SGQ12

IBHL1 SGQ12

Guiding question:

Analyse the origin of East-West rivalry and explain why it developed into the Cold War.

How did the Cold War develop?

MWH p. 117-140

1. What were the effects of WWII?
a. evidence of enormous destruction?
almost 40 mil. people where killed, 21 mil. uprooted from their homes,& the Holocaust
b. no all-inclusive peace settlement - what was there?
number of separate treaties where signed: Italy lost African colonies and gave up claims to Albania and Ethiopia. The USSR took the eastern sect. of Czech, the Petsamo district and the area around Lake Ladoga from Finland, and held onto Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Triest claimed that both Italy and Yugoslavia, was declared a free territory protected but the UN org.. Romania recovered northern Transylvannia, which the Hungarians had occupied during the war. Later at San Fransisco, Japan agreed to surrender all territory acquired during the previous 90 year, which included a complete withdraw from China.
c. examples social changes?
Many people where forced out of their homes, the worst cases where in the areas taken from Germany by Russia and Poland, and in the German speaking areas in Hungary, Romania, and Czech. About 10 mil. Ger. were forced to leave and make their way to W. Germany so that no future Ger. govn't would be able to claim those territories. In some countries (Ger. and USSR) extensive urban redevelopment occurred.
d. nuclear weapons - so what?

After the US bombed Japan the threat of a nuclear war was reality and the whole planet was able to be destroyed. This affected some people during the Cold War because both sides where so frightened of the consequences that they were deterred discouraged from fighting each other.
e. European domination of the world ended - why?
The four western European countries that played a leading role in world affairs was much weaker than before. Germany was devastated and divided. Italy and France were on the verge of bankruptcy; although Britain seemed to be strong and victories, w/ their empire intact, the cost of the war had been ruinous. Britain had tremendous debt and much of the exports was reduced, forced to ask for another loan from US, therefore Britain was closely dependent on the US.
f. emergence of the superpowers - who?
The US and USSR appeared as the new superpowers who strayed away from isolationism. Us had great prosperity throughout the war from supplying their allies with war materials and food. The USSR had the largest army in the world the US had the largest nay and air force and controlled the atomic bomb.
- g. decolonization - what happened to the territories?
War encouraged movement to occur. This destroyed European superiority and invincibility. Asian people gained full independence, though not without a struggle. This intensified and turned the want for independence from the Africa's and Middle East, and this gave forth new states in 1960s. These new states stated that they were third world (wished to remain neutral or non-aligned) between capitalism and communism.
h. the United Nations - so what?
Successor of League of Nations, its main aim was to try and maintain world peace, and on the whole was more successful.
2. What caused the Cold War?
a. what are the differences of principle?
communist(collectively owned) vs. capitalist(privately owned)
everybody is needed and equal vs. wealthy powerful upper class

b. what were Stalin's foreign policies?
take advantage of military situation to strengthen Russian influence in Europe. As Nazi armies collapse, tried to acquire as much as possible in terms of territory. Did this with other countries as well.
c. what were US and British policies?
Lend-Lease to Russia so USSR could have war materials. Truman once in office was more suspicious towards the communists. Britain wanted to destroy communism and above all the west had the atomic bomb and the USSR didn't
3. How did the Cold War develop between 1945 and 1953?
a. what four things were agreed upon at the Yalta Conference?
i. UN set up
ii. Germany to be divided into zones (similar arrangements were made for Austria)
iii. free elections were to be allowed in the states of eastern Europe
iv. Stalin promised to join the war against Japan on condition that Russia received the whole Sakhalin Island and some territory in Manchuria.

