Cold War

• Reasons for the Cold War

  • Long term rivalry between the Soviet Union and the West
  • Ideological differences between Communism and Capitalism
  • Tensions and disagreements during WW2
  • Key features of conferences; Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam
  • The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe
  • The attitudes of Truman and Stalin
• Early Developments in the Cold War 1945-1949


  • Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe
  • Churchill and 'iron curtain'
  • Truman doctrine and Marshall Plan
  • Cominform and Comecon
  • Disagreements over Germany including Bizonia
  • Causes, events and results of the Berlin Crisis (1948-1949) including the setting up of NATO and the creation of two Germanys; the Federal Republic (FRG) and the Democratic Republic (GDR)

  
• The Cold War in the 1950s

  • The impact of the Korean war and the formation of the Warsaw Pact
  • Khrushchev and peaceful co-existence
  • The impact of Soviet rule on Hungary, Rakosi, de-Stalinisation, Nagy and his demands. Reasons for the Soviet invasion of Hungary, its effects and the international reaction
  • The nuclear arms race and its impact on superpower relations
• Three crises: Berlin, Cuba and Czechoslovakia


  • The U2 incident and its effects on the Paris Summit Conference
  • Reasons for the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, including the refugee problem
  • The effect of the Berlin wall on relations between East and West Germany and between the Superpowers
  • The Bay of Pigs invasion, the causes and key events of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the reasons for its outcome
  • The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia – its causes, events and impact including Brezhnev Doctrine

  
• The Thaw and moves towards Détente (1963-1972)

  • The thaw: 'Hotline', Test Ban Treaty, Outer Space Treaty and Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
  • Reasons for Détente
  • SALT talks and treaty
  • The extent of Detente in 1972
• Superpower Relations 1945-1972: Key Events

  • The Long term causes of the Cold War
  • The Tehran Conference- November-December 1943
  • The Yalta Conference- Feb 4th - 11th 1945
  • The Potsdam Conference- July 17th-August 2nd 1945
  • The Churchill 'Iron Curtain' Speech - March 1946
• Long term rivalry between the Soviet Union and the West

  The USSR and USA – Relations strained by 1945
• In 1917 the Western powers had tried to defeat the Communist forces in the Russian Civil War by supporting the non-Communist forces.
• The USSR had signed a pact with Germany in 1939 (the Nazi-Soviet Pact) which had enabled Poland to be invaded – something West had not wanted – and the start of WW2
• Ideological differences between Communism and Capitalism

  The USA was Capitalist, whereas the USA was a Communist country.
• In a Communist system there is state ownership of factories, land, farms and transport. There is a one-party dictatorship and no free elections.
• In a Capitalist system businesses are privately owned. Businesses are run for profit. There are democratic, free elections.
• Disagreements in the Second World War: Was the war-time alliance merely a 'marriage of convenience'?
• Stalin was annoyed with the fact that the west had waited until 1944 to launch D -Day to relieve the pressure on the Soviets in the East.
• 60x more soviet citizens were killed in WW2 compared to USA
• When the USA developed the A Bomb this was kept secret. The USSR believed that the USA was planning an attack.
• Both sides were convinced that the other was going to try and spread their ideologies and therefore way of life, therefore increasing their sphere of influence.
• The D Day landings happened in June 1944.
• Harry Truman announced that the USA had developed the world's first atomic bomb during the Potsdam Conference in July 1945.
• Mutual distrust and hostility existed before the war broke out.
• The USSR regarded the USA as a threat and viewed them as trying to get rid of Soviet influence in the world.
• USA were anti –communism as they believed in capitalism
• There was a distinct belief that Capitalism and Communism could not co-exist. They were, in fact, mutually opposed.
• The Tehran Conference- November-December 1943


  • The first time that the war-time alliance met in an official conference.
  • Plan how to defeat Germany and Japan
  • There was a need to open up a 'second front' against Germany to help relieve pressure off the Russians.
  • Need to talk about how to govern Europe after the war
  • Stalin felt that the USSR needed stronger borders in the future to prevent invasions.
• The Tehran Conference


