Please enable JavaScript.

Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.

Who was to blame for the Cold War? - Coggle Diagram

- - - - It was agreed that Poland should receive land from Germany.
        BUT Stalin wanted to keep the parts he seized in 1939 as part of the Nazi-Soviet pact, which was eventually lost in 1941 to Hitler as part of Operation Barbossa.
        He wanted to create a buffer zone to protect the USSR from future invasions from Europe
      - Poland had two govt's in 1945 - a non-communist government-in-exile based in London since 1940, and a communist one set up by the Soviets in Lublin, Poland in January 1945
      - Territory: Churchill and FDR had no other option but to give Stalin the border changes he wanted since the Red Army controlled Poland and Eastern Germany
        Large chunk of eastern Germany given to Poland as a result
        Government: Churchill and FDR got Stalin to agree to hold "free and unfettered elections as soon as possible" in Poland, featuring major non-Comm figures from the London gov-in-ex. At the time, seen as major diplomatic triumph by UK and US, but later turned out that Stalin did not actually do this
- - - - Both new leaders lacked their predecessor's experience with international diplomatic talks; did not have existing relationship with Stalin to build on
      - Truman more antiComm than R; highly sus of Soviet actions in Eastern Europe. Determined to take tough line with Stalin
      - Attlee was a new PM and so was more concerned about returning to Britain and taking charge - did not want talks to drag on.
        Without Churchill, the conference was dominated by rivalry and suspicion between Truman and Stalin
  - - - 3 powers no longer have a common cause
      - Stalin had to join war in Far East to help defeat Japan. The USSR invaded Manchuria on 9th August 1945
      - Disagreements over Germany
        
        Territory: Allies needed to work out details of 4-way division of Germany agreed at Yalta
        
        Reparations: Stalin wanted to treat Germany harshly to prevent future threats - for Germany to pay $20 million in reparations to compensate the Allies for their losses, especially the USSR
        Truman wanted a more lenient settlement so as to not repeat the mistakes of the Treaty of Versailles
  - - - Truman deliberately delayed start of Conference until atomic bomb was ready
        Thought it would give him an edge in discussions
        Informed Stalin right at the beginning of the Conference on the 17th
  - - - UK/US feared Communist takeover of Eastern Europe
      - Stalin insisted his actions were necessary as defence against future attacks on USSR
      - Truman unhappy with Yalta arrangements regarding Poland
      - Truman couldn't do much but left Potsdam more suspicious than ever of Stalin's intentions
  - - - Each administering country would take reparations in the form of machinery and industrial products from their own zone
      - USSR controlled poorest zone so was able to take 25% of industrial equipment from the other three zones as well.
    - - Germany was defeated
      - Japan was defeated - the USSR stuck to their promise of involving themselves in the war against Japan after the war in Europe ended
      - War crimes punished - Nuremberg Trials were held by USSR, Britain, USA and France, from 20 Nov 1945 to 1 Oct 1946
        The Allies established the laws and procedures for the Nuremberg trials with the London Charter of the International Military Tribunal (IMT), issued on August 8, 1945.
        The Charter defined three categories of crimes: crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity
      - Free elections - Not held as Stalin set up pro-Soviet governments in Eastern Europe
      - German reparations - Stalin wanted to cripple Germany, Truman didn't want a repeat of the mistake of the ToV
      - Eastern Europe - "Iron Curtain" between Soviet sphere of influence and the West (as named by Churchill)
        Stalin had control over the Baltic States and set up pro-Soviet governments in Eastern Europe
        Truman unhappy about Russian intentions
      - United Nations - UN Charter formed 26th June 1945; entered into force 24th October
      - Poland - Stalin did not withdraw his troops from Poland; set up Soviet govt. in Poland against wishes of most Poles.
        Other leaders reluctantly accepted his initial border expansion into Poland, in exchange for Stalin's non-intervention in Greece, where the British were trying to stop a Communist takeover
      - USA-USSR relations - more strained as Truman was more anti-Communist and highly suspicious of Stalin
- - - - Truman deliberately timed beginning of Conference with end of atomic tests to show off military power to Stalin, and to give the US a stronger negotiating position in the talks
      - Perhaps Hiroshima/Nagasaki attempted to encourage USSE to seek agreement over remaining territorial and diplomatic issues
      - Atomic bomb development made Western European countries feel more confident under US protection than in agreement with USSR
      - Dropping of two bombs in succession intended to give false impression that the US had a large stockpile of atomic weapons
      - Made Stalin even more determined to build up Soviet strength and obtain nuclear weapons himself - backfires on US
      - Beginning of arms race
  - - - Sees Russia as insecure and fearful of capitalism, especially the USA.
        Not willing to cooperate with US.
        Only satisfied when USA is destroyed/capitalism destroyed/US no longer a threat
      - Describes Communism as a "malignant parasite which feeds only on diseased tissue" suggesting that Communism draws its power from subjugating the people under their power
        Argues that US society should remain free/confident/disciplined/happy to prove democracy is better than Communism - diplomatic, rather than military, victory
      - Believes the USA has to behave as a role model for how country should be governed
      - Russia is "highly sensitive to the logic of force". US could suggest Mutually Assured Destruction
    - - "imperialist tendencies of American monopolistic capital"
        "striving for world supremacy"
        All military branches, industry and science are involved in foreign policy.
        "broad plans for expansion...through diplomacy and... a system of naval and air bases stretching far beyond the boundaries of the United States"
        Armed forces plays "a decisive role in the realization of plans for world dominance"
  - - - "Our relations with England, France and the USA were ruined." - Khrushchev, 1971
      - Stalin claims that USSR's expansion in Eastern Europe was a form of self-defence by making governments loyal in their attitude to the Soviet Union
- - - - British troops sent to Greece in 1945, claiming to help restore order and supervise free election
      - British supported monarchists, king helped to power
      - Both Monarchists and the Communists remained in 1944 after German retreat. Monarchists demanded return of king.
      - 1946 - USSR protested to the UN that British troops were a threat to peace in Greece
      - Communists tried to take control of Greece by force
      - Civil war began
      - Feb 1947 - British announces withdrawal of troops - cannot afford
        Truman paid for some of the troops to stay in Greece
        1950 - royalists were in control of Greece
      - Yet weak government, always in crisis
- - - - An aid package of $17 billion in money, food, and goods, sent to European countries in order to support Europe's weak economy
        Prevent the European countries from falling under the influence of Communism
        European countries seen as poor - countries of Europe owed $11.5 billion to the USA; extreme shortages of all goods; most countries rationing bread; coal shortage in winter 1947; Britain periodically turned off all its electricity for a period each day
    - - Support European economy
      - Create new markets for American goods
      - Prevent the European countries from falling under the influence of Communism
      - Boost US trade
      - Rebuild Europe and avoid mistakes of ToV
    - - Initially reluctant to fund as £17 billion is a lot of money
      - Initially concerned with Truman's involvement with foreign affairs
      - Feb 1948 - Czech govt. taken over by Communists
        
        Pro-American Minister was killed (despite claims from Commies it was suicide)
        
        Congress saw the importance of keeping Europe away from the Communists - agreed in March 1948
    - - Sus
      - Banned Eastern European countries from applying for Marshall Aid
      - Thought America was trying to dominate Europe by making it dependent on US dollars