Cold War AQA

• Yalta Conference


  1. Divide Germany into four 'zones'

  2. Berlin split into 4 zones

  3. Bring Nazi war-criminals to trial

  4. Set up a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity

  5. Help the freed peoples of Europe set up democratic and self-governing countries

  6. Set up a commission to look into reparations

  
• Reparations


  Payment in kind, a total of $20 billion to be paid with half going to the USSR
• At Yalta, the negotiations went very much in Stalin's favour, but this was because Roosevelt wanted Russian help in the Pacific, and was prepared to agree to almost anything as long as Stalin agreed to go to war with Japan.
• After the Yalta conference, Churchill wrote to Roosevelt that 'The Soviet Union has become a danger to the free world.' And on their return home both he and Roosevelt were criticised for giving away too much to the Soviets.
• Potsdam Conference


  1. Set up the four 'zones of occupation' in Germany

  2. Destroy the Nazi Party, government and laws

  3. Bring Nazi war-criminals to trial

  4. Recognize the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity and hold 'free and unfettered elections as soon as possible'

  5. Move Poland's borders westward and settle on the Oder-Neisse Line

  6. Allow Russia to take reparations from the Soviet Zone, and also 10% of the industrial equipment of the western zones as reparations

  7. Establish a Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) to deal with the defeated countries
• The Potsdam Conference clearly illustrated the different views of the USSR and the Western Powers over the future of Germany and Poland.
• There were disagreements on reparations: Eastern Zone – Soviets prioritised collection of reparations. British and Americans believed that production from their factories in their zones should be traded for agricultural produce in the Soviet zone.
• In May 1946, the commander of the American zone, General Clay, stopped the delivery of reparations to the Soviets.
• July 1946 – The American and British zones merged into one unit: Bizonia.
• Manhattan Project


  USA's nuclear weapons programme started in 1939
• The Americans carried out the first successful test of the atomic bomb in the desert of New Mexico in July 1945 (known as the Trinity Test).
• Within two months, two bombs were ready to be used. The bombs were nicknamed 'Fat Man' and 'Little Boy'.
• The creation of nuclear weapons completely altered the power balance in the world; the USA was dominant.
• Truman became President in April 1945 after the death of his predecessor, Franklin D Roosevelt. He was immediately told about the atom bomb on becoming President. He chose to tell the USSR very little about as he felt it would give the USA a huge advantage when dealing with the Soviets.
• 6 August 1945 – 8:15am – The first atomic bomb was dropped by the American plan Enola Gay on the city of Hiroshima in Japan. Around 70,000 people died instantly and thousands more died in the days that followed of severe burns and radiation poisoning.
• 9 August 1945 – A second nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 40,000 people.
• After the second bomb, Japan surrendered, marking the end of the Second World War.
• Most historians agree that, if the Cold War did not start with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, then it was certainly the first major event of the Cold War.
• The End of World War Two also marked the end of the Grand Alliance between the USSR and the Western Allies. It saw a return to mutual suspicion and mistrust.
• Stalin now wanted an atomic bomb. Truman was determined to stop Soviet expansion and the spread of communism.
• Stalin had been aiming to create 'spheres of influence' in central Europe for some time and his dealings with Churchill and Roosevelt had convinced him that this would be acceptable to the Western Powers.
• Countries where Soviet control was established

  • Poland
  • Romania
  • Bulgaria
  • Hungary
  • Czechoslovakia
• Poland


  • Peasant-based economy, traditional hatred of the USSR, divided between Germany and the USSR, new government formed in June 1945 dominated by the "Lublin" Poles, opposition leaders arrested and murdered, rigged elections in 1947 gave communists 80% of the vote
• Romania


  • Monarchy, little support for communism, Soviet troops remained after liberation, Soviets accepted a coalition government in 1945 with key positions for communists, rigged elections in 1946 gave the communists and their allied 90% of the vote, "Show Trial" of the main opposition leader in October 1947, King Michael forced to abdicate in December 1947
• Bulgaria


  • Monarchy, historically close links to Russia, Soviet troops remained after liberation, initially communists joined a coalition with other parties, Soviets then purged rival groups, monarchy abolished in 1946, new Constitution in 1947 effectively destroyed parliamentary democracy and opposition parties were banned
• Hungary


  • Agriculture-based economy, little support for communists, Soviet troops remained after liberation, communists won 17% of the vote in November 1945 elections but were given control of the Ministry of the Interior, they used the secret police to discredit and pressure rival politicians and parties, they rigged elections in 1947 to give the communists control over the coalition government, Socialist Democratic Party and Communists merged in 1948
• Czechoslovakia


  • Established democracy before 1939, strong support for the communists, President Benes was prepared to cooperate with Stalin, Soviet troops left after the war, post-war elections gave communists the leadership of a balanced coalition
• Effectively destroyed parliamentary democracy in Hungary and opposition parties were banned


  1947
• Hungary in 1947 had an agriculture-based economy and little support for communists
• Hungary was a German ally and Soviet troops remained after liberation
• Communists won 17% of the vote in November 1945 elections but were given control of the Ministry of the Interior
• Communists used the secret police to discredit and pressure rival politicians and parties
• Communists rigged elections in 1947 to give themselves control over the coalition government
• Socialist Democratic Party and Communists merged in 1948
• Czechoslovakia had an established democracy before 1939 and strong support for the communists
• President Benes was prepared to cooperate with Stalin
• Soviet troops left Czechoslovakia after the war
• Post-war elections gave communists the leadership of a balanced coalition government in Czechoslovakia
• Communists gradually assumed control of key government ministries in Czechoslovakia, allowing them to arrest political opponents
• Foreign Minister Jans Masaryk, a popular non-communist politician, was murdered in May 1947 in Czechoslovakia