REASONS FOR COLD WAR

• why did the USSR and the USA have a rivalry?

  little trust between them, different set of beliefs (communism vs capitalism)
• why did the East and the West mistrust each other?

  they had different ideological beliefs - the East feared that the West would impose their ideals onto the Soviet people. The West feared communism would spread worldwide
• what is capitalism?

  the economic system where you can privately own property and businesses and make money
• what is communism?

  a political and economic ideology that all property, homes, and businesses belonged to the state for fairness across society
• how did the Soviet Union differ from the West in politics?

  USSR - single party

  West - free elections with a choice of parties to vote for
• how did the Soviet Union differ from the West in social structure?

  USSR - classless society, everybody equal

  West - different classes and power due to wealth, education, family background
• how did the Soviet Union differ from the West in economy?

  USSR - no individual ownership

  West - private ownership, competition between businesses
• how did the Soviet Union differ from the West in rights?

  USSR - higher value in workers rights than individual rights

  West - individual freedoms valued but limited by majority opinion
• Who were the 'Big Three'?

  Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin
• why were there tensions during WW2?

  ideological differences between the Big Three (communism vs capitalism), loss of trust
• what was FDR and Churchill suspicious of about Stalin?

  Stalin's communist beliefs installing into Eastern European countries that Germany had conquered
• what was Stalin suspicious of about FDR and Churchill?

  making only the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany fight it out until both countries were weak after the war
• why was Stalin suspicious of FDR and Churchill?

  they delayed the opening of the second front in France until 1944
• why was the second front needed?

  to take off pressure on the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front
• when did the US drop the 2 atomic bombs in Japan

  August 1945
• what was the Grand Alliance?

  the informal agreement between FDR (USA), Churchill (Britain), and Stalin (Soviet Union) to end WW2
• where was the first meeting the Grand Alliance met in?

  Tehran, 1943
• what was the Tehran conference about?

  winning strategy to end the war
• what was agreed during the Tehran Conference?

  • the West would open a second front and fight Germany on the Western side of Europe - to allieviate the Soviets pressure and heavy loss
  • agreement that post-war Poland would claim some of Germany's land, and the Soviet Union could keep the land they took from Poland in 1939 - this would achieve Stalin's aim to secure his western border
  • they laid ground for the future creation of the United Nations
• what is the United Nations?

  the global organisation made in 1945 to try maintain world peace
• Where was the Big Three's 2nd conference?

  Yalta, 1945
• what was the Yalta Conference about?

  how to bring war against Germany to a successful conclusion, goverment of post-war Europe
• what was agreed during the Yalta Conference?

  • post-war Germany would be divided into four: USA, Britain, France, Soviet Union
  • Germany would pay $20 billion in reparations ($10 billion going to the Soviet Union)
  • Stalin agreed the future governments of Eastern European countries to freely elect
  • Set up of the United Nations, and its 1st meeting on 25th April 1945
• where was the Big Three's 3rd conference?

  Potsdam, 1945
• what caused the Potsdam conference?

  • FDR's death
  • the end of Nazi Germany
  • a political solution had to be reached over the liberated countries - Western Europe belonged to Western Allies, Eastern Europe belonged to the Soviet Red Army
• what happened in the Potsdam Conference?

  • aim to denazify, demilitize, decentralise Germany
  • terms to surrender Japan was agreed
  • compromise was reached over war reparations
• what were the consequences of the Potsdam Conference?

  • ended without agreement - both superpowers were determined to keep their half of Europe
  • Stalin wanting to create a buffer zone in Eastern Europe - Stalin felt threatened after Truman declared he had a 'powerful new weapon'
  • USA and UK became aware of their need to confront communism in Europe - Truman apporved of Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' speech