Start of Cold War 1941-1958

• 1. The Tehran Conference


  • November 1943
  • Focused on plans to defeat the Nazis and discussed outcome of Germany post-war
  • Agreed USSR could claim a 'sphere of influence' in Eastern Europe after the war - countries would be subject to Soviet policies and ideas
  • USA & UK's ideologies were very different from USSRs, so initially there was already some tension which was put to the side in WW2 (1939-1945)
• 2. The Yalta Conference 


  • February 1945
  • Made more decisions about future of Europe
  • Decided that free elections would be held in previously occupied countries in Eastern Europe
  • The Grand Alliance (+ France) would divide Germany and Berlin between them
  • The United Nations would replace the failed League of Nations
• 3. How did the meaning 'free elections' differ from the different superpowers?

  • The allies had different interpretations of a 'free' election
  • To the USA and Britain it meant a lot of political parties competing for votes
  • For Stalin - only communist parties were allowed to run elections because they were thought to be the only parties that truly represented people
• 4. The Potsdam Conference 


  • July - August 1945 - wanting to work on finer details of their plans for Germany and Europe
  • Exact division of Germany and Berlin decided
  • New boundaries of Poland agreed
  • Nazi leaders would be tried for war crimes at Nuremberg
  • Some things left undecided - the allies did not decide if, or when, the zones of Germany could rejoin and form a country again
  • Tensions increased - Roosevelt died and replaced by Truman who was more suspicious of the USSR and less willing to compromise
  • Britain also gained a new leader - Clement Attlee replaced Churchill mid conference
• 5. The Potsdam Conference 2

  • Britain and the US were alarmed by Stalin's actions in Poland - he was installing a government consisting of old pro-communist members
  • Britain and USA saw this as going against the Yalta Agreement - tensions increased
• 6. USA and USSR opposing Ideologies:

  • USA (Capitalist) - democratically elected government - economy based on private ownership of property, free competition and forces of supply and demand - mainly christian population
  • USSR (Communist) - single-party state - economy controlled by state, no private ownership of property - promoted atheism and discouraged religious beliefs and practices
  • Communism aimed at world revolution, and so it was seen by Americans as a danger to their democracy
  • Communist feared worldwide American influence
• 7. How did tensions increase between the Superpowers because of Japan? (1945)

  • Japan was on Germany's side during WW2 and continued to fight even after Germany surrendered in May 1945
  • August 1945 - USA dropped two atom bombs on Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
  • The power of the bombs meant the USSR didn't need to help Truman
  • Truman also refused to allow USSR to take part in the US occupation of Japan - hence, tensions had increased
• 8. The USA kept the atom bomb a secret:

  • The USA had kept the exact nature of the atom bomb a secret from the USSR in Potsdam during 1945 (although Stalin's spies had passed on many details)
  • The nuclear weapons boosted the status of the USA. - for four years it was the world's only nuclear power
  • Stalin saw the USA's development of the atom bomb as an attempt to intimidate the USSR and was angry that the USA had managed to surpass Soviet technology
  • The atom bombs increased rivalry - the USSR sped up the development of its own atom bomb starting an arms race between them
• 9. How did the USSR become influential in Eastern Europe?

  • After WW2, the Red Army (the USSR's army) occupied Eastern Europe
  • These countries would pass into USSR's sphere of influence after the war
  • 1945-1948, Stalin installed pro-Soviet 'puppet' governments in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia
  • For a while it seemed Czechoslovakia might remain democratic - but the Communist Party seemed likely to lose ground, it seized power in Feb 1948
• 10. Why was Yugoslavia an exception to Soviet domination? (1945-1948)

  • Yugoslavia had freed ITSELF from the Germans without the Red Army (USSR's army)
  • Yugoslavia was communist but more open to the West
  • Its leader, Tito, argued over Stalin over political interference
  • Stalin cut off aid but he did not invade
• 11. What was the 'Iron Curtain' between the East and West?

