Unit 4 Who was to blame for the Cold War
Why US-USSR wartime alliance broke in 1945
The defeat of their common enemy (on May 1945 Germany surrendered)
The two superpowers hold different view for a long time (USSR as communist, US as Capitalist country)
US
USSR
Capitalist
Communist
One-party Dictatorship
Business and property state-owned
Democracy-government chosen by elections
Business and property privately owned
Although average economy is worse than US, unemployment and poverty were rarer than the US
there are very poor and very rich people
People are alarmed by communist theory (spreading revolution)
People are taught o spread the communist revolution worldwide
And they both believe the world should be run in their way
Beginning of Conflict between Superpowers
President Roosevelt stopped US from isolation since the beginning of 1940s (not caring about European affairs, this happened in 1930s), that means, Each Communist action will bring a US reaction (which is basically what the chapter is talking about )
The Yalta Conference
The only disagreement
date
Agreements
current Big Three
allow free elections and democracy in liberated countries
Big three agrees to join in a UN organisation
Agreed that Germany to be divided into: UK, US, USSR and France zone
Agreed that War criminals to be hunt down
Stalin agree to enter the war with Japan
East Europe been seen as a "Soviet sphere of influence"
Churchill-UK
Stalin-USSR
Roosevelt-US
February-1945
Stalin wants the USSR's border to expand west in Poland, and Poland expands its territory into Germany, Roosevelt refused, but Churchill persuaded him to accept that. as long as USSR will not interfere with the communist takeover in Greece
Potsdam Conference
Date
July 1945
New Big Three
Clement-UK
Truman-US (more anti-Communist than Roosevelt)
Stalin-USSR
changes since Yalta
US tested an atomic bomb without informing USSR
Stalin controlled most of Eastern Europe using military, and set up a communist government in Poland, which actually contradicted the Polish's will
Disagreements
Reparation
Pro-Soviet Government in Poland
Germany issue
Stalin: Cripple Germany to protect USSR
Truman: refuses Stalin to not to repeat the mistakes of TOV
Stalin: require compensation due to 20 million casualties
Truman: refuses Stalin to not to repeat the mistakes of TOV
Stalin: won agreement since Yalta
Truman: gets unhappy and adopted "get tough" policy to USSR
Germany defeated in May 1945 (the vanish of their common enemy)
Real conflicts
What cause the Big Three to change so much from Yalta to Potsdam?
See "changes since Yalta" and the "New Big Three"
US
USSR
Iron Curtain and USSR expansion
In the continuing 9 months Stalin took over most of Eastern Europe, Churchill mentioned iron curtain as the border between west and Eastern Europe
P91 picture
1st action: strengthening grip
1st reaction (mot really a reaction)
Establishing Soviet governments and using secret police across Eastern Europe
Cominform
Date: October 1947
Purpose: the communist leaders will be brought to be briefed by Stalin and ministers
Real Purpose: Stalin will be able to monitor the leaders in the countries, replacing any suspicious leaders with people loyal to him
Soviet Sphere of Influence
What US and UK thought: Democratic and USSR-friendly countries
What USSR thought: Complete control and communism in Eastern Europe
2nd action: Greece
date: 1944-1947
1945-Both the communist and monarchist want control over Greece
1945-Churchill send soldiers to support the monarchist
1946-USSR protested that UK is a threat to peace in Greece and organized a takeover by force, which turns to a civil war
2nd reaction: Greece
US stepped in on 24 February 1947 to prop up the monarchist
By 1950 the monarchists are in control, but weak
Containment Policy
Truman accepted that the Eastern Europe is Communist now, instead he focus on stop the Communist from spreading
Marshall plan
Details
Why
Truman believes that by eliminating hunger and poverty in Europe, Communism won't have a chance to spread
In December 1947 Truman put Marshall Plan to the Congress, and was rejected
Currently, Europe is full of problems like
click to edit
refugees
insufficiency of goods
debts
Truman ordered 17 billion for the plan
After seeing the takeover of Czech in 1948 US agreed on this Marshall Plan
3rd action: Czechoslovakia
The government in Czechoslovakia, although contains Communists, but pursue Political freedom and tried to escape the control from Moscow
However, in March 1948, the Communist in USSR purged the Anti-Soviet leaders and probably killed a pro-American minister: Jan Masaryk
Consequences: immediate approval of the Marshall Plan
Purposes
To stop the spreading of communism
To give aid to countries that has no tariffs and allows US companies to develop
Open a new market to sell US goods
response to Marshall aid
Stalin felt suspicious and refuse communist counrties to accept the Marshall aid
Berlin Blockade
Why?
To show Truman that he will not be pushed around easily
To force the western powers out of Eastern Berlin
Details
Stalin blocked the western supply lines from Germany to Berlin
Date: June 1948
US reaction to Berlin Blockade
Truman ordered the planes to transport good into west Berlin
Shooting the planes will be seen as act of war
Blockade lifted by Stalin on May 1949
trespassing will be seen as act of war
Consequences
Berlin is a cancer growing in the workers' paradise in East Berlin
Consequences
Berlin will be an oasis of democracy and freedom in Soviet area
Further reaction: NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Date
in April 1949
Purpose
The parties will keep up their individual and collective capacity to resisit armed attack
an armed attack against one or more of the parties will be seen a s an attack against them all
To better contain communism
Warsaw Pact
members: USSR and main communist countries
Purpose:
Defend each other
Allow Stalin to have a united force against the NATO