Superpower Relations & the Cold War, 1941-91

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Cards (85)

Which three countries made up the Grand Alliance?
Britain, The USA and the USSR
Describe the details of the Tehran conference (Nov 1943)
- The allies agreed that they needed to defeat the Nazis and the USSR was allowed a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe after the war was over

- There were tensions as Britain and the USA were very politically different than the USSR

- Overall, they cooperated well as they put away their differences during the war as they fought a common enemy (Germany)
Describe the details of the Yalta conference (Feb 1945)
- The allies agreed that free elections would be held in previously occupied countries in Eastern Europe. The 'big three' (plus France) would divide Germany and Berlin between them and the United Nations would replace the League of Nations.

- There were tensions as the allies had different interpretations of a 'free' election.

- Overall, they cooperated well as they came to many agreements about the future of Europe.
Describe the details of the Potsdam conference (Aug 1945)
- The allies agreed that Nazi leaders would be tried for war crimes at Nuremberg. They agreed on the exact division of Germany and Berlin. Finally, the new boundaries of Poland were agreed.

- Tensions were high as Roosevelt had died and Truman had succeeded him. Truman was more suspicious o the USSR and less willing to compromise. Britain and the US were also alarmed by Stalin's actions in Poland - he was installing a government consisting of only pro-communist members. Britain and the US felt this went against the Yalta agreement.

- Overall, they didn't cooperate well because sorting out these finer details caused lots of disagreement.
Explain the ideological differences between the USA and the USSR
- Politics: The USSR was a single party state whereas the US had a democratically elected government.

- Economy: The USSR's economy was controlled by the state, with no private ownership of property whereas the USA's was based on private ownership of property, free competition and forces of supply and demand.

- Religion: The USSR promoted atheism and discouraged religion whereas the USA was mainly Christian.
Explain the consequences of the atom bombs dropped by the USA on Japan (Aug 1945)
- The bombs destroyed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

- It forced Japan to surrender, ending the war without any USSR involvement.

- It gave the USA a military advantage as the only nuclear power in the world

- It angered the USSR, who felt that the USA were trying to intimidate them

- It encouraged the USSR to speed up the development of their own atom bomb, leading to the arms race
Name four of the USSR's satellite states
Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania
How was Yugoslavia different from other countries in Eastern Europe in the 1940s?
Yugoslavia had free itself from the Germans without the Red Army. Yugoslavia was communist but more open to the west. It's leader Tito argued with Stalin over political interference. Stalin cut off aid but didn't invade.
Explain the terms 'Cold War' and 'Iron Curtain'
- Cold War: The increasing tensions between the USA and the USSR. There was no direct fighting both sides were afraid of another nuclear war.

- Iron Curtain: Countries in Western Europe tended to support the USA during the Cold War and most countries in Eastern Europe were dominated by the USSR. In a speech in 1946, Churchill warned there was an 'Iron Curtain' dividing Europe. Churchill's speech demonstrates the breakdown of the Grand Alliance - Britain and the USA now viewed the USSR as a threat, not an ally.
Describe the Long Telegram (Feb 1946)
- Issued to President Truman about the USSR

- It said that Stalin had given a speech in favour of the destruction of capitalism

- It warned of the USSR trying to weaken and divide Western powers, whilst building the strength of its own military
Describe the Novikov Telegram (Sep 1946)
- Issued to Stalin about the USA

- The report claimed that the USA was pursuing world supremacy

- It warned that the USA was trying to limit the influence of the USSR in Europe
Explain the two methods Truman used to try and contain the communist threat in Western Europe
- The Truman Doctrine (Mar 1947): The USA pledged to support any nation threatened by a communist takeover. This support could be diplomatic, military or financial. The USA gave $400 million of aid to Turkey and Greece to stop communism spreading.

- The Marshall Plan (June 1947): This promised $17 billion of aid to European countries to help rebuild their economies - the areas of Germany under Western occupation benefited massively. Stalin ordered all of his satellite states to reject the plan. He believed that the USA was using economic incentives to lure Eastern European states away from the USSR.
Explain what Cominform (Sep 1947) and Comecon (Jan 1949) was
- Cominform: Set up in Sep 1947. The organisation brough together all European communist parties and placed them under control of the USSR.

- Comecon: Established in Jan 1949. It countered the Marshall plan by nationalising industries, collectivising agriculture and offering economic aid.

Stalin hoped this would encourage economic development in Eastern Europe and discourage trade with the West. It also appeased the countries that had been ordered to refuse Marshall aid.
Describe the unification of West Berlin (1947/1948)
- In 1947, the USA and Britain combined their zones of West Berlin to form Bizonia. In 1948, the French agreed to ad their zone.

