Conflict and Tension between the East and West part 1: the 1940s

Conflict and Tension between the East and West part 1: the 1940s

1. The Cold War - background knowledge

   • Causes of the Cold War
     • Wartime alliance breakdown
       • In WWII, Russia was allied with the allies with a common goal of defeating Hitler
         • Then Hitler was defeated. What next?
           • Yalta
         • Nobody helped Russia on the Eastern Front
         • Russia lost 29 million compared to 400,000 from US
           • Military and civilian
     • Different values
       • USSR
         • Totalitarianism
         • Equality
         • Communism
       • US
         • Freedom
         • Individualism
         • Capitalism
         • Democracy
       • Both wanted to prove their values are the best
   • Russia unhappy after WWI
     • They leave the war early
       • Not invited to Treaty of Versailles negotiations
         • :(
         • Didn't like its terms
           • Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia gain independence
           • Wanted to be harsher
       • Have to sign treaty of Brest-Litovsk
         • Lose 1/3 of their land
   • US didn't accept Communist government in USSR until 1933
     • Helped white army during revolution

2. Conferences

   • Yalta - Feb 1945
     • Participants
       • Stalin
       • Roosevelt
       • Churchill
       • A lot of distrust between them
         • Stalin hated Churchill
           • Trickster
         • Churchill hated Stalin
           • Thought he was dangerous
           • Wanted to be ready to fight him
         • Roosevelt didn't like Stalin much
           • Thought he was dangerous
         • Stalin didn't care much about Roosevelt
           • Thought he was weak
         • Churchill didn't like Roosevelt
           • Too pro-Russia
         • Roosevelt trusted Churchill
     • Attitudes
       • Optimistic
         • The war was coming to an end
         • Stalin seemed cooperative
           • Offered to help US in Japan
     • Decisions made
       • Partition Germany into zones
       • Germany pays only some reparations
       • Free elections for Poland
       • Stalin to join in in fighting Japan
       • Stalin to join UN
       • Germany to be demilitarised
   • Potsdam - July/Aug 1945
     • Participants
       • Truman
         • More anti-communist
       • Stalin
       • Churchill
         • Replaced by Attlee
       • Decisions made
         • Germany to be split into 3
         • Not much else
         • Disagreements
           • Stalin wanted Germany crippled
             • Truman didn't
           • Stalin wanted Germany to pay loads of reparations
             • Truman didn't
           • Stalin wanted pro-USSR governments in Eastern Europe
             • Sphere of influence
             • Truman didn't
     • Provenance to the conference
       • Stalin's armies over most of Eastern Europe
         • He had lots of power over the conference
       • WWII is gone
       • US tested an atomic bomb at the start of the conference
         • Blatantly trying to intimidate Stalin
           • He already knew from spies
           • Bad relations from the start
     • Significance
       • Highlighted disagreements and hostility
         • Truman very suspicious of USSR

3. Development of the Communist bloc

   • The USSR widens its sphere of influence
     • Why?
       • Wants to have 'buffer states'
         • Protect from invasion
       • Get resources from them
       • Physically keep Western culture away
     • Where?
       • Eastern Eurpoean countries
         • Army already there
           • Popular because liberated from Nazis
         • Poor economic condition
           • More likely to accept communism
         • Poland
         • Czechoslovakia
         • Yugoslavia
           • Ran by Tito
             • Wanted Communism his own way
             • Didn't allign self with USSR or West
             • Kicked out of Cominform - 1948
         • East Germany
         • Hungary
         • Bulgaria
         • Romania
         • Albania
         • Became puppet states of the USSR
         • Kidnapped/killed/banned other leaders there
       • Other countries at risk of becoming communist
         • France
         • Italy
         • Greece
           • The Brits and USA came in to help the royalists during the civil war there
             • Increased tensions
               • Act of defiance against USSR
   • Western reaction
     • Fear
     • The Long Telegram - 1946
       • George Kenan, at US embassy in Moscow, sent a telegram toTruman
         • 8,000 words
         • Worried Soviets saw US as enemy
         • Soviets had very high ambitions
           • Spread influence worldwide
         • Attempted communication would fail
       • Significance
         • Echoed Truman's worries
         • Shaped US policy on Communism
     • Iron Curtain speech - 1946
       • Given by Churchill
         • Defeated in elections but still active
       • Criticised the USSR
         • Described the growing border between East and West as an 'Iron Curtain'
           • 'Iron Curtain' was used a lot throughout the war
           • Ended all communication between sides
         • Angered Stalin
     • Truman Doctrine
       • Try to help 'at risk' countries by giving aid
         • They getter better economies
           • Less likely to turn to Communism
         • Those countries grateful to US
         • Those countries become reliant on the aid
       • The help given to Greece marks the start of this
       • Policy of containment
         • Domino Theory
           • Countries near communist ones are more likely to turn communist
         • Stop Communism spreading
       • Escalated tensions
         • West actually taking tangible action against communism
         • Not too bad
           • More indirect

4. Plans to increase influence

   • USA
     • Marshall Plan -1948
       • US gives assstance to European countries
         • They had been hit very hard by WWII
           • Bad economic position
             • Communism growing there
         • US doesn't want to be alone against communism
   • East