Superpower Relations and the Cold War Key topic 1

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Flashcards on Superpower Relations and the Cold War Key topic 1 , created by Soria Sediqi on 24/09/2017.
Soria Sediqi
Flashcards by Soria Sediqi, updated more than 1 year ago
Soria Sediqi
Created by Soria Sediqi over 6 years ago
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The Tehran Conference (November-December 1943) The USA and Britain agreed to open up a second front by invading Nazi-occupied Europe. The Soviet Union would declare war on Japan once Germany was defeated. It was also agreed that an international body would be st up to settle future disputes between countries . This set the scene for the establishment of the United Nations .
The Yalta Conference (February 1945) Agreed on Germany,when defeated would be reduced in size,divided and demilitarised. It would have to pay reparations. Poland would be in the 'Soviet sphere of influence' but run on a broader democratic. The UN (United Nations) would be set up.
The Potsdam Conference (July-August 1945) A Council of Foreign Ministers was set up to organise the rebuilding of Europe. The Nazi Party was banned and war criminals were to be prosecuted. Berlin was divided into four zones (France,Britain,USA and Soviet Union).
The outcomes of the conferences while Britain, USA and Soviet Union were able to work together to defeat Germany,who had surrendered in May 1945,tension was increasing between the wartime allies.Difference were beginning to emerge over the future of Germany and eastern Europe. Moreover,Roosevelt's death had led to Truman becoming president and he was much more distrustful of the Soviet Union.
Ideology A set of political ideas about how society should be run- is key to understanding the Cold War.The USA and the Soviet Union had opposing ideologies.
Capitalism Believe everyone should be free to own property and businesses and make money.
Communism Believe that all property,including homes and Businesses should belong to the state,to ensure that every member of society has a fair share.
The capitalist believed Everyone should be free to make money for themselves. Individuals are better at deciding what to make/sell than the state. Trade between countries makes everyone richer.
The communist believed Capitalism only makes some people rich by exploiting everyone else . Individuals are not as strong as everyone working together for the same aim. The state should take control of the economy and run it to benefit everyone.
The Long Telegram (1946) A secret report from the US ambassador Kennan in Moscow to president Truman said: The soviet union saw Capitalism as a threat to communism that had to be destroyed. the Soviet Union was building its military power. peace between a communist Soviet Union and a capitalist USA was not possible.
Novikov's Telegram (1946) A report form Novikov, Soviet ambassador to the USA,told Stalin that: The USA wanted world domination and was building up its military strength. The Soviet Union was the only country left after the war that could stand up to the USA. The USA was preparing its people for war with the Soviet Union.
The end of the Grand Alliance Truman,Roosevelt's successor, was more suspicious of Stalin while Roosevelt wanted to work with him,Stalin disliked Truman personally and saw him as a threat to the Soviet Union , confirmed by the Novikov Telegram and the way that Truman tried to boss Stalin about at the Potsdam Conference.
Communism and 'free' election AT the Yalta and Potsdam conferences,the Soviet Union agreed to free election in the countries in its sphere of influence. The Soviet Union thought people would choose communism in the free election,however most did not. So the Soviet Union fixed elections making sure the Communist Party won. Once in power;the communists shut down the opposition parties and each country became a single-party state.
The growing Soviet influence in Eastern Europe. Bulgaria A communist government was elected in 1945 and all elected non-communists were executed.
Romania A communist-led coalition took power.However,by 1947 the communist had taken over and Romania became a one-party state.
Hungary The communist lost the 1945 election but the communist leader Rakosi took control of the secret police,executed and imprisoned his opponents and turned Hungary into a communist state.
Czechoslovakia Edward
East Germany The Origin zone of occupation in Germany,it became a communist state in October 1949.
The Impact of the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe on superpower relations The USA was the soviet takeover of Eastern Europe as a betrayal of the Yalta agreement,in which Stalin had made promises about holding democratic election. The USA was determined to contain communism through military and economic assistance.
The Truman Doctrine In speech in 1947,US Persident Truman set out why the USA should get involved: Countries faced a choice between either capitalism or communism. Communism was bad because it meant people could not be free. The USA must try to contain spread of communism. The USA should provide money and troops to help free governments to combat communist takeover.
The Marshall Plan 1947 $13 billion from USA to help rebuild Europe. Communism appealed most to people with nothing to lose, so the Marshall Plan hoped to stop the spread of communism. Countries must trade with USA to get money.
Cominform Cominform stood for the Communist Information Bureau. Stalin set it up in 1947. The bureau organised all the communist parties in Europe and arranged their leadership so they would do what Moscow told them to. Key Point: Cominform got rid of any opposition to the Soviet Union's control in satellite state. it encouraged communist parties in Western countries to block Marshall Plan assistance.
Comecon Comecon Stood for the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. Stalin set it up in 1949. it was the Soviet Union's alternative to the Marshall Plan. Key Point; it built up trade links between Comecon countries. it also prevented Comecon countries signing up to the Marshall Plan. Comecon included the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslvokia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Albania and, from 1950, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NATO was set up in 1949. It was a military alliance made up of the Unite State, Britain, Canada, Holland, Belgium, France, Denmark and Norway. West Germany joined in 1955. NATO was military alliance based around the principle of collective security: if one country was attacked other countries had assists it. NATO was directed against a possible military attack from Soviet Union on Western Europe.
