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Flashcards in đź“ťIDEA PARAGRAPHS- Causes Of The Cold War Deck (24)
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1
Q

Describe the event of Yalta

A

The three leaders, Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt met on feb 4 1945. The west formed the UN, the declaration of europe was agreed to, the Soviet Union for Poland’s borders moved so he gained more territory and all big 3 split Germany into four zones between France
, Britain, USA and SU

2
Q

Explain the event of Yalta

A

The conference was necessary because Churchill wanted to protect british interests and Roosevelt believed only a capitalist Europe could avoid future war while Stalin believed creating the soviet sphere of influence was the best way to achieve security

3
Q

Asses the significance of the Yalta conference

A

The issues that caused tension were that the west and SU had contrasting ideologies and each wanted to influence the world with their own. Poland also caused tension here as the west believed Poland should be free while Stalin wanted to regain territory from Poland that was once part of the SU as it helped him achieve invasion security. At the next conference, the west reacted more hostile towards the SU as they wanted to make sure capitalism dominated. The USA also acted smugly as they had the upper hand by having possession of the atomic bomb. This showed they felt tension contributing to the start of the war as Stalin also knew about the bomb’s existence and so mistrusting the west.

4
Q

Describe the event of Potsdam

A

In July 1945, Stalin, Truman and Attlee met for another peace conference post war.

5
Q

Explain the Potsdam conference

A

It was necessary as Britain wanted alliance with the USA because it saw itself as week. The USA wanted self determination for the countries of Europe. Stalin wanted to expand his sphere of influence over Europe

6
Q

Assess the significance of the Potsdam conference

A

G
The issue here was that USA wanted self determination for the countries in Europe but Stalin wanted them to remain under his communist influence. Stalin also wanted Germany to pay its own reparations but this was completely opposed by the west who wanted to help build it up as a self sufficient country to prevent it from falling under communism. This would have made Stalin feel betrayed by the west as he was completely against capitalist views. As a result, Stalin spread his sphere of influence to all countries in Eastern Europe forming the iron curtain. This showed the SU felt tension because they wanted to prevent capitalism taking over other countries even if it meant isolating himself from the rest of the world and creating a division between him and the west

7
Q

Describe the event of the atomic bomb

A

In August 1945, the USA dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki where 140,000 died in Hiroshima and 80,000 in Nagasaki.

8
Q

Explain the dropping of the atomic bomb

A

It was necessary because the war in the Pacific between the USA and japan needed to have ended, it also showed the world America’s power and what could be achieved on the side of communism

9
Q

Asses the dropping of the atomic bomb

A

This worried the SU because Stalin hadn’t yet developed nuclear technology making communism look inferior to capitalism. The surrender of japan also removed the need for the grand alliance to continue and instead, the SU continued to expand their sphere of influence over Eastern Europe. As a response, the SU dedicated billion to developing their own atomic bomb so much so, Stalin dedicated Arzamas-16 village to housing the scientists and engineers working on the bomb.

10
Q

Describe the Soviet spread of influence

A

Between 1945 and the 1950s, the SU was increasing the sphere of Influence over Eastern Europe by making sure at some point, communists were taking power by rigging elections or executing non- communist leaders

11
Q

Explain the Soviet spread of influence

A

As with elections being rigged, communism was able to take hold because the SU ensured communist power quickly with minimal public opposition as people feared the consequences. This made it easier to expand his sphere of influence.

12
Q

Asses the Soviet spread of influence

A

This worried the west as it showed how Stalin was able to influence countries, especially those who were vulnerable. One tactic used was salami tactics where capitalists were tried or expelled by finding evidence to cast doubt on their good reputation. This was making it hard for the west to spread capitalism in Europe as Stalin was removing all influence of it. As a response, the us introduced the Truman doctrine in that the USA was to contain communism in Eastern Europe by supporting any country under threat if it. This showed the USA felt tension because they were willing to damage relations between east and west to contain communist influence

13
Q

Describe the Truman doctrine

A

It was put in Place in March 1947 and was a policy of containing communism in Europe for as long as possible

14
Q

Explain the Truman doctrine

A

Primarily, the Truman doctrine was due to Britain pulling out of aid in turkey and Greece who were now being overtaken by communism meaning America now had to step in. It was also done because the USA didn’t want Stalin spreading his sphere of influence to areas of the world in general

15
Q

Asses the significance of the Truman doctrine

A

The SU was worried about the Truman doctrine because it was influencing many countries, especially those close to the iron curtain with capitalist ideologies. As a response in 1917, Stalin formed Comecon which was an organisation to coordinate communist governments in Eastern Europe. This showed Stalin felt tension as he had to form his own organisation to strengthen already communist governments behind the iron curtain so they wouldn’t get influenced by capitalism.

16
Q

Describe the Marshall plan

A

It was formed in April 1948 mainly to allow the recovery of vulnerable countries after the war so they wouldn’t fall under communism.

17
Q

Explain the Marshall plan

A

They did this because it subjected the countries who received help to dollar imperialism and western ideas rather than them building a relashionship with the Soviet Union

18
Q

Asses the significance of the Marshall plan

A

The Soviet Union was worried about the Marshall plan because Stalin feared countries would fall under capitalism by accepting Marshall aid causing him to loose his grip over Eastern Europe. This made him form cominform as a response because he wanted countries behind the iron curtain to make them trade with each other rather than the west. Also as a response, he blockaded West Berlin so all power and resources were prevented from entering the city. This was down as Stalin felt like he would loose Germany to capitalism so by blockading west Berlin, he thought the city would be left reliant on the SU and communism showing he felt tension

19
Q

Describe the Berlin blockade

A

This was where the SU stopped all rail and road and canal traffic to western Berlin from west Germany and cutting it off from form coal, gas a resources on May 1949

20
Q

Explain the Berlin blockade

A

The SU did this after an increase in tension when a British and soviet spy plane collided in June 1948 and when bizonia created the duetchsmark causing an economic crisis in east Germany. This made Stalin think that leaving the West Berlin dependant on only the SU would force the allies out

21
Q

Asses the significance of the Berlin blockade

A

This created an issue for the west as there were a limited no of ways they could deal with the situation. For example, they could ignore the Russians and drive through the blockade but the Russian forces in Europe outnumbered the western allies and so risked a war the us was unlikely to win. Instead, america supplies Berlin by the 3 open air corridors. This showed they felt tension as the operation was risky and a daily minimum of 4000 tonnes of supplies was flown to West Berlin.

22
Q

Describe the Berlin airlift

A

In May 1949, they USA agreed to supply West Berlin by air as a response to the Berlin blockade. It happened through three open air corridors and meant 4000 tonnes of supplies were flown in every day and each plane only had 90 sec intervals to land

23
Q

Explain the Berlin airlift

A

The reason this was occurring was because the USA wanted to do everything possible to ensure west Germany would not fall under communism as a response to the Berlin blockade which threatened this

24
Q

Asses the significance of the Berlin airlift

A

It went on for 10 months and so created tension as a clear divide began to occur even more because the USA went against Stalin’s interests meaning the SU couldn’t take hold over West Berlin like it had hoped to do. Actions both sides took that show they felt tension contributing to the start of the Cold War were that nato was formed in the west and so the Warsaw Pact was formed between Eastern European countries behind the iron curtain by the SU.