b. why were Germany and Poland the major concerns at the Potsdam Conference?
This war was over with Germany but no long-term goal was reached about their future. The big question for Germany was whether, or when the four zones would be allowed to join together to a form a united country again. Reparations were chosen to put upon Germany (mostly payed to USSR, which would be allowed to take non-food goods out of their zone and from the other zones as well, provided the Russians sent food supplies to the western zones of Germany in return. Poland was the main disagreement. Truman and Churchill were annoyed bc Germany east of the Oder-Neisse Line had been occupied by Russian troops and was being run by the pro-Communist Polish govn't, which expelled some 5 million Germans in the area which hadn't been agreed at the Yalta Conference.
c. how was Communism established in eastern Europe?
In the following months after Potsdam Russia systematically interfered in the countries of Eastern Europe to set in pro-communist governments. In some cases their opponents were imprisoned or murdered. In Hungary for example, the Russians allowed free elections; but although the communists won less than 20% of the votes, they saw to it that a majority of the cabinet was communist. Stalin frightened the west further bu a widely reported speech in which he said that communism and capitalism could never live peacefully together, and that future wars were inevitable until the final victory of communism was achieved.
d. how did Russia exert its influence in eastern Europe?
Elections were rigged, non-communist members of coalition governments were expelled, many were arrested and executed, and eventually all other political parties were dissolved. All of this happened under the watchful eyes of the Russian secret police and Russian troops. Also Stalin treated the Russian zone of Germany as if it were Russian territory, allowing only the communist party and draining it of vital resources. Yugoslavia was the only exception, with Tito their leader leading them to victory against Germany and not Russia.
e. what were the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan?
This sprang from events in Greece, where communists were trying to overthrow the monarchy. British troops which helped free Greece from the Germans were now feeling the strain of trying to support them against the communists. The Truman Doctrine was a policy trying to contain communism. It stated that the USA 'would support free people who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure' The Truman Doctrine made it clear that the USA had no intention of returning to isolation and was committed to their policy of containing communism not just in Europe but throughout the world, including Korea and Vietnam. The Marshall Plan was an economic extensions of the Truman Doctrine produced by Sec. of State George Marshal. This plan offered economic and financial help wherever it was needed, European Recovery Program (ERP). He stated that his policy wasn't directed against any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos. One of his aims was to promote the economic recovery of Europe, thus ensuring markets for America exports; but his main goal was probably political; communism was less likely to gain control in a prosperous western Europe. The next four years millions of dollars went into western Europe. , fostering the recovery of agriculture and industry, which many countries were in chaos over due to war devastation. Russia was aware that there was more to the Marshall Plan than let on so they denounced the whole idea as 'dollar imperialism'. They saw it as a blatant device to gain control of western Europe and worse still for interfering in eastern Europe, which Stalin considered to be Russia's sphere of influence. The USSR rejected the offer and neither did her satellite states nor Czech.
f. what was Cominform?
The communist information bureau, was the Soviet response to the Marshall Plan set up by Stalin in 1947. It was an org. to draw together the various European communist parties . Stalin's aims was was to tighten his grip on the satellites; to be communist wasn't enough-it must be Russian style communism . Eastern Europe was to be industrialized and collectivized and centralized; states were expected to trade primarily w/ Comiform members and all contacts with non-communist members was discouraged.The Molotov Plan was introduced to offer aid to the Russian satellites. Another org. was set up Comecon ( council of mutual economic assistance0 to co-ordinate their economic policies.
g. what happened to Czechoslovakia?
A crissi arose early in 1948. Elections were due in May, and all signs were that the communists would lose ground; they were blamed for the Czech rejection of Marshall aid, which might have eased the continuing food shortages. The communists decided to act before the election; already in control of the unions and the police, they seized power in an armed coup. All non-communists ministers with the exception of a few resigned. The foreign minister Masaryks died due to murder. The western powers and the UN protested but felt unable to take action bc they couldn't;t prove Russian involvement -the coup was purely an internal affair. However there is little doubt that Stalin had prodded the Czech communists into action. This caused the bridge between west and east to be gone, the iron curtain was complete.
h. what happened in Berlin?
This event occur ed because their was a disagreement over the treatment of Germany. At the end of the war it was agreed at Yalta and Potsdam that Germany and Berlin were divided into four zones. The western powers did their best to organize the economic and political recovery of their zones Stalin, determined to make Germany pay for all the damages inflicted on Russia, treated the zone as a satellite, draining its resources away to Russia. Early in 1948 the three western zones were mered to form a single economic unit whose prosperity, thanks to Marshall Aid, was marked in contrast to the poverty of the Russian zone. The west wanted all 4 zones to be re-united and given self-government as soon as possible. Stalin however disagreed. In June 1948 the west introduced a new currency and ended price controls in their zones and in West Berlin. The Russiands decided that the situtation in Berlin had become impossible. Already irrated by what they saw as the island of capitlaism inside a communist zone they felt it impossible to have two different curriencies in one city. They were membaraassed by the prospierty of west berlin. Therefore all road, rail, and canal links between west gerany an dwest berlin were cut off. Their aim was to force the west to withdraw from the west berlin by reducing it to staravation point. Truman sent in planes to give aid and food. The outcome gave a great psychological boost to the western powers, though it brought russia relations worst than ever. Ity caused the western powers to co-coordinate their defences by the formation of NATO. It meant that since no compromise was possible, Germany was doomed to remain divided for the foreseeable future.
i. what is NATO?
This stated that an attack on any country who joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization fought the resat of the coutnreis as well. This gave an organization to defence that would co-coordinate the defence of the west. This was significant because the Americans had abondanoed their tradiotal policy of 'no entaggling alliances' and for the first time pledged themeselves to the adavande of military action. Stalin took this as a challenge.
j. what happened to Germany?
The western countries set up the German Federal Republic, known as west Germany. Germany remained divided util the collapse of communism in Eastern Germany . 1990 the two sides re-united.
h. what developed with nuclear weapons?
An arms race began to develop bc Russia had blown up anatomi bomb.Truman therfore gave the okay to produce a hydrogen bomb,(bigger) The US thought this could be a way to defeat communism. The USS ssigned an agreement with communist CHina which made the US fear of the spread of communism.
4. To what extent was there a thaw after 1953?
a. why was there a thaw?
i.death of Stalin. Because it brought it to the forefront new Russian leaders who wanted to improve USA relations.
ii. McCarthy discredited because he was so anti-communist. Eisenhower however stated he wanted to be friendly with the Soviet people.