The Significance of NATO NATO showed that, after the Berlin Blockade and the Soviet Union's own development of the atomic bomb, neither the United States nor Western European governments were prepared to accept future Soviet aggression. The Soviet Union therefore turned to strengthening its control over Eastern Europe, resulting in the formation of the Warsaw Pact 1955. There were now two military alliances, NATO and the Warsaw Pact, facing each other across the Iron Curtain.
Division The Soviet Union wanted Germany to be weak communist and divided,so that it would never be able to attack the soviet union.
Eastern Germany and the Berlin Blockade The Soviet Union had 1.5 million troops in its zone,whereas the Western countries had sent most of their troops home. Eastern Germany grew almost all the food that West Berlin ate. Berlin was deep in Soviet -controlled Germany, and divided into US,British,French and Soviet zones. In June 1948 the Soviet Union closed all road,rail and canal links into West Berlin to Force US,British and French troops to leave their zone in the city. The Soviet Union Blocked all supplies into Berlin to show it had the power to stop a divided Germany working.
The Berlin Airlift West Berlin couldn't last for many days without supplies.It look like the Western powers would have to pull out of Berlin.That would look weak,undermining the USA's image in particular.So Western powers responded with an airlift-between 26 June 1948 and 30 September 1949 thousands of tonnes of supplies were flown daily into Berlin.
West Germany The Berlin Airlift made the USA appear peaceful and generous. In September 1949,West Germany(FRG)was officially formed with US support . In April 1949 ,Western European countries and the USA formed NATO to counter the Soviet military threat.
East Germany The Berlin Blockade made the Soviet Union appear aggressive and threatening. In October 1949,East Germany (GDR) was officially formed as a Soviet Union. In May 1955 the soviet Union formed the Warsaw Pact to counter the military threat from NATO
Bizonia and Western Germany Britain and US zones join together,as it would be easier to administer: The area was called Bizonia and was included in the Marshall Plan. Later on the French zone of occupation was added to create 'West Germany.' This was not popular with the Soviet Union, as Stalin was not consulted . He thought Bizonia went against the agreements made at the Potsdam Conference, and he suspected the USA was aiming to permanently divide richer Western Germany form poorer Eastern Germany.
Reunification The USA wanted a united ,capitalist Germany that it could trade with and would help prevent the spread of communism.
The significant of the nuclear arm race Up to 1949 , the United States thought it could use its monopoly of nuclear weapons to deter Soviet attack. This meant that US military figures, such as Curtis LeMay and Dougles MacArthur.decided that the best strategy in the event of war with Soviet Union was to use nuclear weapons.
Formation of the Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact was a collection defence treaty involving the Soviet Union,Poland , Hungary,East Germany,Czechoslovakia, Romania ,Albania and Bulgaria. It was set up on 14 May 1955 following West Germany's entry into NATO on 9 May 1955.
Significance of the Warsaw Pact The formation of the Warsaw Pact meant there were now two opposing alliances in Europe separated by the Iron Curtain. Both alliances planned for military action against the other, including the use of nuclear and conventional weapons. The Warsaw Pact gave the Soviet Union direct control over the armed forces of its satellite states,thus strengthening its satellite states, thus strengthening its grip on Eastern Europe.
Soviet control in Hungary Stalin died.Soviet leader Khrushchev indicated Soviet Union control would relax.But when Hungary stated to move away form Soviet influence, the Soviet Union tightened its control for fear that if Hungary left the Warsaw Pact,other countries followed.
Impact of Soviet rule Hungary suffered a lot under Stalin's control. Food and industrial products were shipped off to Russia. Any opposition in Hungary was ruthlessly wiped out. Matyas Rakosi was a brutal rule.He called himself 'Stalin's best pupil' but was known as the 'Bald Butcher'. Communist rule became very unpopular.
Destalinisation When Stalin died,Khrushchev over as Soviet Ubion leader.In 1956,in his'secret speech',Khrushchev hinted that Soviet Union control would relax. In October 1956 poor harvests and bread shortages meant that Hungarians stared demonstrating against communist control with statues of Stalin pulled down and local communists attacked.
What does destalinisation mean? Destalinisation meant that the Soviet Union no longer saw itself as a dictatorship.Instead it became a one-party state, governed by the Politburo with Khrushchev as its leader.Many Hungarias mistakenly believed that the end of Stalin's rule would bring an end to communism in Hungary, especially as Soviet troops had already withdraw from neighbouring Austria.
Nagy as prime minister Nagy wanted the following reforms for Hungary. Leave the Warsaw Pact and become a neutral country. Hold free elections leading to no more communist government. UN protection from the Soviet Union.
Why was Nagy was a problem as a Prime Minister? However this was a problem for the Soviet Union because if Nagy succeeded in Hungary other countries in Eastern Europe follow and the Warsaw Pact would collapse.
The Soviet invasion of Hungary Khrushchev disapproved of Nag's reforms and proposals.If Hungary left the Warsaw Pact, other countries would soon follow. Khrushchev worried that Nagy's actions threatened communist were being slaughtered in Hungary.This may have been propaganda,but a number Hungarian has been killed.
The consequences of the Soviet invasion of Hungary Over 5000 Hungarians were killed as a result of the invasion,including around 1000 Soviet troops.Many Hungarian soldiers loyal to Nagy and the revolution fought against Soviet troops. Nagy and his government were deposed. Imre Nagy was arrested, tried and executed.Khrushchev wanted to prevent rebellions in other communist countries, such as Poland, and hoped he could do so by making an example of Nagy.
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