History (Cold War)

• Tehran Conference, 1943:

  • Strengthened Grand Alliance as USA and Britain to invade France and take pressure off of SU
  • Stalin annoyed that this took so long
  • Churchill didn't trust Stalin as he didn't think Stalin would pull his troops out of Eastern Europe - main concern Poland (1939 SU soldiers killed Polish officers in 1939 near Smolensk)
• Yalta Conference, February 1945:

  • Decided to split Germany into 4 zones: US, British, French, Soviet
  • Allow liberated countries to have free elections
  • Join UN organisation to maintain peace
  • Eastern Europe becomes a Soviet sphere of influence
• Potsdam Conference, July 1945:

  • Atlee, Truman, Stalin
  • Stalin wanted to permanently weaken Germany
  • Germany to be demilitarised
  • Democracy re-established in Germany
  • SU given a quarter of industrial goods made in western zones


  Truman wanted free elections for countries occupied by SU
• Communism in Eastern Europe:

  • Romania - 1945, USSR intervened and forced king to appoint communist party
  • Bulgaria - 1945, rigged elections
  • Poland - 1947, rigged elections
  • Czechoslovakia - 1948, army used to take control
• Soviet Expansion:

  Percentages Deal - Stalin believed Churchill accepted Soviet influence on Eastern Europe

  Poland extremely important as Stalin said it has been a "corridor for attack"

  Stalin wanted a safety zone against invasions, had been attacked by Germany from the west twice
• Long Telegram, 1946

  George Kennan, saw SU as aggressive, Stalin openly talking about destroying capitalism, USSR building up army and recommended harsh action from USA, telegram greatly influenced Truman's policies e.g. containment
• Novikov Telegram:

  Sent to Stalin by Nikolai Novikov who was Soviet ambassador in USA. Said USA wanted to dominate world, US public supportive of war with USSR
• Countries that were occupied by the Red Guard were known as satellite state, they were backed by Stalin, opposition leaders were arrested/forced to flee and elections were rigged
• Iron Curtain Speech, March 1946:

  Churchill suggested USA and Britain alliance to prevent further Soviet expansion
• Truman Doctrine, 1947:

  Truman concerned about Greece and Turkey turning to communism so he gave $400 million. Declares that Truman opposes expansion
• Consequences of Truman Doctrine:

  Greek government defeated communists, tensions heightened, USA committed to containment, Cominform set up in 1947 to link communist parties
• Marshall Plan, 1947:

  Offered to war-torn countries as Truman believed communism thrived in countries with economic problems. Recipients included Belgium, France, UK, Italy, Netherlands, Austria.

  In return, they would buy US goods and allow US companies to invest capital
• Consequences of Marshall Plan:

  US had provided $17 billion to European countries by 1953

  Europe became firmly divided
• Cominform, 1947:

  Retaliation for containment.

  Ensured Soviet states followed foreign policy aims, introduced Soviet-style economic policies e.g. collectivisation

  Also used to purge members who disagreed with Moscow e.g. Tito who refused to follow the Soviet line and led to expulsion of Yugoslavia from Cominform
• Comecon, 1949:

  Response to Marshall plan. Used to control economies, give SU access to resources, encourage specialisation
• Berlin Blockade:

  Stalin blockaded all routes by land and rail into West Berlin in July 1948 as he said he was defending against the West Germany currency. Western powers thought he was trying to force them out of Berlin
• Germany:

  West wanted to speed up Germany's recovery which was facing fuel and food shortages but SU wanted opposite. Refused to allow Soviet zone to trade with other zones.

  Stalin didn't wanted people in East Berlin seeing affluent capitalist West Berliners
• Germany:

  Western Zones received Marshall aid and had free elections. In Jan 1947, French, British and American Berlin Zones joined - bizonia. This was done without Soviet approval and made it clear that they were planning to rebuild the West
• Germany:

  Western Zones received Marshall aid and had free elections. In Jan 1947, French, British and American Berlin Zones joined - bizonia. This was done without Soviet approval and made it clear that they were planning to rebuild the West
• Berlin Airlift:

  Truman wanted to stand up to SU. Allies airlifted supplies into West Berlin. Began in June 1948 and lasted 10 months. By September, planes flew 4,600 tons of supplies per day. More than 1.5 million tons dropped in total

  On 12 May 1949 Stalin called off blockade and failed to starve Allies out of Berlin
• Consequences of Berlin Blockade:

  USA and SU began developing armies and weapons

  NATO set up April 1949
• NATO:

  Defensive organisation to prevent Soviet expansion.

  Stalin saw it as an aggressive alliance against SU. Saw military progress in West Germany as a threat to Eastern Bloc.

  Intensified arms race, Warsaw Pact formed in 1955
• Arms Race:

  Atomic Bomb - USA tested first atomic bomb in 1945 and SU followed in 1949. Truman then ordered a new bomb to be built, the H-bomb and increased defence spending.

  SU then increased its spending.

  March 1954, USA tested biggest H-Bomb, equivalent to 15 million tons of TNT.

  1950 US spent 14.5 bil and SU spent 15.5 bil

  1953 US spent 49.6 bil and SU spent 25.5 bil

  US tested H-Bomb in 1953 and SU did a few months later
• Sputnik:

  Soviet rocked launched Sputnik in 1957, a Soviet satellite, which could orbit the earth in 1.5 hours. US saw this as a military threat.

