The origins of the Cold War 1945-1955

The origins of the Cold War 1945-1955

1. Conflicting Political Ideology

   • USA
     • Capitalism
       • free elections
       • private profit
   • USSR
     • Communism
       • Totalitarian dictator
       • One party state

2. Yalta and Potsdam 1945

   • Yalta (February)
     • '"Big three"
       • Joseph Stalin
         • wanted Germany to suffer and create a buffer zone of friendly states around Russia
           • Believed that America and Britain had delayed opening the second front (attacking France) to let Germany and Russia destroy each other on the eastern front.
       • Franklin Roosevelt
         • wanted Germany to recover as a trading partner
           • Angry about the Nazi-Soviet Pact that was a major factor in starting the Second World War.
       • Winston Churchill
     • Principles of peace settlement
       • Germany was to be divided into four zones: Britain, France, USA, USSR
       • Berlin was also to be divided as it was unfair to have the capital in the Soviet zone
       • Stalin was to have some influence in Eastern Europe
         • the countries would chose their government under free elections
           • Declaration of Liberated Europe
       • Germany would pay reparations
   • Potsdam (July)
     • New "Big Three"
       • Roosevelt had died and was replaced by Harry S. Truman
         • Truman became president in 1945, determined to confront Communism
           • "The Russians only understand one language - how many armies have you got? I'm tired of babying the Soviets." - Harry S Truman, 1945
       • Churchill had lost the general election and was replaced by Clement Atlee
       • hostile environment
     • In Poland, Stalin had arrested the non-communists and refused democratic elections to take place
     • Reparations were to be taken from the allied zones
       • 10% of each to Stalin

3. Hiroshima bomb

   • 8:15 a.m. on 6 August 1945
   • atom bomb
     • 78 000 died outright
     • 3 days later, a bomb was dropped in Nagasaki
       • 74 000 died
         • Japan surrendered
           • Origins o the Cold War Summary
   • increased tension
     • At Yalta it was agreed Russia would help against Japan
       • Japan surrendered before Russian troops arrived
     • Truman had not told Stalin of the bomb technology
     • Soviets felt threatened - USA ensured their global domination

4. Truman Doctrine, March 1947

   • As Soviet power continued to spread in Eastern Europe, communists in both Greece and Turkey were threatening to take control
     • Britain announced they could not longer help
     • USA was not willing to stand by while their European trading partners fell to communism
   • Truman declared in a speech that USA would help any nation threatened by communism
     • according to this policy, Europe had been forced into communism by the Soviets
     • $400 million was given as aid to Greece and Turkey

5. Marshall Plan, June 1947

   • US general George Marshall visits Europe
     • returns convinced the war-torn countries will turn communist
       • so came up with the Marshall plan to help them recover so would be strong enough to resist communism
         • strong European trade
   • Congress hesitated at first
     • February 1948, Stalinist communist organised a strike in Czechoslovakia and seized power. Jan Masaryk, the only remaining non-communist leader, was found dead
       • Congress approved of Marshall Aid on 31 March 1948

6. Marshall Aid

   • set up a fund of $15 billion
     • These nations included allies such as Britain - who got the most, France and Italy. They also included former enemies such as West Germany
       • Dollar Imperialism
         • Stalin realised that Marshall Aid would make the countries of eastern Europe more dependent on USA than USSR
           • Stalin claimed tbe USA was trying to build an empire, controlling European industry and trade
     • Between 1948 and 1950, industrial production rose by 25%
       • communists lost their influence

7. Cominform and Comecon

   • Cominform
     • 1947 - communist leaders from all over the world were summoned to a conference in Warsaw
       • the Communist Informaion Bureau was created
         • designed to reestablish information exchanged among communist countries and protect communist states from US aggression
           • 1948, Stalin expelled Tito of communist Yugoslavia as he would not give in to Stalin's wishes
             • this suggested to the West that Stalin wanted complete control of the communist world
   • Comecon
     • 1949 Stalin introduced the Molotov plan
       • established the council of Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon)
         • Bulgaria, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, East Germany
   • the USA saw Cominform and Comecon as serious threats as it secured Stalin's control over communism and his satellite states, as they could no longer accept Marshall Aid