  1. Agreed to open up a 'second front' of fighting in Europe

  2. Stalin would agree to help fight Japan when war in Europe over

  3. Churchill agreed the Curzon line as Poland's eastern frontier. (effectively the USSR gained territory)

  4. Churchill proposed that the USSR should have a 'sphere of influence' in Eastern Europe to help it feel more secure

  5. Agreed that International body be set up to sort international disputes (laid foundations for UN)

  
• There was a general mood of compromise at this meeting and there was a good, working relationship between the leaders.
• However, the 'sphere of influence' was an ambiguous phrase and was interpreted differently by each side
• Some tension between USA and GB - Churchill wanted the Second Front to be opened up in E Europe (not West), Roosevelt was critical of GB colonialism
• The Yalta Conference- Feb 4th - 11th 1945


  • War situation had changed. Germany was close to defeat.
  • Discussions over the post-war world were needed.
  • USA & UK wanted USSR to declare war on Japan.
  • Needed to agree a political solution for liberated countries, especially Germany and Poland.
• The Yalta Conference


  1. Stalin agreed to declare war on Japan within three months of the defeat of Germany.

  2. Compromise over Poland. All agreed to form a Polish government pledged to hold 'free elections'. Borders of Poland also changed – USSR gained land from Eastern Poland whilst Poland would gain land from East Germany.

  3. The 'Declaration on Liberated Europe'. USA, USSR & UK commit to work for democracy in Europe.

  4. Allies agree to form the United Nations.

  5. Germany and Berlin to be divided into four zones of occupation between Britain, France, USA and USSR.

  6. Big Three restate their agreement that the USSR should have a 'sphere of influence' in Eastern Europe.
• The talk of 'democracy' and 'free elections' was interpreted differently by USA and USSR. American free speech vs. Stalin's idea that communism represented the people so no opposition allowed.
• Yalta raised false expectations in the USA that Stalin would allow western-style governments in Eastern Europe.

  
• Stalin paid only lip service to idea of 'free elections' in Poland. In March, 16 leaders of the Polish resistance were arrested by Stalin and never seen again. Further talks over Poland achieved nothing. USSR refused to allow pro-western Poles into new government.
• Soviet troops had captured most of Eastern Europe. Stalin's demand for a 'sphere of influence' had to be taken seriously.
• The Potsdam Conference- July 17th-August 2nd 1945


  • The war against Nazi Germany was over. Hitler was dead. The Allies needed to decide how to disarm and punish Germany.
  • A political solution had to be reached over the liberated countries. The Western Allies now occupied the whole of western Europe. The Soviet Red Army occupied the whole of eastern Europe.
  • Roosevelt had died and Truman was keen to meet Stalin. He wanted to be tougher with Stalin over issues like Poland.
• The Potsdam Conference


  1. A compromise was reached over war reparations. Each ally would take reparations from the zone they occupied. USSR was also given industrial equipment from Western zones in return for raw materials.

  2. Agreed to prosecute Nazi war criminals.

  3. Statement of aims of the occupation of Germany by the Allies: demilitarisation, denazification, democratisation, decentralisation and decartelisation.

  4. Details of the German-Polish border were finally agreed.

  5. The communist dominated Polish Provisional Government of National Unity was recognized by all three powers.

  6. Was confirmed that the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity would hold 'free and fair elections' as soon as possible.

  7. The terms of the surrender of Japan were agreed. Japan had to agree unconditional surrender or face 'prompt and utter destruction'.
• The conference ended without agreement on what would happen to the newly liberated states across Europe.
• Both superpowers were determined to keep their half of Europe.
• Truman's attempt to assert his authority by declaring a 'powerful new weapon' at the conference only made Stalin more determined to protect the USSR. He saw this as a threat from the USA. He therefore wanted to create a 'buffer zone' in Eastern Europe.

  
• The USA and UK became aware of their need to confront communism in Europe. Truman approved Churchill's 1946 'Iron Curtain speech, in which he said that countries in the West were free and countries in the East were under communist control behind an 'Iron Curtain'.