1.1: early tensions between east & west

• why did the arm’s race begin?

  due to US & USSR being reluctant to actually go to war because atomic weapons killed many
• who attended the potsdam conference?

  truman, attlee and stalin
• when was the tehran conference?

  november 1943
• when was the yalta conference?

  february 1945
• when was the potsdam conference?

  august 1945
• who attended the yalta conference?

  roosevelt, churchill & stalin
• kennan long telegram - abt USSR

  • stalin wanted the destruction of capitalism & world
  • believed USSR wasn’t suicidal so w/ strong resistance, they’d back down
• novikov telegram - abt USA

  • similar to KLT, showing each side distrusted the other
  • said US wanted massive military power to dominate the world
  • the USSR thought that since roosevelt’s death, US not cooperate; US people would support government if it led to war
• iron curtain speech - churchill

  despite not being PM @ that time, he still had influence

  • march 1946, at fulton (US), churchill made it blunt in his speech; stating USSR = threat to freedom & world peace
  • since speech was in US, he must’ve cleared it w/ truman so stalin thought churchill’s speech reflected US belief too = INCREASED tension & anti-west propaganda
  • churchill done this because of the communist government in hungary, poland, romania & bulgaria
• when was the iron curtain speech?

  march 1946
• where was the iron curtain speech held at?

  fulton, USA
• why did churchill make the iron curtain speech?

  due to communist governments in hungary, romania, poland & bulgaria
• | differences between leaders

  • suspicions between the east & west played a major role in shaping relations
  • differences in personal political beliefs reinforced their suspicions
• • roosevelt: democrat but compromised & formed alliance with stalin, thought he'd need their help against japan's bombing of pearl harbor which was why he was more lax_ believed in accepting USSR
  • churchill: conservative_ traditional values_ believed in british empire, colonies_ deeply suspicious of stalin
  • stalin: 1-party rule_ convinced west wanted to destroy USSR
• | difference between nations

  • ideological differences made it hard to agree on how post-war europe should be governed
• | tehran, november 1943

  • agreements:
  • usa & uk open 2nd front on germany_ would ease pressure on eastern front where soviet were suffering heavy losses
  • stalin would declare war against japan & supply soviet troops to help US w/ war against japan
  • poland should recieve land from germany but USSR could keep land seized
  • general agreement on international body to settle disputes through talks instead of war; leading to formation of united nations
  • impacts:
  • stalin happy for second front bc he thought west were delaying it on purpose to weaken USSR troops but churchill wanted the front to be in balkan
  • some tension between US & UK as US thought colonialism was a greater threat to peace than USSR
• | yalta, february 1945

  • agreements:
  • after war, germany will be split into 4 zones
  • germany pay $20 billion; 50% going to USSR, nazis banned
  • united nations would be set up in april, all natiosn can join but stalin was denied individual membership for USSR
  • stalin agreed to join war against japan 3 months after germany's defeat
  • free elections in eastern europe
  • poland's borders would return to their position in 1921 with free elections
  • impacts
  • US & USSR happy to agree on free elections but poland proved to be an issue in future
• what happened in november 1943?

  tehran conference
• | potsdam conference, july-august 1945

  • agreements:
  • germany would be divided into 4 zones between US, USSR, UK & france
  • berlin also divided into 4 zones despite being USSR territory
  • impacts:
  • truman wanted to look hard to stalin; delayed conference until bomb was ready as he thought it would give him the upper hand in discussions but it soured relationships
  • truman wanted to see a new government in poland and objected the previous arrangements for poland
• | US-soviet relations, 1945-46

  atomic bomb's impact

  • 6th august 1945, US bombed hiroshima
  • 9th august, nagisaki bombed
  • bombs had 12k tonnes of TNT
  • 120k died from both bombs
  • soviet tested their own bomb on 29th august
  • bomb dramatically increased tension
  • atomic bombs killed many; made US
• | US-soviet relations, 1945-46

  atomic bomb's impact

  • 6th august 1945, US bombed hiroshima
  • 9th august, nagisaki bombed
  • bombs had 12k tonnes of TNT
  • 120k died from both bombs
  • soviet tested their own bomb on 29th august
• | US-soviet relations, 1945-46

  atomic bomb's impact

  • bomb dramatically increased tension
  • atomic bombs killed many; made US & USSr reluctant to go to war, leading to an arms race
• • iron curtain speech & novikov telegram increased tension & mistrust
  • USSR strengthened forces & step up a campaign of anti-western propaganda
• | creation of soviet satellite states

  • USSR freed many countries in eastern europe from nazis
  • stalin was reluctant to give up control as it was a good buffer zone between USSR & germany
  • turned them into satellite states with communist governments
  • truman saw this evidence that USSR wanted to spread communism worldwide