  • Increasing tensions between USA and USSR became known as the 'Cold War'
  • This meant that there was no direct fighting - both sides were afraid of another war, especially after 1949, when the USSR had it's own nuclear weapons
  • Countries in Western Europe tended to support USA
  • Most countries in Eastern Europe were dominated by USSR - 'satellite states'
  • In a famous speech in 1946, Winston Churchill warned there was an 'Iron Curtain' dividing Europe - demonstrating the Grand Alliance was over and USSR were now a threat to the UK & USA
• 12. The Telegrams

  • By 1946, tensions between the superpowers were super high
  • Each country issued secret telegrams about the other
  • The telegrams were detailed reports describing the motivations and intentions of the other country
  • The Long Telegram
  • The Novikov Telegram
  • Whilst neither country seemed to know for certain what the other was thinking, the reports panicked Russian and American government and accelerated the Cold War - confirming their worst fears
• 13. The Long Telegram

  • Issued February 1946
  • Issued to President Truman about the USSR
  • It said that Stalin has given a speech in favour of the destruction of capitalism
  • Warned of the USSR trying to weaken and divide Western powers, while building the strength of its own military
• 14. The Novikov Telegram

  • Issued in September 1946
  • Issued to Stalin about the USA
  • 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
• 15. How did Truman act to contain the Communist Threat?

  • President Truman was extremely worried about the spread of communism to Western Europe
  • Many countries were undergoing economic hardships which he was worried might make communism seem more appealing
  • The USA decided to intervene in Europe to try and contain the spread of communism
  • The Truman Doctrine
  • The Marshall Plan
• 16. What was the Truman Doctrine?

  • Announced March 1947
  • The USA pledged to support any nation threatened by a communist takeover
  • This support could be diplomatic, military or financial
  • For example, the USA gave $400 million of aid to Turkey and Greece to stop communism spreading
• 17. What was the Marshall Plan?

  • Announced 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 from the Marshall Plan
  • Stalin ordered all his satellite states to reject the plan
  • He believed the USA was using economic incentives to lure Eastern European states away from the USSR
• 18. How did the USSR retaliate to the Marshall Plan & Truman Doctrine?

  • Cominform - set up in September 1947 - brought together all European communist parties and placed them under control of the USSR
  • Comecon - established in January 1949 - countered 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 & appeased countries who were told to refuse Marshall aid
  • He also did this to strengthen his alliances in Eastern Europe
• 19. How did the Berlin Crisis affect the Cold War?

  • Tension over the division of Germany had been building since the Potsdam Conference, and finally spilled over in the Berlin crisis in 1948
  • It resulted in an even larger rift between the two great powers
• 20. Development of West Germany

  • After WW2 Germany and Berlin split into four occupied zones
  • In 1947, USA and Britain agreed to combine their zones - 'Bizonia'
  • In 1948, France added their zone
  • The new western zone had a single government - in June 1948 introduced the Deutschmark to help economic recovery - this angered Stalin
• 21. The Berlin Blockade

  
  

  • Stalin was alarmed of the unified western zone on his doorstep
  • West Berlin's strong capitalist economy embarrassed the USSR, and made communism look weak
  • As a result, Stalin decided to blockade Berlin to try to force the West to withdraw from West Berlin
  • In June 1948, he ordered that all road, rail and canal links between West Berlin and the outside world should be cut off
  • Stalin wanted to force the West to withdraw from Berlin altogether - the Western powers believe that if this happened, the Soviet Union would be tempted to invade West Germany
• 22. The Berlin Airlift

  • 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, meaning supplies could be delivered in greater numbers
• 23. Germany divided into 2

  • After The Berlin Crisis, it became clear that the West was determined not to withdraw from Berlin
  • Stalin had to lift the blockade
  • It was also clear that Germany would remain divided
  • In 1949, two separate states were formed - West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) and communist East Germany (German Democratic Republic)
  • The end of the Berlin Blockade increased tensions as Stalin hadn't lifted the blockade willingly - the allies had discredited and humiliated Stalin
• 24. 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, the Western powers decided to form a military alliance - in April 1949, NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) was created
  • All members of NATO agreed to respond together if any member of the alliance was attacked
  • The USSR saw the formation of NATO as a real threat
• 25. The Warsaw Pact

  • In May 1955, the USSR established the Warsaw Pact (also known as the Eastern Bloc) to rival NATO
  • All the USSR's satellite states (except Yugoslavia) became members
  • Its main aims were to improve the defensive capability of Eastern Europe and strengthen relations
  • There were now two power blocs in Europe - NATO and the Warsaw Pact
• 26. What was the aim of The Arms Race?

  • By forming military alliances and developing powerful weapons, both sides hoped to 'look strong' to deter the other from attacking
  • It was also fuelled by the fear and suspicion of NATO in 1949
  • Also, in February 1950, communist China and the USSR signed a treaty of alliance, which strengthened Western fears that USSR was planning communist domination
• 27. What was The Arms Race?

