Flashcards

When? Feb and July 1945

Key Facts: Yalta- Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill Reparations agreed but no figure agreed. Germany to be divided but no boundaries agreed. Elections to be agreed in Eastern Europe (Self Determination).

Potsdam- Leaders changed to Stalin, Truman and Atlee (anti- communism)

Short Term Impact: Mutual Mistrust

Long Term Impact: Arms Race, Berlin Blockade, Berlin Wall 

When? 1948- 1949

Key Facts: Difference in living standards in different zones of Berlin between East and West Berlin. At Conference in London 1947, disagreements over the future of Germany. West joined zones together (Bizonia) and then introduced a new currency. Stalin responded by starting a blockade which cut off all road and rail links. 2.5 M West Berliners cut off.

Short Term Impact: Airlift, Stalin forced to back down- humiliated.

Long Term Impact: Permanent division of Berlin and Germany.

Formation of NATO against Soviet aggression, leading to Eastern version- Warsaw Pact- Hostile Alliances.

When? 1946

Key Facts: Iron Curtain Speech- Churchill (trusted wartime PM) warned Europe was divided and that the USSR were being secretive.

Long Telegram- George Kennan (US ambassador in Moscow) wrote a telegram to US President Truman warning of Soviet ambitions and aggression from his observations within the Soviet Union.

Short Term Impact: USA felt intimidated- led to Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid. USSR felt attacked by Churchill and felt need to be defensive.

 Long Term Impact: Arms Race, Policy of Containment which led to USA getting involved in Korean War. Division of Europe.

When? 1945 Hiroshima, 1949 USSR develops nuclear bombs

Key Facts: 6th August 1945- Hiroshima attacked- 70,000 killed instantly.

9th August 1945- Nagasaki attacked- 40,000 killed instantly.

Short Term Impact: USSR felt intimidated by the USA- saw it as the USA showing off their power to be used against USSR in the future.

Long Term Impact: MAD drags out the Cold War until SALT 197Os

When? 1947

Key Facts: Policy of Containment, Marshall Aid was intended to give aid to countries vulnerable to communism. Western Europe provided with $13.5 in aid. 

Short Term Impact: Helped countries to avoid falling to Communism. Stalin saw it as “Dollar Imperialism”

Long Term Impact: Stalin Creates Comecon which leads to division of Europe.

Foundations for inequality in Berlin- Berlin Blockade, Berlin Wall.

When? 1950-53

Key Facts: USSR provided N. Korea (communist)with military equipment. North invaded south. UN landed in the south and pushed back North Koreans to 38th Parallel. China entered the war to support the north. Ceasefire agreed along the 38th Parallel.

Short Term Impact: Evidence of US containment. Showed UN were puppets of the USA. Death of over 30,000 US soldiers.

Long Term Impact: Korea permanently divided along the 38th parallel. Failure to defeat communism here led US to take firmer action in Vietnam.

When? 1956

Key Facts: After death of Stalin in 1953, Hungarians were hopeful for reform. Many hated the Stalinist leadership of Rakosi. (Secret Police, Censorship). Nagy replaced Rakosi and introduced a “New Course,” ending censorship and called for Hungary to leave the Warsaw Pact. Khrushchev sent in forces to regain control.

 Short Term Impact: 4000 killed, 200,000 fled. Nagy killed. Reforms overturned.

 Long Term Impact: No further rebellions until 1968- USSR keeps control of Soviet Sphere of Influence.

When? 1961

Key Facts: Fidel Castro became leader of Cuba after a revolution in 1959. He then turned Cuba communist and expelled US businesses from Cuba. The US responded with an embargo (not buying Cuban goods including sugar.) On 17th April 1961 the US supported Cuban exiles in an invasion of Cuba to try and overthrow Castro.  President Kennedy allowed $5 m to be spent training the exiles.

Short Term Impact: Humiliation of US for the failure- Of 1500 exiles- 200 were killed, and 1197 were captured.

Long Term Impact: Led to Closer links between USSR and Cuba. USSR developed missile sites in Cuba, led to Cuban Missile Crisis.

When? 1960

Key Facts: 1st May 1960 US pilot Gary Powers flew over USSR in spy plane. The plane was shot down. Due to suicide needle and camera it was obvious that USA were spying on USSR. Khrushchev demanded an apology. Eisenhower “lied, denied and refused to apologise.” 

Short Term Impact: Khrushchev walked out of Paris Peace Summit. Kennedy inherited bad relations.

Long Term Impact: USSR built Berlin Wall to stop espionage in Germany. Hostile relations contributed to Cuban Missile Crisis.

When? 1962

Key Facts: October 1962 an US U2 Spy Plane photographed missile sites in Cuba. Kennedy ordered Cuba to be quarantined by a blockade to prevent missiles arriving. US raises threat level to DEFCON 2. Khrushchev sends letter offering the withdrawal of missiles, but a second letter demanding USA to remove missile sites from Turkey. Kennedy accepts the terms of the first letter.

Short Term Impact: USSR backed down publicly, USA forced the removal of missile sites in Cuba, in Private USA removed missile sites from Turkey

Long Term Impact: Kennedy seemed victor- Khrushchev removed from power. Hotline between USA and USSR. Détente, SALT.

When? 1961

Key Facts: West Berlin benefitted from Marshall Aid so living standards were better. Many were escaping communism by fleeing the border in Berlin. By 1960 over 3 million East Germans had done this. USSR and East Germany were concerned about a “Brain Drain,” losing educated, skilled, young workers and the impact of this on the economy. 13 August 1961 Khrushchev ordered the building of a concrete wall around West Berlin.

Short Term Impact: Tank standoff October 1961 (could have caused hot war). Propaganda against Berlin Wall as looked like they had to trap people. Permanent division of Berlin until 1989

Long Term Impact: Settled the matter of Berlin- Wall better than a Wall, moved focus to Vietnam instead.

When? 1950’s and 1960’s

Key Facts: USSR initially winning the Space Race (Manmade satellite Sputnik 1957 and animal in orbit- dog called Laika 1957). But by late 1960s USA were catching up (1969 human walks on the Moon: Neil Armstrong)

Short Term Impact: Rivalry, victor in space appeared to be superior power

Long Term Impact: Allowed the development of ICBM which were carried by Rockets. Economic cost of this was eventually a reason for détente. Joint mission Apollo Soyuz marked this.

When? 1968

Key Facts: In Czechoslovakia many hated the brutal leadership of Novotny. (Corruption, Censorship). There were calls for economic reforms. Dubcek replaced Novotny and introduced a “Socialism with a Human Face,” ending censorship and called for Czechoslovakia to open their borders to the west. Brezhnev sent in forces to regain control, 100 were killed and 500 were wounded.

Short Term Impact: Both Communists and Non Communists were shocked by the brutality- despite passive resistance 100 were killed and student Jan Palachs’ suicide shocked the world. Dubcek removed from power.

Long Term Impact: Brezhnev Doctrine had stopped further rebellions until 1989