Please enable JavaScript.

Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.

The Cold War 1 - Coggle Diagram

- - - - USA view
        
        They wanted to create new markets for American goods
        
        remembered the disastrous effects of Depression of the 1930s and Truman wanted to prevent another worldwide slump
        
        Motivated American self-interest
        
        generous act by American ppl
      - USSR
        
        Stalin viewed Marshall Aid with suspicion
        
        He forbade any eastern European states to apply for Marshall Aid. Stalin's view was that anti-Communist aims behind Marshall Aid would weaken his hold on eastern Europe. He also felt that USA was trying to dominate as many states as possible by making them dependent on dollars.
  - - - democracy. gov was chosen in free democratic elections
      - capitalist. business + property were privately owned
      - world's wealthiest country. But, extremes - extreme poverty vs extreme wealth
      - being free of gov control was considered more important than everyone being equal
      - Americans firmly believed other countries should be run in the American way
      - many Americans were bitterly opposed to nationalism
    - - Communist state
      - one-party dictatorship. Elections were held, but all candidates belonged to the Communist party
      - economic superpower - its industry had grown rapidly in 1920s+30s but general standard of living in USSR was much lower than in the USA. But, unemployment was rare+extreme poverty even rarer than in USA
      - for communists, rights of individuals were seen as less important than the good of society as a whole - individual's lives were tightly controlled
      - soviet leaders believed other countries should be run in the communist way
      - many in USSR were bitterly opposed to capitalism
- - - - Stalin's plan was clever if US tanks did try to ram the road–blocks or railway blocks, Stalin would see it as an act of war
        however Americans weren't prepared to give up, they saw West Berlin as a test case - if they gave into Stalin on this, the western zones of Germany could be next
        Truman wanted to show that he was serious about his policy of containment - he wanted Berlin to be a symbol of freedom behind the Iron Curtain
      - June 1948 – allies decided to airlift supplies into Berlin
        everyone feared the Soviets would shoot the planes down this - would've been an act of war
        But, no shots were fired
        the planes got through
        for the next 10 months West Berlin was supplied by a constant stream of aeroplanes bringing in everything from food + clothing to oil + building materials
        but there were enormous shortages + many Berliners decided to leave the city altogether
        by May 1949 it was clear that the blockade of Berlin wouldn't make the Western allies give up Berlin, so Stalin reopened communications
- - - - Germany was losing European war so allied leaders met at Yalta in Ukraine to plan what would happen to Europe after Germany's defeat
      - Yalta conference went well
      - Despite their differences, the Big Three - Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill came to some agreements
      - ww2 ended: 2nd Sept 1945
        VE Day: 8th May 1945
    - - Agreements
        
        Stalin agreed to enter war against Japan once Germany had surrendered
        
        They agreed that Germany would be divided into 4 zones:
        
        American, French, British, Soviet
        
        Since Berlin (capital of Germany - powerful territory) was deep in Soviet zone, it was agreed that Berlin itself would be divided into 4 zones
        
        Big Three agreed to hunt down + punish war criminals responsible for the genocide in concentration camps etc
        
        they agreed that as countries were liberated from the German army's occupation, they would be allowed to hold free elections to choose the gov they wanted
        
        they agreed to join the new United Nations organisation, which would aim to keep peace after the war
        
        the Soviet Union had suffered lots in the war.
        approx 20 million soviet people had died.
        Stalin thus was concerned about future security of USSR.
        Big Three agreed that Eastern Europe should be seen as a 'soviet sphere of influence'
        AKA those countries were basically ruled by USSR (or at least Stalin wanted that)
        basically Stalin wants US+UK to not get super involved
      - Disagreements
        
        Stalin wanted border of USSR to move westwards into Poland
        Stalin argued that Poland, in turn, could move its border westwards into Germany territory
        Churchill did not approve, but also knew that there wasn't much he could do about it as Stalin's Red Army was in total control of Poland + Eastern Germany
        Roosevelt was also unhappy about Stalin's plan, but Churchill persuaded Roosevelt to accept it, as long as the USSR agreed not to interfere in Greece where the British were attempting to prevent the communists taking over
        Stalin accepted
    - - None of them trust each other
      - Churchill + Roosevelt are worried about communism+Russian control of Eastern Europe - they want the border to be as Far East as possible but know there's not much they can do.
        See Soviet Union is a potential danger to the free world
      - Churchill thinks Roosevelt is naive
      - Stalin thinks Churchill is a fraud
      - Churchill is suspicious of Stalin
  - - - May 1945 - 3 months after Yalta, Allied troops reached Berlin
        Hitler committed suicide
        Germany surrendered
        War in Europe was won
      - 2nd conference after Yalta - many changes took place
    - - Soviet troops had liberated countries in Eastern Europe but didn't withdraw their troops - Stalin kept them there
        By July Stalin's troops effectively controlled the Baltic States, Finland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania
        Refugees were fleeing out of these countries fearing a communist take-over
        Stalin had set up a communist gov in Poland - against wishes of majority of Poles
        Britain+USA protested
        Stalin defended his action by saying that his control of Eastern Europe was a defensive measure against possible future attacks
      - America had a new president
        12 April 1945 - president Roosevelt died
        replaced by VP, Harry Truman
        Truman was much more anti communist than Roosevelt + very suspicious of Stalin
        Truman + his advisors saw soviet actions in Eastern Europe as preparations for a soviet takeover of the rest of Europe
      - The allies had tested an atomic bomb
        16 July 1945 - Americans successfully tested an atomic bomb at desert site in USA
        At start of Potsdam conference Truman told Stalin (warning!)
      - In July there was an election in Britain - Churchill was defeated so Clement Attlee replaced him
        w/o Churchill, Potsdam conference was dominated by rivalry and suspicion between Truman + Stalin
    - - They disagreed on what to do about Germany
        Stalin wanted to cripple Germany to protect USSR from future threat
        Truman didn't want to repeat mistakes of ToV + he still sees USSR as more of a threat than Germany - Germany is on USSR border, can act as a force against USSR + communism if necessary
      - disagreed over reparations
        20 million Russians died in ww2 - Soviet Union devastated
        Stalin wanted compensation from Germany
        Truman was determined not to repeat mistakes of ToV + resisted this demand
      - They disagreed over Soviet policy in eastern europe
        At Yalta, Stalin had won agreement from the allies that he could set up pro-soviet Govs in eastern europe
        he said 'if the Slav (majority of Eastern Europe) people are united, no one will dare move a finger against them'
        Truman became v/ unhappy about Russian intentions + adopted a 'get tough' attitude towards Stalin
    - - Potsdam conference ended w/o complete agreement on the issues
      - over next 9 months Stalin achieved domination of Eastern Europe that he wanted
        by 1946 Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania all had communist Govs which owed their loyalty to Stalin
        Churchill described border between soviet-controlled countries + the west as an 'iron curtain'
        Communist Govs established throughout Eastern Europe - Stalin gradually tightened control in each country- secret police imprisoned anyone who opposed/may oppose communist rule
      - Oct 1947 - Stalin set up Communist Information Bureau - Cominform - to coordinate work of communist parties of eastern Europe
        Cominform regularly brought leaders of each communist party to Moscow to be briefed by Stalin + his ministers
        this allowed stalin to keep close eye on them
      - Stalin replaced independent minded leaders w/ those completely loyal to him
        only one who escaped his control was Tito in Yugoslavia
        He resented being controlled by cominform + was expelled for his hostility in 1948