  • During the Cold War, the USA and USSR worked to develop the most powerful weapons they could - an arms race
  • Neither side really wanted to use the weapons, but felt the other side couldn't gain an advantage or they might be tempted to take advantage of their power and trigger a war
  • Instead, a stand-off was developed where neither country dared act against the other, but didn't want to get 'left behind' either
• 28. What was The Space Race?

  • The competition of The Arms Race sometimes spilled into other areas
  • When the USSR launched the first satellite into space (Sputnik 1), the USA quickly developed their own
  • This 'space race' led to the USSR sending the first man into space in 1961, and to the USA sending astronauts to the Moon in 1969
• 29. The development of The Arms Race:

  • USA developed the atom bomb during WW2 in 1945
  • USSR succeeded in exploding its own atom bomb in 1949
  • USA detonated hydrogen bomb (more powerful) in 1952
  • USSR developed its own hydrogen bomb by 1955
  • USSR tested the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile which could travel to USA from USSR in August 1957
  • USA tested a similar form of the ICBM in 1959 and quickly stocked up on a greater number than the USSR
  • USSR began catching up as USA used resources in Vietnam War
• 30. Why was the Arms Race dangerous?

  • By the 1960s, both the USSR and USA had the power to destroy each other multiple times over
  • As tensions increased, the threat of nuclear war became a real possibility
• 31. Khrushchev and his hopes

  • in 1953, Stalin died and another member of the Communist Party, Nikita Khrushchev, took power
  • Khrushchev said he wanted 'peaceful co-existence' with the West
  • His words brought hope that there would be a 'thaw' in the Cold War
  • However, Khrushchev still remained very competitive with the USA
  • He wanted communism to spread, but thought the best way to achieve this was to clearly demonstrate its superiority - not defeat the West in a war
  • Because Khrushchev continued to develop weapons, the West still felt threatened and the arms race didn't slow down
• 32. What did Khrushchev do to the Eastern Bloc?

  • When he came to power, Khrushchev made a speech criticising Stalin's policies and bought in measures to 'de-Stalinise' the USSR - these included the abolition of the death penalty and the freeing of political prisoners jailed under Stalin's regime
  • Some satellite states hoped that their countries would also become 'de-Stalinised' - Communism created a lot of economic hardship - poor living conditions increased anti-Soviet sentiment
  • Khrushchev abolished Cominform giving Eastern Europe more political and economic freedom
• 33. How did Khrushchev's 'de-Stalinisation' backfire?

  • Khrushchev's changes allowed tensions in the satellite states to rise to the surface - not all states had chosen communism and saw these 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
• 34. What were the causes of the Hungarian Uprising?

  • After WW2, the USSR put Matyas Rakoski, a brutal stalinist in charge of Hungary - his authoritarian regime became exponentially unpopular causing the people of Budapest to protest against Rakoski's government in October 1956
  • Khrushchev allowed the liberal Imre Nagy to take over from Rakoski as Hungarian Prime Minister - hoping that Hungary could become a neutral state
  • In November 1956, Nagy announced that Hungary would withdraw from the Warsaw Pact and hold free elections - ending communism there
• 35. What were the events of the Hungarian uprising?

  • Khrushchev felt that if Hungary was allowed to turn away from communism, other satellite states might do the same - the USSR felt it had to respond with force and make an example of Nagy
  • Khrushchev, who had only held power for two years, also wanted to use the crisis to assert his authority
  • Soviet tanks invaded Hungary in November 1956 - thousands of Hungarians were killed or wounded
  • Nagy was arrested and hanged
  • Janos Kadar became Prime Minister and ensured loyalty towards the USSR
• 37. What were the consequences of the Hungarian uprising?

  • Khrushchev's brutal response to Hungary demonstrated to satellite states that disloyalty wouldn't be tolerated - it also showed the Western powers that the USSR was still in control in Eastern Europe
  • It was a turning point for Khrushchev - his actions reasserted his authority over the satellite states and destroyed any illusions in the West that his leadership signified a 'thaw' in the Cold War
  • There was a lack of intervention from Western countries - they condemned the USSR's actions, but thought that helping Hungary would risk war
• 37. Why did the Hungarian uprising make the USA look weak?

  • The Western powers' reputation as defenders of democracy was discredited
  • Their inaction sent a clear message to Eastern Europe that they wouldn't receive Western help to move away from the USSR
  • The UN was shown to be weak