topic.1

• the three conferences (1943-1945)

  • Tehran (nov 1943) - open a second front vs Germany - Poland up to oder river given to ussr
  • Yalta (feb 1945) - Germany and Berlin divides into 4 , liberated nazi countries are given free elections
  • Potsdam (July 1945) - Trumans get tough approach , Soviets wanted to keep Germany weak in 'fear' of getting invaded
• 4 reasons for soviet expansion

  • percentage deals - percentage of states that soviets have influence over
  • importance of Poland - corridor for attack
  • security iron curtain, protection from invasion
  • communist expansion - spread their political views
• 3 countries under soviet control (1945-1947)

  • Poland - 1945 coalition gov, 1947 rigged elections
  • czech - 1947 rigged election and murder of Jan Masaryk
  • Hungary - economic crisis made opening for communism, Nagy forced resignation, 1947 communist too power banned all other parties
• the Truman doctrine (1947)


  • 1947- containment policy, greek communist defeated, USA supported Greece, military and economy, Stalin saw doctrine as agressive
  • consequences - $400 mill to Greece/turkey, rivalry increased, led to Marshall plan, led to Comecon and cominform
• the Marshall plan ( 1948)


  • provided economic aid to Europe to help them recover
  • due to communism flourishing in poverty
  • aid given in forms of cash, food and tech

  consequences - by 1953 USA had provided $17 billion to 16 European countries

  stalin accused USA of dollar imperialism

  stalin set up Comecon in response
• Cominform (1947) Comecon (1949)


  cominform -enabled soviets to control communist parties in Europe like a network, to ensure parties followed foreign policy and introduced soviet style economic policies

  comecon- way to financially support eastern Europe but in reality was used to control the economy of these states and give soviets access to their resources
• the Berlin crisis ( 1948)


  • stalin didn't want allies in berlin as its in the eastern zone
  • uk, us and French zones merged to create Trizonia
  • April 1948 - soviet troops began to stop and search traffic entering berlin
  • June 1948- western powers introduced 'western deutchmark' in retaliation soviets created the Ostmark
  • 24th June 1948 - accused west of interfering in soviet zone cit off all traffic in hopes of starving out the west
• the Berlin airlift 


  • Truman determined to stand up to Soviets and show his commitment to containment
  • June 1948 - lasted 10 months
  • planes flew 4,000 tonnes of supplies a day
  • may 1949 stalin called off blockade and failed to starve the allies out
• NATO and Warsaw pact

  • April 1949 - NATO - to stop soviet expansion- stalin saw NATO as aggressive
  • may 1955 - west Germany allowed west Germany to remilitarise and was seen as a direct threat by stalin
  • 1955 - Warsaw pact established
  • arms race increased
  • plays important role in Czechoslovakia crisis in 1968
• the Hungarian uprising - p1 - protests


  • poor living standards
  • rakosi - strict communist
  • 200,000 imprisoned
  • no freedom of speech
  • caused multiple protests
  • October 1956- Budapest protests led soviets to go into Budapest , 12 killed, 100 injured
  • Rakosi, Gero, Kadar, Nagy
• the Hungarian uprising - p2, demands of Nagy 


  • Nagy held talks with soviets
  • Hungary led to believe US would intervene against soviet aggression
  • nagy wanted reforms :
  • free speech
  • free elections
  • free press
• Hungarian uprising - p3- soviet invasion

  • why - set an example, appease Chinese pressure( Mao Zedong) , feared a loss of control
  • soviets captured key locations - airports/ bridges
  • rebels pleaded for western aid
  • nagy betrayed, hung in romania in 1958
  • soviets defeated rebels , 20,000 killed, 200,000 fled