-
UK involved in WW2
led by Churchill -
The Grand Alliance is created
-purpose: defeating Nazi Germany and the other Axis Powers (e.g Japan)
-an alliance of convenience between the UK, USA, and USSR -
USSR involved in WW2
led by Stalin -
Japan bombed Pearl Harbour
-
US involved in WW2
led by Roosevelt -
Period: to
Tehran Conference
-first meeting of the allies
-USA + UK would invade Europe from the west through Nazi-occupied France (using UK as a base), opening up a second front there by May 1944 (harder to fight 2 wars at once)
-USSR would invade Germany from the East
-USSR would join the war against Japan once Germany was defeated
-USA and UK agreed Polish borders would move west (German land to Poland and Polish land to USSR)
-idea of an international body to settle disputes (foundations of NATO) -
Period: to
Yalta Conference
-Declaration of Liberated Europe: aid for those liberated from Nazi control.
-Germany would have some sort of reparations (Stalin wanted $20bn monetary)
-Germany demilitarised
-Nazi war criminals tried in court
-US + UK wanted democratic elections in East Europe, Poland remained in Soviet Sphere of Influence
-USSR would declare war on Japan once Germany was defeated
-Germany would be split into four (UK, USA, USSR, France)
-Creation of UN agreed on -
Roosevelt's death
replaced with Truman -
Germany surrenders
-
USA tests atomic bomb
-this gave the USA a huge military advantage
-it angered Stalin as he felt he should have been consulted -
Period: to
Potsdam Conference
-banned the Nazi party in Germany
-Nuremberg trials would try war criminals
-created Council of Foreign Ministers
-Germany divided into 4 zones of occupation + USSR would recieve 1/4 of the output of the other zones (compensation for no reparations)
-USA wanted democratic elections in East Europe (a pro-communisty party had been installed in Poland) -
Clement Atlee replaces Churchill as PM
-
USA dropped atomic bomb on Hiroshima
-
USA dropped atomic bomb on Nagasaki
-contributed to Japan's surrender + the end of WW2 -
Japan defeated (VJ day)
-
First session of the Council of Foreign Ministers
-aimed to help Europe's recovery and settle peace treaties with Nazi allies (e.g. Italy, Bulgaria, Finland) -
United Nations established
-
The Long Telegram
Sent by US Ambassador to the Soviet Union, George Kennan, to Washington.
-Argued the USSR was a threat to capitalism that should be destroyed.
-Suggested USSR was building its naval, military, and nuclear power.
-Said peace between USA + USSR was impossible -
Iron Curtain Speech
-Given by Winston Churchill in Fulton, Missouri (USA)An iron curtain has descended across the continent of Europe
-Described USSR's behaviour in Eastern Europe -
US Secretary of State James Byrnes: 'the US has formally announced its intention to unify the economy of its zone with all other zones'
-
Novikov telegram
Sent by Soviet Ambassador to USA, Nikolai Novikov, to Stalin
-Said USA aimed to be the greatest power in the world
-Said USA was preparing to go to war
-Said USSR was the only nation that could stop USA becoming the most dominant military + economic power in the world -
Cominform (Communist Information Bureau)
-tried to encourage communist uprising in Europe
-hoped to destroy communist opposition in satellite states -
Formation of Bizonia
-US + UK's zones of Germany joined -
Truman Doctrine
-at this point Poland, Romania + Bulgaria were under USSR control: USA was scared of the domino effectI believe it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures. I believe we must assist free peoples to work out their own desitinies in their own way
-committed to giving political, military + financial aid
-introduced Containment policy
-reduced communisms appeal to countries devastated postwar -
Trizonia formed
-France joined
-Trizonia began to recieve Marshall aid (recieving $1.45bn)
-Stalin thought this broke Yalta + Potsdam agreements. -
The Marshall Plan
-Provided economic assistance to the Truman Doctrine
-$12.7bn to Europe
-meant to help rebuilding + encourage trade with the US
-Stalin prevented any USSR supported communist nations from accepting the aid -
Deutschmark introduced in Bizonia
Deutschmark:Rentenmark
1:1 for business
1:15 for savers -
The Berlin Blockade
-USSR shut down all transport links into West Berlin (isolating it from Trizonia so no supplies reached it)
-Western powers didn't want to appear weak but attacking/breaking USSR military blockades of roads + railway lines could trigger war -
Period: to
