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Established the Soviet sphere of influence and the wider spread of communism around the globe. Had allies in China, North Korea, North Vietnam but enemies in the US and UK
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Committed to working with the USSR to rebuild Europe and prevent a future war
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The idea of how to split central Europe amongst the Allies (France, USA, UK, USSR), created by Churchill and signed off by Stalin
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Key Agreements-
- Germany and Berlin to be divided into four zones
- Liberated countries of Western and Central Europe allowed to hold free elections
- UN would be formed to ensure future international cooperation
- Declaration of Liberated Europe (surmising all points above) signed -
- Did not get along with Stalin as well as Roosevelt, since did not need Russian allies anymore for WW2
- Supported policies such as Containment, against Communist ideology
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- Germany to be divided
- Nazi party banned
- Germans returned to Germany
- Poland territory to USSR
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- USA dropped bombs on Hiroshima (6 Aug) and Nagasaki (9 Aug)
- American plane Enola Gay dropped bombs
- 70,000 killed instantly and thousands died in weeks to come (H)
- Over 40,000 killed after second dropping (N)
- Clear message sent relating how the US intended to dominate post-war period
- USA's possession of atomic weapons and subsequent hiding of information set scene for rapidly increasing tensions between USA and USSR and the arms race
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- George Kennan - outlined fears of Soviet ambitions, any cooperation was doomed to fail
- confirmed Truman's fears
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- Churchill directly criticised the USSR
- Talked about the idea of the Iron Curtain
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- USA would support any country threatened by communism
- Containment
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- Provided economic support for countries of Europe.
- USA needed a strong Europe to trade with
- $13.15 billion divided between the countries
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- Stalin's response to Marshall plan
- Support + economic aid to countries behind iron curtain
- equal sharing of knowledge and resources to benefit all rather than one country helping the rest
- officially equal partners, really all decisions made in Moscow
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- Yugoslavia had never been liberated by the Red Army, hence little loyalty to Stalin
- Tito, the leader, continued to show independence to Stalin
- 1948, Tito sought Marshall Aid, hence Yugoslavia expelled from Cominform
- Only European country outside of Iron Curtain, independent
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- Operation Vittles (USA) / Plainfare (UK)
- flight every 3 mins
- 12000 tonnes of coal on Easter Parade, 15th April
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- clear end to USA isolationism, western countries had clear support of USA
- 12 countries inc. USA, UK + France signed North Atlantic Treaty, no countries from behind Iron Curtain
- defensive alliance, attack on one country means all countries could respond, coordinating military response
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Mao Tse-Tung declares establishment of People's Republic of China.
Nationalists move to Taiwan. -
House Un-American Activities Committee
- Questioned those believed to be involved in communist activities
- Most were innocent
- Alger Hiss - State department official - passed secrets to USSR
- Julius + Ethel Rosenberg executed for passing on nuclear secrets
- McCarthyism - 'witch hunt'
- Reds under the bed -
- $300 million of aid - 95% to be paid back with interest
- 8000 Chinese students sent to USSR
- 20000 soviet experts sent to China
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- 38th parallel
- Syngman Rhee - South
- Kim Il-Sung - North
- USA called UN for ceasefire
- USSR boycotting UN - could not veto
- USA backed South
- USSR (sort of) helped North
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Agreed to armistice to end Korean War. Wanted to ease tensions between US-USSR until U2 Crisis
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- Policy of De-stalinisation, eager to move away from Stalin's brutal policies
- Initially tried to establish 'peaceful co-existence'
- Tensions with USA rising during reign
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- 1954 Geneva conference, Vietnam split along 17th parallel, Ho Chi Minh established Communist republic in north
- Domino Theory of Communism devised in 1950s in USA
- Eisenhower's New Look policy entailed spending increasing amounts of money, equipment, military + political efforts in South Vietnam effort, eventually over 16,000 advisors sent
- Vietcong established in 1960, Ho Chi Minh trail, guerrilla warfare against Diem's government
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- Just after West Germany allowed to rebuild military and join NATO, Khrushchev saw as act of western aggression
- 8 countries signed in Poland, presented as collective security organisation
- Allowed USSR more direct control over other countries' militaries behind the Iron Curtain
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Khrushchev delivers Secret Speech announcing policy of 'peaceful coexistence' and De-stalinisation
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- Rakosi replaced by more liberal Imre Nagy
- Hungarian students called for removal of Soviet troops from country, as well as to leave the Warsaw Pact
- 4th November, Soviet troops + tanks attacked, up to 200,000 Hungarian refugees fled
- Lack of USA involvement made revolutionaries feel betrayed, as established that USSR could do anything behind Iron Curtain
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- Due to fears of Missile Gap in Arms Race, USA sending spy planes over USSR
- Gary Powers' plane shot down, just before Paris Peace Summit
- Eisenhower initially tried to pass off as weather plane, later refused to apologise, hence Khrushchev stormed out of peace summit
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- Optimistic about superpower relations
- Keen to establish ties with European countries near Iron Curtain
- Brinkmanship
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- The plan was for a large group of Cuban exiles trained by the CIA (Brigade 2506) to take control of Cuba, and attack Castro, supported and funded by the government.
