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Igcse History Chapter 4 Revision Notes

The US-Soviet alliance began to break down after WWII for several reasons: 1. There were disagreements during the war over opening a second front and postwar strategies. 2. Ideological conflicts grew between capitalism and communism, with each side fearing the other. 3. As the war ended, the Soviet Union gained control over Eastern Europe, which increased tensions as the US sought to contain communism. 4. The Berlin Blockade and Airlift in 1948 demonstrated the deepening divide between the two superpowers in the early stages of the Cold War.

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1K views8 pages

Igcse History Chapter 4 Revision Notes

The US-Soviet alliance began to break down after WWII for several reasons: 1. There were disagreements during the war over opening a second front and postwar strategies. 2. Ideological conflicts grew between capitalism and communism, with each side fearing the other. 3. As the war ended, the Soviet Union gained control over Eastern Europe, which increased tensions as the US sought to contain communism. 4. The Berlin Blockade and Airlift in 1948 demonstrated the deepening divide between the two superpowers in the early stages of the Cold War.

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Chapter 4

Why did the US–Soviet alliance begin to break down in 1945?


Pre- war relationship

Wartime disagreements

- 1938 (Appeasement Policy)


- USSR responded by Non-Aggression Pact 1939
- Allies launch second military front only at 1944 (D-Day)
- Don’t share strategies during war

Ideological conflicts

- Capitalism and communism


- Fear of USSR
o 1917 → Britain and USA intervene in Russia Civil War against communist
o Fear of future attacked by capitalism
- Fear of USA (Red Scare)
o Spread of communism
o The aim of senior communist for worldwide revolution

Super powers

- Power vacuum after WW2


- France and Britain become less powerful
- Changes in American altitude
(More opposing toward Communism)

Yalta conference – 1945 (February)

Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill

Agreements

- Germany
o Only unconditional surrender will be accepted
o Germany and Capital to be divided into 4 zone
o Reparations would be paid
o Germany eastern borders to move westward
o Punish war criminals responsible for genocides
- To join United Nation
- To declared war against Japan once Germany have surrender
- Eastern Europe
o Soviet sphere of influence for Soviet future security
Disagreements

- To move border of USSR westward to Poland


- Churchill don’t approve but Red army already control
- Roosevelt was also unhappy
- In return USSR promise not to interference Greece

According to historian, Yalta conference was example of wartime co-orperation

Potsdam conference – 1945 (July-August)

Attlee, Truman and Stalin

Disagreements

- Germany
o Stalin wanted to cripple Germany
o Truman didn’t want to repeat same mistake
- Stalin wanted a foothold in Japan, Truman rejected
- Stalin wanted high reparation on Germany
- Eastern Europe to be influenced by soviet
o Stalin think if Slav are united no one will dare to move finger against them
o Truman is unhappy with this
- Future government in Poland

**Iron Curtain between east and west Europe (Churchill speech)

How had the USSR gained control of Eastern Europe by 1948?


Political vacuum, to restore law and order

Poland

- Coalition government: Lublin and London


- Divided between Soviet and German in WW2
- Soviet troops remain after liberation
- Non-communist leaders were exile
- 1947 – election held – communist gain 80% of vote

Romania

- German ally during WW2


- Troops remain after liberation
- Accept coalition government in 1945
- 1947 abolish monarchy
Bulgaria

- German ally
- Soviet troops remain after liberation
- 1945 – coalition government was accepted
- Executed other party leaders
- 1947 total communist control (new constitution drawn)

Hungary

- German ally during war


- Soviet troops remain after liberation
- 1947 – Communist become largest single party
- Persecute opposition leader and attack church
- Communist establish in 1948

Czechoslovakia

- Invaded by Germany in 1939


- Troops left
- Coalition government form – Communist is largest single party
- Banned opponent parties
- Non-communist government official resigned in 1948

East Germany

- Got a sector in WW2


- Controlled by red army
- GDR (German Democratic Republic) created in 1949

Stalin didn’t get everything he wanted


Backed by allies

- Naval Base in Dardanelles 1946 (Turkey)


- Royalist won the civil war against communist on Greece

Yugoslavia

- Marshall Tito become President in 1945


- He applies communism is his own way
- Expelled from Cominform in 1948
How did the United States react to Soviet expansionism?
- They’ve already expected eastern Europe would be Soviet ‘sphere of influence’ but don’t expect a complete
communist domination
- Truman saw this a spread of communism

Development of containment

- Greece (1947)
o There 2 rival group; monarchist and communist
o 1945 British sent troop to help restore law and order, supervised election
o But supported the monarchist instead
o 1946, USSR protest to UN – but no action
o Communist take control by force
o Civil war developed
o British couldn’t afford for cost of war
o 1947 – withdrawn
o Truman stepped
o 400 million dollars is supported according to Truman Doctrine