- The new western zone had a single government and in June 948 introduced a new currency to help economic recovery.

- This alarmed the USSR. West Berlin's strong capitalist economy made communism look weak.
Describe the Berlin Blockade (1948) 
- In June 1948, Stalin decided to blockade Berlin to try to force the West to withdraw from West Berlin. He ordered that all road, rail and canal links between West Berlin and the outside world should be cut off.

- The West decided to bypass the blockade and fly in supplies. This became known as the Berlin Airlift, and lasted for 318 days. By 1949, 8000 tons of supplies were being flown in each day. Tegel airport was built in West Berlin to accommodate the large volume of flights. It meant supplies could be delivered in even greater numbers.

- Stalin eventually had to life the blockade as the allies would not give up. The allies appeared strong and had discredited and humiliated Stalin.

- After the crisis, two separate states were formed; West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) and East Germany (German Democratic Republic).
Describe NATO and the Warsaw Pact
- NATO: Stalin's blockade during the Berlin crisis showed how unprepared the West would be if there was a conflict with the USSR. As a consequence, a military alliance was formed in 1949 between the Western Powers. All members of NATO agreed to respond together if any member of the alliance was attacked.

- Warsaw Pact: Established in 1955 by the USSR to rival NATO. All the USSR's satellite states (except Yugoslavia) became members. It aimed to improve the defensive capability of Eastern Europe and strengthen relations.
Explain what the Arms Race was
The Arms Race was a situation where the USA and the USSR were trying to outdo each other in producing powerful weapons. Each side wanted to prevent the other from gaining a military advantage.
What effect did the Cold War have on space exploration?
- The Cold War accelerated the progress of space exploration because neither side dared to get left behind in the race for technological advancement.

- This 'space race' led to the USSR putting the first man in space in 1961, and the USA putting the first man on the moon in 1969.
When did the USA and USSR first develop the atom bomb, hydrogen bomb and ICBM?
- Atom bomb: USA in 1945. USSR in 1949.

- Hydrogen bomb: USA in 1952. USSR in 1955.

- ICBM: USSR in 1957. USA in 1959.
How did the Vietnam war affect the arms race?
It caused the USSR to catch up as the USA's resources were diverted into the war in Vietnam.
How did the competition between the USA and the USSR affect the Arms Race?
It drove the arms race because neither side could let the other have a military advantage, in case that country was temped to trigger a war to take advantage of it. Both countries kept building more weapons so that they wouldn't be 'left behind' in this military competition.
How did the formation of NATO in 1949 affect the Arms Race?
It made the USSR feel more vulnerable, which made them want to increase their military strength.
How did the alliance between China and the USSR affect the Arms Race?
It fuelled the USA's fear that communists wanted to dominate the world. This encouraged the USA to build more weapons to protect against what it saw as a serious communist threat.
Explain why the arms race continued after Stalin died
- The arms race continued because even though Khruschev said he wanted a 'peaceful co-existence' with the West, he still wanted to demonstrate the USSR's superiority and to continue spreading communism.

- Because of this, and his desire to compete with the USA, he continue to develop weapons. This meant that the USA felt it had to continue building weapons too.
Explain the policies Khrushchev introduced to 'de-Stalinise' the USSR
- He abolished the death penalty and freed political prisoners jailed under Stalin's regime

- Khruschev abolished Cominform, meaning that states in Eastern Europe would have more political and economic freedom from the USSR

- Khruschev wanted the Eastern bloc to remain communist - he just didn't agree with Stalin's approach to communism
Explain the response in Eastern Europe to Khruschev's new policies 
- These policies allowed tensions in the satellite states to rise to the surface. Not all states had chosen communism, and saw the changes as a chance to loosen ties with the USSR

-In 1956, there was an uprising in Poland. The USSR threatened to intervene, but eventually allowed the new government to follow their own version of communism. This encouraged other states to consider revolt.

- Khruschev thought that giving satellite states more economic independence would stabilise their communist regimes, but his plan backfired.
Describe the Hungarian Uprising (1956)
- In October 1956, the people of Budapest protested against the authoritarian government of Rakosi, a brutal Stalinist.

- Khruschev allowed the liberal Imre Nagy to take over from Rakosi as Hungarian Prime Minister. Nagy hoped that Hungary could be a neutral state.

- In Nov 1956, Nagy announced that Hungary would withdraw from the Warsaw Pact and hold free elections - ending communism there.

- If Hungary was allowed to turn away from communism, other satellite states might try to follow them. The USSR felt it had to respond with force. Khruschev also wanted to use the crisis to assert his authority.