- Kennedy pulls out last minute
- The bay of pigs invasion goes terribly wrong, 200 killed and 1197 taken prisoner by Castro
- US had broken international law, wasted $5 million, and Kennedy seemed weak and incompetent.
- Pushed Castro's relationship with the USSR, posing a greater threat to the USA and an increase in tensions
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- Soviet troops lined up between West-East Berlin, whilst wall built
- Khrushchev decided to build it do prevent western spies from entering Soviet territory and to prevent skilled East-Berliners leaving
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- US has nuclear bases in IT and TR.
- Khv starts sending missiles/nuclear weapons to Cuba
- Kdy finds out, and blockades Cuba- 21st Oct.
- DEFCON 3
- Khv agrees to remove- 26th Oct.
- Submarine underwater discovered, that would've released a missile
- Khv only agrees to compromise on the condition that Kdy removes nuclear bases from IT and TR.- 27th Oct.
- Weapons removed from IT/TR secretly, publicly from CUB, leading to shame for Khv
- Leads to formation of Kremlin
- Closest to physical war.
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- Kennedy goes to give speech to 120,000 West-Berliners
- Spoke about evils of Communism and determination to protect freedom of Berlin
- 'Thaw' period of Cold War over
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Succeeded Kennedy after his assassination. Vice President from 1960. Tensions were high due to recent Cuban Missile Crisis and Space Race
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- Determined to keep Communist influence in Eastern Bloc
- Eventually declining tensions with USA due to relations with Richard Nixon, Detente
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Sino-Soviet Split; relations between Moscow and Beijing deteriorated and US took the chance to build relations with second largest communist power
Economic issues; both superpowers had spent billions of dollars on the Cold War
Nuclear Issues; Cuban missile crisis, other countries could develop missiles and the superpowers had to prevent the spread of such technology
Lessons of conflict; Neither side truly wanted the war, and the war in Vietnam proved that wars did not exist solely on the weapons -
- If any other country in the Warsaw Pact acted as Czechoslovakia had, they would face the same consequences.
- This worried China, and caused suspicion as it was undergoing a cultural revolution.
- At first, USA ended talks that would've improved relations, but it soon changed it's perspective of the Brezhnev Doctrine
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- Dubcek replaces Novotny as leader and introduces multiple reforms.
- E.g The removal of state controls on business, ending press censorship, freedom of speech etc.
- 'Socialism with a human face'
- These changes became known as Prague Spring
- Brezhnev needs to retain his control over Czechoslovakia, Warsaw Letter sent to Dubcek.
- Force is the used when Dubcek doesn't listen
- 100 killed, 500 wounded (protesters)
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- SALT 1- began in 1969, banning new ballistic missiles and reducing defence systems against ballistic missiles
- Nixon and Brezhnev as peacemakers
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Friendship with Leonid Brezhnev resulted in slow decrease in tensions between US-USSR, eventually ending up in detente. Friendship with China and subsequent historic visits also eased international relations. Forced to resign due to involvement in Watergate (due to corruption/ illegal activities came to light)
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- USA - Neil Armstrong
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First joint mission USSR and USA