The origins of the Cold War

Question 1

When and why did tensions begin to emerge more sharply within the Grand Alliance?

Answer 1

1945 conferences - Yalta (February), Potsdam (July).
4 main areas of disagreement: 
1. Germany
2. Poland
3. Economic reconstruction
4. Nuclear weapons

Question 2

4 main areas of disagreement: Germany

Answer 2

Yalta in February 1945:
Agreed to temporarily divide G. into 4 zones of occupation.
Initial agreement on reparations for damage done by Nazi G., especially to USSR.
Agreed USSR’s demands for Poland’s eastern borders would be met & Poland would receive territorial compensation from G. up to Oder-Neisse rivers.
Stalin promised democratic gov. basis for Poland.

Potsdam 1945:
Truman stated USA would only agree to USSR extracting reparations from E. zone of G. - which was agricultural & poor.
On condition that USSR sent back western zones 60% of value of what it receives from them in terms of gs & raw materials.

Question 3

When did Roosevelt die and what happened next?

Answer 3

April 1945.
Truman took more hardline approach to USSR.
May 1945 - Truman ended lend-lease aid to USSR - blow to war-devastated USSR.

Question 4

4 main areas of disagreement: Poland and eastern Europe

Answer 4

October 1944 Churchill & Stalin met in Moscow - percentages agreement concerning influence in eastern Europe.
Yalta - Roosevelt backed away from prospect of Soviet sphere of influence in e.E.
Stalin thought this essential for USSR security & worried by US call for “open door policy” & suggestion that there shouldn’t be any spheres of influence.
When USSR failed to carry out Yalta agreement on free elections in P., US suspicions arose further.

Question 5

4 main areas of disagreement: Economic reconstruction

Answer 5

Stalin’s priority post-war.
Agreed to join World Bank & IMF 1944.
When USSR asked for $6bn. loan Jan. 1945, US imposed capitalist conditions which USSR refused.
For this reason Stalin placed emphasis on reparations from G.

Question 6

4 main areas of disagreement: US atomic bomb

Answer 6

August 1945: USA exploded world’s first atomic bombs on Hiroshima & Nagasaki.
Stali interpreted refusal to share nuclear tech. as demonstration of US power to weakened USSR.