The Cold War

• TEHRAN CONFERENCE

  • nov 1943
  • Churchill, Stalin, roosevelt

  aims

  • Roosevelt keen to improve relations

  agreements

  • usa and uk to Invade france
  • ussr to join war against Japan

  disagreements

  • Stalin annoyed at delay to invade france
• YALTA CONFERENCE

  • feb 1945
  • Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt

  aims

  • plan what would happen in Europe after the war

  agreements

  • germany to be divided into 4 sections of control
  • nazi leaders to be persecuted

  disagreements

  • level of punishment for Germany
  • what to do with Poland
• POTSDAM CONFERENCE

  • July - August 1945
  • truman, Attlee, stalin

  agreements

  • democracy re-established
  • nazi party banned
  • Germany to pay reparations to allies
  • Germany to have free elections and speech

  disagreements

  • free elections
  • truman was furious and began a 'get tough' policy against Soviet Union
• MARSHALL AID

  • $17 billion over 4 years
  • truman initially reluctant but after death of jan Masaryk in Czech he agreed
• BERLIN BLOCKADE

  • stalin outraged by creation of trizonia
  • June 1948 - soviet troops set up road blocks, closed railway lines and canals connecting Berlin to the west
• BERLIN AIRLIFT

  • 318 days
  • 275,000 flights carried in 1.5 million tones of supplies
  • plane landing every 3 minutes
• CHURCHILLS SPEECH

  • called the 'iron curtain speech'
  • 5th march 1946
• LONG TELEGRAM

  • 1946
  • 8000 words long
  • from Kennan an American ambassador
  • Russians determined to destroy American way of life
• NOVIKOVS TELEGRAM

  • 1946
  • sent from soviet ambassador novikov to Stalin
  • reported that usa was preparing for war and hated communism
  • stressed dangers of the usa
• TRUMAN DOCTRINE

  • 1947
  • send money, equipment and advice to any countries threatened by communist takeover
• NATO

  • April 1949
  • Usa, GB, France and Canada formed a new defensive alliance
  • increased tensions and led to creation of Warsaw pact
• WARSAW PACT

  • 1955
  • Soviet Union formed there own defensive military alliance
  • increased rivalry and tensions
  • accelerated arms race (both felt other was preparing for war)
• COMINFORM

  • created by Stalin in 1947
  • co-ordinated Governments in Eastern Europe
  • ran meetings and gave out instructions
• COMECON

  • created by Stalin in 1949
  • council for mutual economic assistance
  • eastern countries can trade with each other but not the west
• BERLIN WALL

  • 3.6 m high and 1.2 m wide
  • patrolling soldiers, dogs, floodlights, trip wire and machine guns

  outcomes

  • 130 people killed trying to cross the wall
  • family divided
  • worried west would start a war
• BAY OF PIGS INVASION

  • April 1961
  • la brigada lands at bay of pigs and met Castros army of 20,000

  consequences

  • 100 la brigada killed
  • 1100 imprisoned
• CZECHOSLOVAKIA CRISIS

  • czech ruled by unpopular leader novotny
  • slow to follow destalinisation and lack of freedom

  new leader

  • Dubcek 1968 - 1969

  introduced prague spring reforms:

  • reduced powers of secret police
  • farmers choose own crops
  • 10 year plan for multi party state and free elections