavia also became communist before World War Two was even over, under a leader called Tito - but eventually relations worsened.Tito split from the USSR in 1948 and even took Marshall Plan aid!

Question 43

What was Cominform?

Answer 43

The Communist Information Bureau - set up in 1947 to extend Stalin's control. Cominform was an international organisation that represented Communist Parties across Europe and brought them under the direction of the USSR.

Question 44

What did Cominform do?

Answer 44

Cominform made sure that Communist Parties did what Moscow said. For example, it rejected the Marshall Plan and so all Soviet satellite states rejected the money. In France, the Communist Party organised protests of 2 million workers who were sympathetic to the communists against their government taking Marshall aid. Cominform also ensured loyalty by investigating ministers and employees and removing any who were not loyal to Stalin. In Hungary - 5% of the population was in prison by 1953.

Question 45

What was decided at the Tehran Conference about Japan?

Answer 45

The Soviet Union was to wage war against Japan once Germany was defeated. This would help the Americans who were heavily involved in fighting Japan in the Pacific region.

Question 46

What was the importance of Comecon?

Answer 46

Politically, Comecon minimised American influence in Eastern Europe and the USSR; Economically, Comecon ensured the benefits of economic recovery remained within the Soviet 'sphere of influence'; It also meant that Eastern Europe did not have access to the prosperity of Western Europe.

Question 47

What was the Warsaw Pact?

Answer 47

The Warsaw Pact, created in 1955, was the USSR's response to NATO. It was a military alliance that included eight nations, including East Germany, Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

Question 48

Why was NATO important?

Answer 48

NATO marked a significant turning point in the Cold War. The Marshall Plan had created a trading alliance but NATO went further - it was a military alliance with the specific aim of defending the West against communism.

Question 49

Why was the Truman Doctrine important?

Answer 49

The Truman Doctrine was important because it suggested that America, rather than the United Nations, had a responsibility to protect the world. This was a reversal of the previous American policy of 'isolationism' by which the US had stayed out of international affairs. It was also important because it stated that communism and capitalism were in opposition. In this way, it marked the end of the Grand Alliance and the start of the Cold War. Finally, it was important because it showed Truman was committed to 'containment'. This implied that America would not invade the USSR, but would do everything it could to stop the spread of communism.

Question 50

In what ways was Hungary treated badly under Stalin?

Answer 50

Hungarian land was redistributed to other Eastern European countries; Hungarian coal, oil and wheat were shipped to Russia while Hungarian citizens were deprived of food; Non-communist political parties were abolished; Russian officials controlled the government, the police and the army; Cominform began a reign of terror, executing popular political leaders and their supporters; Matyas Rakosi was appointed as Hungary's dictator.

Question 51

What happened in the arms race 1945-55?

Answer 51

In 1945, the USA became the first country to develop and use a nuclear bomb. By 1949, the USSR had caught up and tested a nuclear bomb of its own. This prompted the USA to develop hydrogen bombs - a second generation of more powerful nuclear weapons. By 1953, both sides had hydrogen bombs. However, the USA's warheads were more powerful. Nevertheless, in 1955, the USSR tested a bomb called 'Sakharov's Third Idea', which was as powerful as America's hydrogen bombs. These bombs required missiles or modified aircraft to be delivered. The USA developed the B52 Stratofortress which had the long-range capacity to bomb the USSR and the USSR developed the TU20 Bear.

Question 52

Why was the arms race important?

Answer 52

The arms race was important because it prevented a 'hot' war in Europe. The USSR could easily have captured West Germany, for example, but was fearful of an American nuclear retaliation.

Question 53

Why was the Iron Curtain Speech important?

Answer 53

Churchill, who had recently lost a general election, made the speech to alert the West to the fact that Stalin's sphere of influence was growing and was firmly under Soviet control. It was also important because previously, many people in the West had seen 'Uncle Joe' as an ally but Churchill's speech made Stalin look like an enemy. Stalin even referred to the speech as a 'declaration of war'.

Question 54

Why was the Hungary Uprising important?

Answer 54

The Hungarian Uprising was important because it demonstrated how unhappy the people of Hungary were with Soviet rule. About 2,500 people were killed by Soviet troops and 20,000 wounded and almost 200,000 fled to the West. This showed that members of the Warsaw Pact were willing to kill and be killed to leave the Soviet sphere of influence and was a huge embarrassment to Khrushchev

Question 55

What happened to Germany after the Berlin Blockade and Airlift 1948-9 - why was this event important?

Answer 55

Germany was now firmly divided into two nations – East and West. In September 1949, West Germany became an official state: The Federal Republic of Germany (FDR). One month later, East Germany was made an official state: The German Democratic Republic (GDR). It remained divided for 41 years and was a symbol of the division of Europe.

Question 56

Describe the key features of the 1985 Geneva Summit Conference

Answer 56

One key feature was that it was the first meeting between US President Reagan and Soviet leader Gorbachev. It was held on November 19 and 20, 1985 and the two leaders met for the first time to hold talks on international diplomatic relations and the arms race. Reagan's goal was to convince Gorbachev that America desired peace above all else. Another key feature is that at first the two leaders disagreed. Gorbachev argued that the United States did not trust them and that its ruling class was trying to keep the people uneasy. Ronald Reagan said that the Soviets were paranoid about the USA, while Gorbachev objected to Reagan’s idea of SDI (or ‘Star Wars’)