The Berlin Airlift
-peaceful show of strength + solution to regaining some control
-supplies were flown into West Berlin
-Tegel airport built to improve efficiency (1 plane every 30s)
-gave USSR a negative image -
Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance)
-an answer to the Marshall Plan
-gave financial aid, encouraging trade with the USSR
-any nation that joined had to refuse Marshall aid
-included satellite states Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania + East Germany -
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)
-united the USA, France + UK under a military alliance with the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark + Canada
-collective security: if one is attacked, the others fight on its behalf -
Federal Republic of Germany created
(West) -
USSR develops atomic bomb
*4 years after USA -
German Democratic Republic formed
(East)
-another satellite state -
USA builds Hydrogen bomb
1000x more destructive -
Period: to
'brain drain'
-3.5 million East Germans migrated to West Germany
-Soviet propaganda defeat
-skilled workers leaving meant output, productivity, and wealth suffered -
USSR build Hydrogen bomb
*1 year after USA -
Stalin dies
-replaced by Nikita Khrushchev -
Period: to
Hungary led by Matyas Rakosi
-
The Federal Republic of Germany joined NATO
-
Warsaw Pact
-a response to NATO
-alliance between the USSR + its Eastern European satellite states -
Secret Speech
-given by Khrushchev
-introduced the liberal idea of destalinization -
Hungarians pulled down Stalin's statue
-protests on the streets
-there had been food shortages and bad harvests -
Imre Nagy became Hungarian PM
-communist
-more liberal than Rakosi, and more liberal than anticipated
-planned to end 1-party rule
-wanted an impartial legal system
-wanted to give farmers private ownership of land
-wanted the Soviet army to withdraw from Hungary -
Nagy announces Hungary leaving the Warsaw Pact
-
USSR invaded Hungary
-there was a vocal condemnation of this by the USA, but no actual action, as they didn't want to risk war -
USSR tests Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)
-could be fired 5500km -
Nagy executed
-Soviet Politburo appointed Janos Kadar in his place
-15 point programme adopted to reverse Nagy's reforms, tightening communist control -
The Berlin Ultimatum
-memorandum issued by Khrushchev
-claimed Berlin should be absorbed into East Germany
-said all USA, UK + French troops should leave Berlin in 6 months (they didn't)
-led to a series of summit meetings -
USA develops ICBM
*1 year after USSR -
Fidel Castro's socialist revolution overthrew General Batista
-ended cooperation with USA
-Cuba began trade with USSR (oil, fuel etc) -
Geneva summit
-
Camp David summit
-led by Eisenhower and Khrushchev -
Paris summit
-undermined by U2 Spy Plane crisis: USSR had shot down a USA spy plane in Russian airspace -
Vienna summit
-between Khrushchev and Kennedy
-failed to resolve the issues between the USA and USSR -
Bay of Pigs
America invaded Cuba
-CIA informed Kennedy itd appear as a Cuban revolt
-CIA funded Cuban exiles: Brigade 2506, giving them US plans, the invasion launched from Guatemala
-1400 US paramilitaries met by 20000 Cuban army + surrendered
-Castro had been warned
-US planes had been used
-1202 of Brigade 2506 were captured and ransomed for $28mil worth of tractors -
Building of the Berlin Wall begins
-an effort to solve the refugee crisis, keeping people in the East
-initially a fence rimmed with razor wire, developed into a heavy concrete border
-USSR propaganda defeat: showed they couldn't control their citizens
-a more peacful solution than in Hungary
-initially, foreigners could travel across 'Checkpoint Charlie' -
Stand off between Soviet army tanks and Americans crossing to the East
-
agreement+consequences
-the prisoners were exchanged for $53mil worth of food + medicine
-any possibility of good US-Cuban relations was destroyed by the Bay of Pigs
-Castro's socialist rule was cemented
-it wasn't a good look for the USA to have funded a failed invasion and try to deny involvement -
USSR missile sites discovered on Cuba
Cuba had allowed their placement as a deterrent for further USA attacks
-this caused US media panic -
'quarantine zone' on Cuba
-Kennedy placed a blockade to prevent USSR ships reaching Cuba
-USSR initially said they wouldn't respect it and any action towards their ships could provoke nuclear war. -
Kennedy speaks to media about Cuba
