Cold War

• Cold War: state of political hostility between countries characterised by threats, propaganda, short methods of warfare
• Communism: ideology of common ownership of business, absence of social classes, money & state
• Capitalism: an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit
• The grand alliance

  • USA
  • Britain
  • USSR
• Leaders in Grand Alliance (USSR, Britain, USA)

  Stalin

  Churchill

  Roosevelt
• Why was there mistrust between USSR & the west?

  WW1: communist revolution, Russia withdraw from war

  Russia civil war: After revolution, civil war west sent troops to fight communist

  Ideological differences: US became suspicious of communist ideals threaten ‘American dream'

  Nazi soviet pact: 1939, hitler& Stalin agree not to attack each other

  German Invasion of ussr:
• Sphere of influence: idea having countries under your influence
• West aims of Grand Alliance;

  East & West co-opérations should continue

  Germany should be rebuilt & independent

  Countries in East-Europe have right to self-determination & free from influence (free elections)
• USSR aims of grand alliance;

  East-West co-operation should continue

  Germany should remain weak

  Sphere of influence should be created to guarantee security
• Outcomes of Yalta conference;

  • Poland would be in sphere of influence but demographic government & free elections
  • United elections: ensure future international cooperation & USSR would join
  • Reparations: investigated by comission
  • Free elections: held in all liberated countries west & central europe
  • Four zones for Germany (Britain, France, USA, USSR)
• Changes between Yalta & Potsdam conference:

  • Surrender of Germany WW1: Stalin less willing to compromise no longer need help of west of defeat Germany
  • Leadership changes: Roosevelt died replace Truman, Attlee replaced Churchill
  • Atomic bomb: May 1945, USA test atomic bomb (told UK not USSR), Potsdam Truman told Stalin (but already knew cause of spies)
  • Poland: 1945 Stalin invite non- communist polish leader & arrested him
• (DREAD)

  Disharmony over:

  • Reparations: argument how much USSR should be allowed (soviet agreed for west to take whatever from soviet zone in return for 10% of west zone)
  • Eastern Europe: no sign of Stalin allow free elections
  • Atomic bomb: Truman told Stalin had ‘new weapon of destructive force' Stalin disinterested
  • Division of Germany: arguments over boundaries should be
• 6th August 1945 little boy hit Hiroshima

  -> over 2-4 months effects of bombings killed between 90,000 - 146,000 people in Hiroshima

  9th August 1945: Fat man dropped on Nagasaki bombings killed between 39,000 - 80,000 people in Nagasaki
• How did dropping an atomic bomb affect relations between USA & USSR?

  USA asked permission to drop atomic bomb & didn’t ask Soviet Union despite alliance

  (USSR aware due to spy on Manhattan Project)
• Iron curtain: phrased by churchill to describe region controlled by Soviet Union in Eastern Europe (metaphorical curtain)
• Salami tactics: practice of using a series of many small actions to produce larger actions would be difficult/ unlawful to perform at once
• Buffer zone: area giving someone protection against threat

  -> area of soviet - controlled states that act as protection for USSR
• Stalin promise at Yalta to allow free elections but turned Eastern Europe into a buffer zone between Soviet Union & Western Europe
• Iron curtain speech:

  metaphorical iron curtain has split the Eats & west

  soviet influence very high in some cases increasing measure of control from Moscow
• Containment: US policy to keep communism where it is & not let it spread
• Buffer zone: area of Soviet - controlled states that act as protection for USSR
• The Long Telegram:

  1946 George Kenan (US embassy in Moscow) asked to provide summary & their intention in Eastern Europe in 8000 words

  said: USSR heavily armed & determined to spread communism

  -> but USA stronger than USSR & communism could be controlled
• The Novikov Telegram:

  Soviet ambassador to USA , Novikov warned that USA emerge from WW2 economically strong & bent on world domination

  -> as result, USSR need to secure its buffer zone in Eastern Europe

  2 Telegrams set scene for Cold War

  • USSR attempt dominate Eastern Europe & spread communism
  • USA commit policy of containment
• Impact of WW2, many European countries were in ruins,

  economic conditions, communism look attractive to poorer members of society

  Thought agreed at yalta & potsdam that USSR needed allies

  In Europe, west powers alarm at rate of communism take-over

  -> expected democratic government friendly with USSR

  • Stalin saw as security
  • Truman saw spread of communism
• The Truman Doctrine:

  12th March 1947, President Truman made 18 minute speech outlined threat of communism posed across the world & announced his desire to stop it from spreading to other countries

  Truman promised support countries vulnerable to falling to communism & provided $400 aid Greece & Turkey
• Consequences of Truman Doctrine:

  • USA introduce marshall plan
  • Greece defeated communists
  • Rivalry between USA & USSR increased; Truman stated world divided between 2 ways of life: free non-communist & unfree communist
  • USA committed to containment: USA intervene both economically & militarily to contain communism
• Dollar imperialism: using money to increase their influence over other countries
• Post-war Europe

  -> millions of citizens died, European countries owed $11.5 billion to USA

  Extreme shortages & goods, rationing was common

  -> USA felt that Europe recover & prosper few countries appeal to communism
• Truman Doctrine

  June 1947 General George Marshall announce European Recovery Programme also known as Marshall Plan
• Marshall Plan

  Between 1948 - 1952 US programme provided 16 European countries with $13 billion

  money used to repair war damages & build us industry

  In return, for countries to agree to buy American goods
• Consequences of Marshall plan;

  By 1952, economies of Western Europe’s were prospering & spread of communism (in Europe) halted

  Signalled end of grand alliance

  -> USA direct opposition to USSR

  Aid was offered to countries in Eastern Europe

  -> stalin would not allow thorough review of their finances (east countries didn’t benefit from Marshall plan)

  1949, Soviet set up comecon -> provide economic aid to Eastern Europe

  Stalin saw marshal aid as a way of establishing American economic empire in Europe -> dollar imperialism
• comecon: council for mutual assistance (jan 1949)
• cominform: (October 1947) communist information bureau

  Aim: ensure unity in eastern Europe real aim: closely control communist parties

  It encourages communist parties to reject Marshall aid
• cominform: (October 1947) intend purpose of coordinating between European countries parties under direction of soviet union
• Comecon;

  1949, Stalin set up comecon (council for mutual economic assistance) (response to Truman doctrine)

  -> countries signed up to agree to work together & share resources -> led to economic growth in Eastern Europe

  -> Allowing USSR a vital role in domestic affairs of countries, exchange for subsides, loans / sending labour
• Flashpoint: place, event or time which violence or hostility flares up
• Bizonia: British & US zones joining together
• West Germany : British, US , French zones join together (Trizonia)
• 1948 Berlin became a flashpoint in the cold war
• Cause of Berlin Blockade Bizonia (Britain & USA join zones)

  1948, Western allies decided to unite their sectors of Germany & introduce a new currency to west Germany & west Berlin

  Stalin was unhappy & planned separate currency for the east