The Early Cold War Flashcards
(14 cards)
What was decided and the Yalta conference?
Germany would be divided between the allies and into 4 zones
Nazi war criminals would be prosecuted
German reparations would not be as harsh to prevent a repeat of the treaty of Versailles. Most would be given to the USSR who suffered major loses.
Free elections would be held in Eastern Europe and interim governments would be set up.
A coalition government in Poland between the Lublin government and the London poles
The USSR would join the war against Japan.
What was decided at Potsdam?
America and Britain would withdraw troops from Europe
What were the issues of contention during Potsdam?
Britain and America were worried about the communist governments being installed in Eastern Europe and stalins use of salami tactics
When was Kennan’s long telegram and what role did it play.
George f Kennan was an American ambassador in the Moscow embassy. He sent president Truman a long telegram in 1946
What was the main message of the long telegram.
That the sockets respond to the logic of force. I.e they will always back down if the United States retaliated against their actions.
What did the long telegram cause?
The policies of Brinkmanship with the Soviet Union. Bringing the world to the edge of war to force the soviets to back down.
What was domino theory?
Domino theory was the American belief that if one country was to fall to communism surrounding country’s would do the same like in Eastern Europe.
What did domino theory cause?
The introduction of Marshall aid and the Truman doctrine as a way to “contain” communism
What was marshal aid?
Marshal aid was given to any free counties resisting oppression (communism) it was designed to help the economies of struggling post war country’s so that they can trade with them and to prevent the spread of communism further.
What was Stalins response to Marshall aid?
He branded marshal aid as American imperialism designed to make country’s dependant on the United States.
He banded eastern block country’s from accepting the aid except Yugoslavia that was independent.
He introduced the Warsaw Pact that was the soviet equivalent of NATO. Mostly designed to prevent Eastern block country’s from breaking away and being independent.
What were Stalins reasons for installing communist governments in Eastern Europe?
He wanted to create a buffer zone in Eastern Europe to prevent invasion after what had happened in World war 2.
America saw this as soviet expansionism especially after the tactics Stalin used in order to achieve this.
What were the issues surrounding Berlin in 1948 and 1949
Berlin was located deep within east Germany and soviet territory. The west wanted to maintain Berlin to boost moral as the former German capital.
West Berlin was a burden for Stalin for several reasons: Many Berliners migrated from east to west to escape communism which was an embarrassment for Stalin as it made communism look weak.
Britain, France and America formed Trizonia from Bizonia which proves to Stalin that Germany wouldn’t be reunified under 1 power and as such believed he should control the entirety of Berlin.
What was the Berlin blockade.
In 1948 Stalin closed the borders to west Germany and prevented supplies to enter the city. His plan was to starve the Berliners and force the west into submission so he could control the entity of Berlin.
What was the allies solution to the blockade.
West Berlin was very significant to the allies as it was a capitalist strong hold deep within soviet territory. In order to prove to the west Berliners that they were not abandoned the allies airlifted supplies to west Berliner to help the starving population.
