The Cold War

• Disagreements at Yalta 


  Poland: Stalin wanted USSR border to move westwards into Poland, Poland could extend its border into Germany

  • Churchill did not approve of these plans, not much he could so about it- Red army controlled Poland and eastern Germany
  • Roosevelt also unhappy with Stalin’s plans, Churchill persuaded Roosevelt to accept it as long as USSR did not intervene in Greece where British were trying to prevent communism, Stalin accepted
• Iron curtain 


  Since Potsdam, Stalin had achieved domination of Eastern Europe

  Churchill described the border between soviet controlled countries and Western Europe as an iron curtain
• How did Stalin strengthen his grip?


  Communist governments established in Eastern European countries

  The secret police imprisoned anyone who opposed communist rule
• The Marshall plan 


  Truman believed communism succeeded when people faced poverty and hardship

  He sent George Marshall to asses economic state of Europe

  Found ruined economy- Europe owed $11.5 billion to US

  Marshall suggested $17 billion needed to rebuild Europe’s prosperity

  In December 1947 he put plan to congress, refused to grant money for a short period of time, concerned with Truman’s involvement in foreign affairs
• What is NATO? 


  North Atlantic treaty organisation

  April 1949

  At height of Crisis, western powers met in Washington DC and signed an agreement to work together
• What is the Warsaw pact?


  In response to NATO allowing west Germany to join the organisation

  Between USSR and main communist states

  Promised to defend one another if attacked
• What happened at Yalta: 


  Allied leaders (Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill) met to plan what would happen after Germans defeat- went well.
• Why was Potsdam unsuccessful? 


  A new president was elected in the US in April 1945, replacing Roosevelt who died, and was more anticommunist than Roosevelt, suspicious of Stalin.
• Why was Potsdam unsuccessful? 


  Stalin's armies occupied most of Eastern Europe after liberating countries, setting up a communist government in Poland and insisting on control of Eastern Europe as a defensive measure against future attacks.
• When did the Yalta conference take place? 


  February 1945
• Terms of the Yalta conference:


  Agreed to hunt down war criminals
• Terms of the Yalta Conference: 


  Countries liberated from German occupation would hold free elections
• Terms of the Yalta conference:


  Germany was divided into 4 zones: French, British, American, Soviet
• What were the consequences of the Berlin blockade?


  > Powerful symbol

  > Cold War flashpoint: one of the few places where US and soviet troops met- vulnerable

  > Suggested there would never be a war

  > Showed West’s commitment to Berlin

  > Airlift improved relations between Germany and the allies

  > Heightened fear of the Soviet Union in the West
• The Berlin airlift:


  > US thought if they gave into Stalin, western zones of Germany might fall to communism

  > Truman ordered aircraft to fly supplies to Berlin

  > No shot were fired as planes flew over

  > For the next 10 months West Berlin received all of its supplies by plane

  > In May 1949: Stalin lifted the blockade
• What happened during the Berlin blockade?


  The Soviet Union blocked the west from receiving supplies in June 1948

  Berlin was deep inside the soviet zone and linked to western area by roads, railways and canals

  If the US tried to ram the block roads it would be seen as an act of war
• What were the causes of the Berlin blockade?


  Distrust between US and USSR

  Increase in stocks of weapons on both sides

  Truman began to see Germany as a potential ally against USSR

  In 1946: Britain, France and America combined their zones, became known as west Germany in 1949
• Czechoslovakia

  In 1948

  Changed US attitudes when communists took over

  Ruled by coalition government: included communists

  In March 1948: communists purged anti soviet leaders

  Congress immediately accepted the Marshall plan
• What was Marshall aid? 


  Generous act by US where they supplied economic aid to countries

  Motivated by self interest: US wanted to create new markets for goods and prevent another depression

  Stalin viewed Marshall aid with suspicion: he forbade E.European countries from applying

  Stalin thought the anticommunist aims behind Marshall aid would weaken his grip, also felt US was dominating states by making them dependant on the dollar
• What was the Truman doctrine?


  US intervention in Greece marked a new area in US attitude to world politics, this was the Truman doctrine

  The US sent money, equipment and advice to any country who was, under US view, threatened by communist takeover

  Truman accepted E.Europe was communist: aimed to stop it from spreading (containment)
• Greece

  1945-1950

  Two rival groups monarchists and communists

  In 1945: Churchill sent troops to Greece supposedly to restore order, the king returned to power

  In 1946: USSR protested to UN that British troops were a threat to Greece: UN took no action so communists tried to take Greece by force

  A civil war developed which the British could not afford so Truman paid for some troops

  By 1950: Royalists in control but were weak and in crisis
• What were US ideologies?


  > Capitalist (business and property owned privately)

  > Democracy

  > Wealth extremes

  > Being free was more important than being equal

  > Thought other counties should be run this way

  > People were alarmed by communist theory

  > Saw their policies as doing the right thing rather than serving the interests of the USA
• What were USSR ideologies?


  > Communist (all industry owned and run by state)

  > Dictatorship (elections held but candidates were communists)

  > Economic superpower but general living standard was lower

  > Rights of individuals seen as less important than society as a whole

  > Thought all countries should be run the communist way

  > Taught to encourage revolutions world wide

  Saw US actions as selfishly building an economic empire and political influence
• Potsdam conference 


  July 1945

  5 months after Yalta

  Did not go well

  Churchill replaced by Attlee

  Rivalry and suspicion between Stalin and Truman

  Ended without complete agreement
• Why was Potsdam unsuccessful?


  USA tested an atomic bomb on 16th July 1945, Truman did not inform Stalin until Potsdam conference
• What were the disagreements at Potsdam?


  1: Stalin wanted to cripple Germany to protect USSR

  > 20 million Russians died during WW2 so Stalin wanted compensation from Germany but Truman didn’t want to repeat the mistake of the Treaty of Versailles

  2: At Yalta, Stalin could set up pro soviet governments in E. Europe

  > Truman was now unhappy with Stalin’s intentions
• Cominform

  October 1947

  Stalin set up communists informations bureau (cominform) to coordinate work of communists parties in E.Europe

  Communist leaders regularly met in Mosdow to be briefed-> this allowed Stalin to keep an eye on them

  Stalin replaced independent minded leaders with those loyal to him

  Yugoslavia escaped this: resented being controlled
• How did the USA react to soviet expansion?


  Western powers were alarmed

  Agreed to soviet sphere of influence but did not expect such complete domination

  Felt it should be possible to have both democratic states and those friendly to the USSR

  Stalin saw his policy in E.Europe as making himself secure, Truman could only see the spread of communism
• When was the Berlin blockade?

  June 1948
• When was the Truman doctrine introduced?

  March 1947
• Terms of the Yalta conference:

  The Big 3 all agreed to join the UN
• Terms of the Yalta conference:

  The Big 3 agreed that Eastern Europe should be seen as a soviet sphere of influence
• Why was Potsdam unsuccessful?

  Roosevelt replaced by Truman who was much more anticommunist and suspicious of Stalin
• Why was Potsdam unsuccessful?

  > Stalin did not withdraw his troops after liberating countries in Eastern Europe, so his armies were occupying most of Eastern Europe

  > Stalin had set up a communist government in Poland, against the wishes of the majority of the Poles
• Why was NATO an important consequence of the Berlin Blockade?

  > Entrenched divisions

  > It was a military defensive alliance that alarmed Stalin

  > Threatened security of Soviet Sphere Of Influence

  > Indirectly caused the Warsaw pact