- Prevent Turkey from falling communist


(Wanted a naval base in Turkey)
- Governments in France and Italy was threatened by communist takeover
(Due to economic hardships and political instability)
- Truman believed communism succeed when people faced poverty and hardship

Truman Doctrine – 1947


- Part of containment policy
- Truman persuaded congress to provide $400 million to support Greece
- USA was prepared to send money, equipment and advice to any country
- To stop spread of communism

Marshall Plan
- To stabilize economies of Europe
- Prevent growth of communism in European democracies
- $17 billion would be needed to rebuild European prosperity
- 1947 put into Congress
- Refuse to grant money
- Congress accepted after Communist takeover in Czechoslovakia 1948

Americans: self-interest; new market for American goods | generous act

Soviet: suspect; refuse soviet bloc states to apply for Marshall Aid
Stalin’s response to Marshall Plan

Effect
- Serious threat to Soviet Union interest
- Undermine his control over eastern Europe
- Act of ideological conflict
- Creation of US-dominated capitalist alliance
- Making countries dependent on dollar

Response

- Cominform (Communist information bureau)


- In 1947
- Tighten his control in Czechoslovakia

What were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade?


Berlin Blockade – 1948
Background

- After the war it’s divided into 4 zone


- Take reparation from own zone
- Soviet get some equipment from industrialized western zone
- Eastern zone based on agriculture
- Western base on industry
- Britain and USA hope for trade but soviet deny
- Need pay for food imports
- American stopped reparation payment to soviet in 1946
- American and British zone are march to single economic unit

Cause of the blockade

- 1945
o USA refuse to give loan to soviet for eastern Germany
o Stalin is using German resource to make Soviet stronger

- 1947
o Allies created single economic unit (Trizonia)
o Stalin felt threaten, 3 power might force him out of Germany
o Secret discussion between allies for political united

- 1948
o The German, especially western zone faced economic chaos
o Stalin fear the recovery of German; wanted to cripple
o USA, Britain and France wanted reconstruction
o 1948 reform the currency; soviet refuse to do it in their zone
o Germany started to recover
The blockade

- USSR wasn’t satisfied with reform of new currency


- June 1948, Blocked all the supplies: road, railway and canals
- West Berlin population face shortage of supplies
- Wanted to drive allies out of Berlin
- If allies go against, act of the war
- Opportunity for Truman to show serious collection about containment

The Berlin airlifts

- Allies air-lift the supplies


- Plane took off from their base at west Germany
- Join by US, UK, Canada, France, Australia and many countries
- Supply with 3perminute constantly for 11 months
- Nearly 300,000 flights
- Coals, foods, clothes and other essential goods are transported
- 1949 → Stalin reopened communications
- Reopen because it’s not effective

The consequences

- Germany was divided in 1949


o British, France and USA zone become Federal Republic of Germany (May)
o Soviet formed German Democratic Republic (October)
o Germany was divided for 41 years
o Berlin wall -> 1962 to 1989

- Powerful symbol of cold war

- Set Pattern for Cold War


o Show how they’re suspicious of each other
o Prove they are not willing to go war against each other

- NATO Pact
o USA leaders accepted idea of defensive alliance with Europe
o Formed at 1949
o 11~ 12 countries joined
o Containment Policy
o Hear of USA foreign policy

- Warsaw Pact
o Form in 1955
o Formed when West Germany was allowed to join NATO
o Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Hungary
o Promise to defend each other
o Not to interfere internal affairs

Who was the more to blame for starting the Cold War: The United States or the USSR?
Blaming to Soviet

- Communist ideology was expansionism


- Couldn’t co-exist with capitalist
- Stalin didn’t abide agreements in Yalta and Potsdam conference
o Installing communist government in Romania and Poland
o Banned opposition party
o Murder and jail enemy
- Controlling economy of eastern Europe by COMECON 1949
- Frequent Comden toward action of allies

Defending Soviet

- Suspect of Britain and USA


o Intervention in Russia Civil War 1917
o Ineffectiveness of Britain and France in crisis with League (Manchuria, Abyssinia)
o Rearmament, Spanish Civil War and Anschluss
o Appeasement policy toward Germany (Czech)
o Delay opening second front during WW2 (1944)

- Truman adopted anti-communist policies


o Containment policy: Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan

- Post war recovery


o Russia have heavy causalities comparing to USA
o Estimated 20 million civilian death

- Feared the recovery of Germany


o Might launch future attack
o That’s why stabilizing currency in 1947 provoked him

Blaming to USA

- Ending land-lease arrangement with soviet in 1945


- Marshall Aid
o to get market for US goods in Europe
o Preservation of capitalism
- Introducing new currency
o Breach according to Potsdam conference
(The agreement that all powers need to agree on what to do with Germany exist)
Defending to USA

- Truman doctrine was defensive


o (Prevent Communist threat)

- Truman took a time to response Stalin’s policy toward eastern Europe


- Western Europe could decide whether they want help for USA or not.
- Reconstructing German is should to prevent revenges in future

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