Cold War

• Who were the Superpower leaders during the Tehran Conference?

  • Roosevelt
  • Stalin
  • Churchill
• Who were the Superpower leaders during the Yalta Conference?

  • Roosevelt
  • Stalin
  • Churchill
• Who were the Superpower leaders during the Potsdam Conference?

  • Truman (Roosevelt had died)
  • Stalin
  • Clement Atlee (replaced Churchlee)
• When was the Tehran Conference?


  1943
• When was the Yalta Conference?


  February 1945
• When was the Potsdam Conference?


  July-August 1945
• What were the agreements of the Tehran Conference?

  • Britain and USA agreed to open up a second front by invading France in 1944
  • Russian troops help USA defeat Japan after Nazis defeated
  • Establish United Nations to help world peace at the end of the War
• What were the disagreements of the Tehran Conference?

  • Uncertain what should happen to Germany after the war
  • USSR wanted to punish Germany whereas USA and UK wanted a prosperous Germany for a peaceful Europe
• What were the agreements of the Yalta Conference?

  • Divide Germany and Berlin into four zones of occupation which France, Britain, USA and USSR would control
  • Germany pay reparations
  • Punish Nazi War Criminals
  • Liberated counties hold 'free elections'
  • Eastern Europe has Soviet sphere of Influence
  • Establishment of both Communist and Capitalist government in Poland
• What were the disagreements of the Yalta Conference?

  • What was meant by democracy as Stalin believed Communist Government represented people whilst Roosevelt believed in different parties in free elections
• What were the agreements of the Potsdam Conference?

  • Democracy in Germany
  • De-nazification
  • Confirmation of previous agreements in Yalta
• What were the disagreements of the Potsdam Conference?

  • Truman thought he could boss Stalin around because of his master card of destruction (the atomic bomb) he used on Japan so Soviet troops no longer needed (Stalin furious)
  • Didn't tell Stalin about it so he created a buffer zone around Russia
  • Stalin made sure Poland's government was pro-communist so broke his promise of allowing free elections
  • Stalin insisted that Germany pay the USSR higher amounts of reparations to compensate for Soviet losses but USA and Uk refused as they thought it was too much
• Why were superpower relations poor during the Potsdam Conference?

  • Had defeated Germany so common enemy was gone, ending marriage of convenience
  • Tension between Truman and Stalin who didn't get along
• How did Bulgaria become under the hard-line Stalinist regime?

  In the 1945 elections, a Communist-led coalition was elected but the Communists executed the non-communists
• How did East Germany become under the hard-line Stalinist regime?

  In 1945, East Germany was the Soviet zone of Germany. In 1949, they set up a Communist-controlled state called the German Democratic Republic
• How did Romania become under the hard-line Stalinist regime?

  In the 1945 elections, a Communist-led coalition was elected to power. The Communists gradually took over and in 1947 they abolished the monarchy.
• How did Poland become under the hard-line Stalinist regime?

  Stalin had promised to set up a joint Communist/non-Communist government at Yalta, but then he invited 16 non-Communist leaders to Moscow and arrested them. Thousands of non-Communists were arrested, and the Communists won the 1947 election.
• How did Hungary become under the hard-line Stalinist Regime?

  The non-communists won the 1945 elections. However, the Communists' leader, Rakosi, took control of the secret police and executed and arrested his opponents. By 1948, Rakosi had complete control of Hungary.
• How did Czechoslovakia become under the hard-line Stalinist Regime?

  A coalition government was set up and led by a non-Communist leader. However, the Communists' leader Gottwald made sure they controlled the radio, the army and the police. Gottwald became prime minister and set up a secret police force. Non-Communists were arrested. In 1948, Communist workers went on strike, the non-Communist minister committed suicide and Gottwald took over the government.
• What led to the Soviet Expansion of Eastern Europe?

  • The Iron Curtain Speech
  • Truman Doctrine
  • Long Telegram
  • Novikov Telegram
• What was the Iron Curtain Speech?

  In March 1946 Churchill made a speech which was a metaphor for the division in Europe as Soviet power was growing and had to be stopped. It was clear that Truman supported this view and Stalin called this a 'declaration of war'
• What was the Long Telegram?

  In 1946, a US ambassador in Moscow, was warning Truman about Soviet power. It said that the Soviet Union was heavily armed, seeking to develop the atomic bomb and Stalin gave a speech calling for the destruction of capitalism to protect its communist system. It confirmed the USSR was a threat to world peace and only strong action by the USA would stop it.
• What was the Novikov Telegram?

  In 1946, a Soviet ambassador in Washington wanted Stalin about the USA wanting to dominate the world, Truman no longer interested un co-operation with the USSR and the public being prepared for war.
• What was the Truman Doctrine?

  A promise to reverse USA's previous isolationist policy for a containment policy where the USA had a responsibility to protect the world from Soviet expansion.
• What was the causes of the Berlin Crisis 1948-49?

  • Stalin was becoming increasingly worried about the future of Berlin because of Trizonia
  • Trizonia developed new currency Deutschmark without consulting him
  • Worried about creating a strong Germany
  • Worried his power and influence over Germany was being threatened
• When did Trizonia introduce the Deutschmark?

  23rd of June 1948
• When did Stalin set up the military blockade?

  24th June 1948
• What was the aim of the Berlin Blockade?

  • Prove a divided Germany would not work in practice
  • Cut allies off from its capital so new government couldn't control its territory
  • Prevent establishment of a separate state in West Germany with deep-rooted capitalism in the midst of Eastern Europe
  • Hoped it would withdraw Western powers from Berlin
• How did Truman respond to the Berlin Blockade?


  Berlin Airlift which transported over 170,000 tonnes of supplies at its busiest time in a month to protect West Berliners from the harsh winters
• How did the USSR try to stop the Berlin Blockade?

  Flying planes above Berlin and using weather balloons to block parts of air corridor
• Why did the USSR not shoot down any planes during the Berlin Airlift?

  President Truman had moved American bombers to Britain (within bombing range of the USSR) as a direct threat
• How long did the Berlin Airlift last?

  Almost a year (11 Months)
• When did Stalin abandon the Berlin blockade?

  On 12 May 1949
• Why was the Berlin Blockade a propaganda failure for the USSR?

  Truman's response looked peaceful whilst Stalin's blockade was aggressive however Soviet propaganda attempted to hide the defeat suffered by Stalin
• What were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade/Crisis?

  • Open confrontation of Arms Race
  • Divided Germany into Federal Republic and Democratic Republic until reunification in 1990
  • Allies set up NATO to resist Soviet Russia whilst USSR responded with Warsaw Pact
• When was NATO formed?

  April 1949
• When was Warsaw Pact formed?

  1955
• What were the consequences of the Warsaw Pact?

  • Increased Cold War tensions as there were now two power blocs
  • Contributed to the arms race as both military alliances needed more powerful weaponry to protect their members in case of outright war
  • Warsaw Pact was a flashpoint for the Hungarian Uprising in 1956, Eastern Bloc countries would be punished for attempting to leave the Pact
• When did the USA drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

  1945
• When did the USSR create its own atomic bomb?

  1949