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Unit 1: Origins of the Cold War -- Who or what was to blame for the…
Unit 1: Origins of the Cold War -- Who or what was to blame for the outbreak of the Cold War?
Long term suspicion and distrust from WW2 -- uneasy alliance
April 1945: USSR occupied every capital city in EE
perceived by the USA to be a potential threat (especially when USA did not leave post-WW1)
Aug 1945: US dropped atomic bomb without discussion with the GA
signf:
allies were not united, US were still actiing out of self interests leading to potential suspicion and distrust by the USSR over their intentions
30 April 1945: Hitler committed suicide
GA formed against Hitler as a common enemy -- what happens when a common enemy is gone?
Nov 1943- June 1944: Delay in opening up second front against G
discussion started from Tehran conference in 1943 but opening was delayed for half a year
Stalin saw it as a deliberate attempt by US and UK to make USSR weaker by having them fight G on their own
signf:
lead to suspicion and distrust by USSR
Yalta Conference
(4-11 Feb 1945)
Germany
Before
: near success in the war against G, postwar question of the ruling of G rose and all 3 parties wanted to divide G
After
: divided into 4 zones of operation
UK, France, USA and USSR each administer one zone (balance of power)
Berlin to be divided into zones as well although it was in the zone of USSR (USSR had overwhelming influence)
(
USSR suffered more loses in the war so they get more land
)
EE and Poland
Before:
Stalin wanted control over Poland to safeguard USSR security (Poland used to be a corridor for attacks against USSR) while Churchill wanted democratic elections
After
:
countries liberated from German Occupation to hold
free elections
to choose their own govt, practical steps taken to help them set up democratic and self-governing nations
emergency relief to be provided
Reparations
Before:
question of whether USSR should get more reparations and whether slave labour was allowed
After:
G to be responsible for some reparations and slave labour was allowed
UN: established to maintain peace and security, 5 permanent members of the UNSC with veto power
Japan: USSR to join war against Japan in return for Soviet Occupation of NK and Manchuria
Potsdam Conference
(17 July - Aug 2 1945)
Changes from Yalta to Potsdam:
Change in leadership of UK and USA
Successful testing of atomic bomb
G to be demilitarised and remove Nazi influence
signf:
yalta was successful due to unity of big 3, cracks started happening from potsdam
"Salami tactics"
Red Army increasing influence in EE: by the end of WW2, Red Army occupied most of EE countries
CASE STUDY: USSR going back on their word on Poland:
Communist groups dominated coalition govt, arrest of non-comm. leaders (use of terror)
"free elections" promised in Yalta only held 2yrs later: West saw it as breach of Yalta agreement
[Soviet intentions: worldwide comm. revolution + aggressive foreign policy VS security concerns -- ensure friendly govt as buffer against invasions]
Long Telegram: Feb 1946
US ambassador to US State Dept (private letter) -- anxiety in US because no appeasement, no war
Response to aggressive Soviet expansionism from 1945-1946
Recommendation for US to
inform the American public be informed of the situation
positive propaganda to make democracy attractive
(no $/military aid, no containment)
Churchill (ex-PM of Britian)'s Iron Curtain: March 1946
public attack on Soviet expansionism
response by USSR was merely just a verbal attack back
urge democratic countries to prevent spread of comm.
signf:
new understanding of USSR's actions and intentions, new basis of their policy-making
Truman Doctrine: March 1947
Background: T and Gr's struggle with comm.
Gr: comm. party gaining ground at the risk of country dissolving into civil war
-T: Stalin demanded territorial concessions that wld give USSR effective control of Turkish straits
Domino theory:
US intervention was necessary to prevent soviet domination from extending over rest of middle east
T and GR will be the first "dominoes"
What TD is about:
financial and military aid for Turkey and Greece
US had to take over UK's role as a big power (UK financially broke after WW2) and uphold principles of self-determination
Why are T and Gr important?
geographical location (T and Gr): gives access to the Mediterranean sea for trade
rich resources in Iran: coal would not go to USSR, will not make them stronger
domino theory: If greece falls to comm., Turkey falls and the whole mediterranean would be threatened (US must take immediate action)
signf:
US step up to take on intl responsibility, marks crucial shift in American policy (perception to actions)
Response from USSR: Cominfrom (1947)
enable USSR to
coordinate comm. parties in EE
ensure EE states followed their aims and introduce policies which were of comm.
purge any members who disagreed with Soviets
Marshall Plan: June 1947
extensive economic aid to WE
states that political stability requires economic prosperity-- contrast made to comm. countries which were largely founded on poverty, US to help remove this root cause)
came with conditions such as economy to remain open to US, purchase goods from US companies
open to US influence, allow for intervention
USSR see as imperialism (comecon as response)
draws a line between WE and EE (WE countries were generally more prosperous with economic aid, EE countries had a closed economy)
in the long run, EE countries saw the impact that comm. was not that effective)
was the MP truly well-intentioned to help European recovery or was it to subordinate WE economies to American export interests?
Response from USSR: Comecon (1949)
financial support to EE countries
used by USSR to control the economies and access their resources
Berlin Blockade: 24 June 1948 - 12 May 1949
Background:
USSR going against Yalta agreement
separated into 4 zones, USSR extract resources from their own zone yet did not ship material to western zones in exchange of what they were receiving
Western powers decided to unite and form one economic unit to sustain itself (Bizonia/Trizonia)
economic issues such as inflation and shortages -- decided to introduce currency reform in western zones
Course:
20 June: introduction of new currency in Western zones
USSR saw this as a violation of the Potsdam agreement
23 June: Soviets introduced currency reform in their own occupation zone (applied to whole of Berlin, which was supp to be under western control too)
Western allies were unwilling to allow a new currency which they had no control of in their zones -- introduced their currency into berlin on the same day
24 June: Soviet forces halted all rail, road and water traffic between western zones and Berlin. electricity from outside to west berlin cut off.
stalin aimed to starve the west berliners into submission and force western powers to abandon their plans of unifying their zones, so that germany would remain divided and weak as he wished
25 June: Berlin Airlift -- Western powers flew supplies into west berlin for 11 months
soviets did not shoot the planes down for fear of being seen as an act of war
12 May 1949: Stalin lifted blockade without any conditions and achieved none of his objectives
Impacts and significance:
official creation of West G and East G shortly after blockade (division of G, allies failed in its original aim)
formation of NATO -- agreement of collective security: come to each other's defense when attacked
escalation of CW tension -- potential military confrontation
(every wrong move could start a war eg soviets did not dare to shoot down US planes)
physical manifestation of ideological differences
(showed stark contrast between both which further intensify their rivalry, gain/loss support from berliners and other countries
Broader considerations of CW:
Europe clearly divided
USA abandoning peacetime policy of avoiding commitments -- involved in MP (economic) and NATO (military)
western countries more united due to soviet threat
conflicts seen as stuggle of ID
Ideological differences