US Soviet Relations 1945-6 and Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe Flashcards
When did the USA drop atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan
August 1945 to end WWII.
How did the development of the atom bomb make the USA and the West feel
More confident/secure. They could use it to persuade Stalin to hold free elections in Eastern Europe.
What did Stalin do in reaction to the atom bomb
-He made a buffer zone between Eastern European countries and the West
-He tested their own atomic bomb in 1949
How did the development of the atom bomb affect USA/USSR relations
-Increased cold war tensions as the bomb was so powerful
-Made both sides reluctant to go to war
-Started an arms race between USA and USSR
What was the Kennan Long telegram
A telegram discussing US-Soviet relations that was sent by George Kennan, the USA ambassador in Moscow. It said that Stalin wanted to destroy capitalism but that the USSR would back down if threatened by the USA.
What was the Novikov Telegram
A telegram sent by Nikolai Novikov, a soviet diplomat in Washington, that said the USA wanted to dominate the world.
How did both telegrams affect the Soviet-American relations
Both sides now distrusted each other even more. Led eventually to America’s policy of containment as the USA felt that the USSR was now looking to spread communism and led to Soviet desire to protect itself.
Why did Stalin ensure that every government in Eastern Europe was pro-communist
Stalin wanted to create a buffer zone between the east and west. The USSR had suffered two invasions in the last 30 years- if Eastern Europe was under his control, this would make any future invasion less likely.
How did the USA interpret Stalin ensuring all government in Easter Europe was pro-communist
The USA believed this was part of Stalin’s aim to spread communism throughout the world- in particular, they thought that countries in Western Europe were under threat.
What was the Iron Curtain speech
In March 1946 Churchill visited the USA where he made a speech in which he declared Europe was being divided by Soviet policy. In the West were free and democratic states, in the East countries were living under the domination of communism and the USSR- an Iron Curtain separated the two
How did the Iron Curtain speech affect Soviet-American relations
It increased tention and mistrust and led to the USSR to step up its campaign of anti-Western propaganda. Intensified hostility.
What where satellite states
Countries that were freed from the Nazi rule by the Red Army. These included: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania.
How did Stalin set up pro-communist governments
Although Stalin did hold elections they were rigged to ensure communists won. Politicians were beaten, intimidated and even murdered (e.g Jan Masaryk). Even after the war, 6 million troops remained in Eastern Europe to stamp out opposition.
How did Stalin ensure the satellite states relied on the USSR
He set up COMINFORM in 1947, an alliance of communist countries, which restricted their contact with the West. This was done in response to the Marshall Plan.