b. how do we know there was a thaw?
i. signing of the peace agreement at Panmunjom ended the Korean Qar
ii. the following year the Indo-CHina ended
1.they agreed to give up their military bases in Finland
2. they lifted their veto on the admission of 16 new member states to the Un
3. the quarrel w/ Yugoslaviawas healed when Khrushchev paid a vist to Tito
4. The Comniform was abonded, suggesting more freedom for the satellite states.

c. what evidence suggests only a partial thaw?
i.The Warsaw Pact was signed between Russia and her satellite states shortly after West Germany was admitted to NATO. The Pact was a mutual defence agreement, which the west took asa a gesture against West Germanys membership of NATO.
ii. Russians continued to buiild up their nuclear armaments
iii. situtaion in Berlin caused more tension
iv. the most provative action of all was when Khruschev installed Soviet missiles in Cuba (very near US)
v. rising in Budapest against the COmmunist govn't was ruthlessly crushed by Russian tanks

5. The nuclear arms race and the Cuban missile crisis
a. how did the arms race accelerate?
This accelerated after the Russians produced their own atomic bomb. When the Americans made am uch more powerful hydrogen bomb the Russians did the same the following year. The Russians got ahead when they produced their inter-contitental ballistic mislle. ut the US soon made them and more of them. However Sputnik the AMericas felt they dared not be left behid so they launched a satellite later on as well.
b. what happened in Cuba? how was it resolved?
The US broke off diplomatic realtions w/ Cuba while the USSR strenghtened theirs. Kennedy now was convinced that Cuba was a communist state. Castyro announced after the Bay of pigs invasion that he was a Marxist and that Cuba was a socialist country. Khruschev decided to set up missiles in Cuba aimed the US . He did this to seize back the initiative back again from the US in the lead of missiles and it would place Americans under the same threat that they felt, being so close to the missiles in Turkey. Also it would be agesture of solidarity with his ally Castro who was under constant threat from the US. It would test the reolve of the new youn President Kennedy and perphaps Khruschev intended to use the missiles for baragining with the west over the removal of US missiles from Europe, ora withdrawel from Berlin by the west. Kennedy acted cautiosuly. He enacted American troops to create a blocaked on Cuba for Russians ships carrying missiles and demanded a dsimanteling of the missile sites and the removal of missiles there. Khruschev made the first move by ordering his Russian ships to turn back and eventually compromise solution was reached. he removed the missiles from Cuba while the US rpomised not to invade CUba again , and took out missiles in Turkey. Both sides realized that if a nuclear war occured it would be devastating and bopth relaxed on the tension. Due to the telophone link Moscow and Washington could have swift consultions and they soon signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
c. what happened to the arms race in the 1970s?
The Russians failed and the US had new misslies that could be launched form the subs in the Meditterean sea. The USSR had a goal to become eqaul w/ the US and they soon caught up and created a weapon that could destry missiles coming into attack. The US created a low altitude missile as well so that Russian radar couldn't detect them.
d. how effective were anti-nuclear protests?
Very ineffective because disarming your nation only meant vulnerability to your country to attack. However this movement did bring both sides to the negotiating table.