1.4

• Salami Tactics

  • Soviets supervised the organisations of governments in Eastern European states, initialy establishing a anti facist alliance with them
  • Then, each oposing party was sliced off one after the other
  • Then, only communists were left and if needed the local communists could be replaced with moscow trained communists
• Salami Tactics - Term

  • A remark made by Hungarian Communist leader Matyas Rakosi.
• Breakdown due to USSR in Iran


  • In Yalta, it was agreed that all nations would withdraw their troops from Iran.
  • At the end of the war, the British withdrew their troops but Stalin left 30,000 troops claiming it was necessary to put down rebelions.
  • His troops encouraged a communist rebelion in Iran, the Iranian government went to US and Britain to complain
  • US and Britain urged stalin to take his troops out however on January 1 1946, Stalin refused.
  • Iran went to the UN and after pressure from the UN, Stalin removed his troops
• Breakdown due to instability in Greece and Turkey


  • When Germany left Greece in 1944, there were the monarchists and communists.
  • The Communists wanted Greece to be a Soviet republic while the monarchists wanted a monarchy.
  • Britain sent troops in 1945 to maintain order and supervise elections. The British supported the monarchists and the king returned.
  • In 1946, the USSR complained to the UN that British troops in Greece was a threat to peace. The UN didn't act so a civil war started.
  • The British could not afford the costs of a war, so they withdrew their troops on the 24th of February 1947.
• Breakdown due to US fears of the growth of communist parties in Italy

  and France


  • Communist parties in post war western europe grew more popular as they were more appealing to the people who saught to recover.
  • The US was suspicious that these parties were recieving support from Moscow
• Breakdown due to George F Kennan’s Long Telegram 


  • In February 1946, a US diplomat in the USSR sent a telegram to the US Department of State on the Soviet foregin policy.
  • In his view, the Soviet foregin policy was aimed to have lasting influence on US perceptions of the USSR.
  • The telegram also stated the USSR was hostile to the West
  • However, according to him Moscow was easily able to withdraw if they encountered strong resistance.
  • This played a key role in developing the idea of "Containment"
• GFKs Long Telegram key points

  • USSRs view on the world was a traditional one of insecruity
  • The Soviets wanted to impose a Stalinist ideology, not simply Marxism
  • The Soviet regieme was cruel and oppressive and justified this by stating anything in the outside world is hostile.
  • The USSR was very hositle to the West, however it was not suicidal.
• Breakdown due to Novikovs Long Telegram


  • Later the same year, a Soviet ambassador to the US sent a similar Telegram adressed to Stalin. It expressed concerns with US actions.
• NOVs Long Telegram key points

  • The US was imperialist and a threat to the USSR
  • The US was striving for world supremacy
  • The US has developed expansion plans
  • US used diplomacy and establishment of air bases, naval bases and development of new weapons to pursue its expansionist aims.
• Breakdown due to Winston Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ speech

  • On March 5 1946 former British PM Winston Churchill gave a speach at Fulton, Missuori with president Harry S Truman sitting beside him.
  • This speach warned the world of a new danger. The Soviet Union which has placed a iron curtain across Central and Eastern Europe.