  NASA founded by President Eisenhower in 1958

  US placed some missile bases in European countries, like West Germany
• Stalin's death:

  Stalin died in 1953 and Khrushchev took over and denounced Stalin in a 'secret speech' and wanted to implement de-stalinisation where the superpowers could coexist but after SU put down Hungarian uprising, the cold war was still in effect.
• Hungarian Uprising, 1956:

  Rakosi led Hungary in 1947 with Hungarian Communist Party.

  Coal, oil and wheat was shipped to Russia whilst Hungarians starved, Avo, secret police, tortured opponents.

  Rigged elections put Hungarian Communist Party in charge

  Rakosi's regime killed 2,000 and imprisoned 387,000

  No freedom of speech
• Hungarian Uprising, 1956:

  Student demonstrations began in October in Budapest with demands for free elections and withdrawal of Soviet troops.

  Khrushchev sent troops and tanks opened fire killing 12. Nagy was re-instated as PM

  Nagy held talks with SU and troops were withdrawn

  Nagy proposed reforms e.g. withdrawal from Warsaw pact, trade links with the west, free trade unions

  Khrushchev was angered and thought Warsaw pact could collapse if Hungary left and he needed to demonstrate his authority

  In Nov, 200,00 troops sent in and Soviets were victorious. Nagy hung 1958
• Berlin Crisis Backgrounf:

  • West Berlin was prosperous and a centre for US espionage and Khrushchev saw it as a military threat.
  • From 1949-1961, 4 million East Berliners moved to the west due to collectivisation of agriculture and poor living standards.
  • In Jan 1961, 20,000 left per month
  • Drain of labour and skilled workers threatened collapse of east berlin
  • Khrushchev issued the Berlin Ultimatum in 1958, he accused Allies of breaking Potsdam agreement (how Berlin should be split) and gave them six months to leave
• Berlin Crisis:

  Vienna Summit 1961 - Khrushchev and Kennedy. Khrushchev demanded West leave Berlin and he would make a treaty with east berlin to end occupational rights.

  Kennedy refused and increased defence spending by $3.5 bil

  Khrushchev increased by 30%
• Paris Summit, 1960:

  Khrushchev and Eisenhower, due to meet May 14 but USSR announced they shot down American U2 spy plane 9 days earlier. Khrushchev demanded all flights stopped and apology from US. Eisenhower stopped flights but didn't apologise.

  A preliminary meeting occurred but Khrushchev stormed out.

  Summit didn't take place
• Building of Berlin Wall, 1961:

  • 13 August 1961, Khrushchev closes east and west border. Streets near were torn up to make way for barbed wire
  • Troops set up to shoot any east Berliners that tried to go west
  • East Germans replaced initial wall with one 3.6m high and 1.2m wide.
  • Area beyond wall had dogs, guards, floodlights and tripwire machine guns
• Impact of Berlin Wall:

  • American troops and tanks stationed on west side of wall
  • Soviets did the same. Kennedy wanted to avoid war and said if SU removed troops, US would and so they did and stand off ended.
  • Families were split, many killed when trying to cross wall
  • East German economy improved
  • Propaganda victory for capitalist US as east Germans had to be forced to stay there
• End of Berlin Crisis:

  • Khrushchev saw wall as victory over Kennedy as flow of refugees ended and tensions eased.
  • Kennedy visited West Germany in 1963 and made a series of speeches in major cities and was met with cheering crowds
  • In West Berlin, 1.5 million people gathered in the streets and East Berliners on the other side of the wall applauded
• USA LEADERS:

  Truman until 1953

  Eisenhower until 1961

  Kennedy to 1963

  Lyndon B Johnson to 1969

  Gerald Ford to 1977

  Jimmy Carter to 1981

  Ronald Reagan to 1989
• USSR LEADERS:

  Stalin to 1953

  Khrushchev to 1964

  Leonid Brezhnev to 1982

  Andropov to 1984

  Mikhail Gorbachev from 1985-1991
• Tension over Cuba:

  • Cuba's industry controlled mainly by USA, it was important for US as it was only 145km from US mainland.
  • By 1950s, Cuba was ruled by unpopular leader Batista who was backed by US
• Cuban Revolution, 1959:

  • Fidel Castro and Che Guevara started an uprising in 1956 and Castro formed a national liberal government in 1959.
  • Castro took control over all US property in Cuba and USA banned import of Cuban sugar which threatened to bankrupt Cuba
  • Castro turned to SU for help
  • Khrushchev agreed to buy sugar and sent weapons
  • In September 1960 Khrushchev openly promised to aid Cuba in military assistance
• Bag of Pigs, 1961:

  Kennedy tries to use Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro at the Bay of Pigs. Exiles were trained by CIA and 1500 of them landed in April and were met by 20,000 men from Castro's army

  100 La Brigada were were killed of 1100 imprisoned
• Reasons for failure of Cuban Invasion:

  • Castro was popular and civilians did not rise up as CIA expected
  • Supply of ships were sunk by Cuban planes, US decided not to attack Cuban Airforce on 16 April which could have prevented it
• Significance of Cuban Invasion:

  • Support for Castro increased as threat united Cuban people
  • USA lost support of Latin America
  • Embarrassed Kennedy so he set up Operation Mongoose to get rid of Castro which pushed Castro closer to SU
  • Castro declared move towards communism end of 1961
  • Khrushchev put bases in Cuba as there were US missile ones in Turkey and Italy