- Soviet tanks invaded Hungary in Nov 1956. Thousands of Hungarians were killed or wounded. Nagy was arrested and hanged. Janos Kadar became Prime Minister and ensured loyalty towards the USSR.
How did economic hardship contribute to the events in Eastern Europe in the 1950s?
Communism created a lot of economic hardship, and this made people resent the USSR. This resentment was an important reasons why people tried to gain more independence from communism once Khruschev began to relax some of Stalin's policies.
Explain the consequences of the Hungarian Uprising
- Eastern European countries: Showed them that the USSR would respond brutally to any attempted revolt, and that the West would do little or nothing to help them. This discouraged Eastern European countries from attempting to loosen their ties with the USSR. As a result, it became easier for the USSR to control Eastern Europe.

- Western Powers: Made them look weak. Discredited their reputation as defenders of democracy because they failed to support Hungary as it tried to break away from communism. The uprising destroyed hopes in the West that Khruschev's leadership would lead to a 'thaw' in the Cold War.

- The UN: Made them look weak and ineffective because the UN couldn't make the USSR withdraw from Hungary.
Explain the attitudes from the West and the USSR towards Berlin before 1959
- USSR: The USSR felt threatened by the economic success in West Berlin. East Berlin had become dependent on trade links with West Berlin. The USSR worried the West was trying to use its strong economy to interfere in Eastern Europe.

- West: After the Berlin Airlift, West Berlin became a symbol of democracy - it had to be supported by the West or the West would lose credibility. People fleeing from East Berlin suited the West - it was good propaganda because it made communism look weak.
Explain why West Berlin thrived in the 1950s
West Berlin thrived because it benefited from economic support from the West through the Marshall Plan, and from the creation of a new currency. This boosted West Berlin's economy, which gave the people living there a better quality of life. This encouraged people living in East Berlin to move to West Berlin.
Explain why conditions in East Berlin were worse than in West Berlin in the 1950s
- East Berlin lacked resources because the USSR had drained them from the city

- Its economy was slower to develop than West Berlin's

- Many skilled workers left East Berlin during the refugee crisis. This made it even more difficult for East berlin's economy to develop
Explain what the refugee crisis in Berlin and Berlin Ultimatum (1958) was
- Refugee crisis: The movement of large numbers of people from East Berlin to West Berlin in the years after the Berlin Crisis

- Berlin ultimatum: The demand issued by Khruschev in 1958 that all US British and French troops leave West Berlin within six months, leaving West Berlin to become a free city
Explain why Khruschev built the Berlin Wall (1961)
- The failure of the Vienna Summit led the USSR to believe that the problems in Berlin couldn't be solved by negotiation

- As a result, Khruschev felt he had to act to stop people migrating from East Berlin to West Berlin
Explain how the Berlin Wall affected everyday life for ordinary Berliners
- The wall restricted movement between East and West Berlin, meaning East Berliners could no longer work in West Berlin

- Friends and families who lived on opposite sides of the wall were separated from each other

- Those who tried to escape from East Berlin could be shot
Explain how to the USSR and the West responded to the construction of the Berlin Wall
- USSR: Soviet troops were positioned at the wall, but the USSR then agreed to back down. The USSR took advantage of the end of the mass emigration from East Berlin to rebuild the city's economy and strengthen communism in East Germany. They saw the wall as a sign of the USSR's strength

- The West: Western troops were positioned at the wall, but the West then agreed to back down. The USA condemned the building of the wall but didn't take any more military action. They saw the wall as a symbol of oppression and the failure of communism.
Explain why the construction of the Berlin Wall was important in resolving the situation in Berlin
- It stopped the refugee crisis, which was a major source of tension between the superpowers

- This removed the risk that either side would take military action to try to resolve the situation in Berlin
Explain who Batista and Fidel Castro were
- Batista: A military dictator who became the leader of Cuba in 1952. He allowed US businessmen and the Mafia to exploit Cuba for profit while his people lived in poverty.

- Fidel Castro: A rebel who began a guerilla war against Batista's government in 1956. He became the leader of Cuba when he successfully overthrew Batista in 1959.
Explain how the relationship between Cuba and the USA changed between 1959 and Jan 1961
- When Castro seized power in 1959, he nationalised US companies and increased taxes on goods imported from America. This angered the USA. Eisenhower was concerned Castro's drive towards public ownership showed that he was moving towards communism.

- As a result, Eisenhower threatened to stop importing Cuban sugar. Sugar was Cuba's main source of wealth, and the USA was sure that Castro would back down.

- Instead, Castro signed a trade agreement with the USSR - the USSR promised to buy all sugar exports. All remaining American property in Cuba was confiscated.

- In Jan 1961, the USA severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba and the new President John Kennedy no longer recognised Castro's government
Define the term nationalisation
Nationalisation is when a privately owned company is put under public ownership by the government.