-hawks wanted aggressive action against Cuba e.g. Dean Acheson
-doves considered MAD so didn't think it worth the risk
(led by US defense secretary Robert McNamara -
Compromise on Cuba
Khrushchev and Kennedy agreed the USSR wouldn't place missiles on Cuba if the USA removed its warheads/ICBMs from European army bases (Italy, Turkey etc), so neither had missiles in range of the other's teritory
-USA saved some face as they removed the missiles without informing the public -
Khrushchev televised appearance
-states his agreement not to send missiles to Cuba
-Soviet ships never crossed the blockade
-weaker appearance
-war was avoided -
Kennedy: 'Ich bin ein Berliner'
-showed solidarity -
Limited Test Ban Treaty
-nuclear weapons could no longer be tested above ground -
Hotline created between White House and Kremlin
-neither side wanted war and this meant leaders could communicate immediately in a crisis
-consequence of CMC1962 -
Khrushchev removed as leader
-
USA and USSR had equal numbers of nuclear missiles
-
Outer Space Treaty
-agreed not to use nuclear weapons in outer space (blocks loophole of not being on the ground in LTBT) -
Brezhnev doctrine
-installed the idea the USSR would use Warsaw pact troops to retain power
-if communism was threatened/reforms were introduced in the sphere of influence invasion was expected
-condemned by USA + UK, but they did not want war
-opposed by Yugoslavia, Romania, China, Albania, France + Italy -
Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty
-stopped the USA and USSR from sharing nuclear missiles with other nations
(believed Israel got some in 1967) -
Dubcek became leader of Czechoslovakia (Prague Spring)
-living standards has fallen under USSR rule- opposition to communism
-communism with a human face
-reforms to improve living standards
-increased political freedom
-relaxed censorship
-reduced power to the secret police
-market socialism
-this threatened USSR as it could lead to reforms elsewhere in the sphere of influence -
Warsaw Pact troops sent to Czechoslovakia
-Brezhnev wanted the reforms removed, Dubcek refused
-Dubcek was arrested, he urged Czech troops not to violently resist
-It became a strict-run satelite state under Gustav Husak
-normalisation removed the reforms
-Dubcek was returned to Czech government with less power -
SALT 1 (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty)
-capped missile kinds USA +USSR could have
-no new ICBMS (replacements allowed)
-no new nuclear launch sites
-no new nuclear submarines (replacements allowed)
-maximum of 2 Anti-Ballistic Missile deployment areas
each (keep MAD mutual)
-positive collaboration
-paused arms race
Agreed between Nixon and Brezhnev.
Successful enough to prompt SALT 2 -
Vladivostock summit
laid the grounds for SALT 2 -
Brezhnev visited Cuba
-Cuba began to ask USSR for military defence support
-USA was trying to regain ties, but also wouldn't recognise Castro's government and the CIA unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate him -
Helsinki Accords
-signed by 35 countries
-focused on international borders, security + human rights
Basket 1: current European borders were inviolable
Basket 2: USA + USSR agreed to trade, economic dependence reducing chance of war. Promoted trade + tech links across the Iron curtain
Basket 3: to respect human rights- free movement + speech -
Helsinki consequences
-the UN would be used as a peace mediator rather than military support
-student exchange trips: co-operation + sharing of knowledge
-East + West Germany would be permanently split
-not an official treaty
-Brezhnev doctrine still in place, USA still interfered elsewhere. -
Pro-Soviet soldiers overthrew the Afghani government, setting up a communist state
-this began a civil war
-reforms were met with violent reaction
-20 years friendship treaty signed with the USSR -
Period: to
Nur Muhammad Taraki president of Afgghanistan
-
USSR invaded Afghanistan
-
Period: to
Afghan war cost the USSR 18bn rubles
-led to economic struggles -
SALT 2
-signed by Brezhnev + Carter
-agreed USA + USSR would stop developing new missile programs
-each could own only 1320 long-range/ballistic missiles
-destroyed by the Afghanistan war (never ratified by the Senate + House of Representative because of it- didn't become US law) -
Taraki's death
-Hafizullah Amin became president of Afghanistan -
Amin's death
I guessed it, it's all true
-died in a Soviet attack on the royal palace in an invasion
-Babrak Karmal was chosen as the new president -
USA boycotted the Moscow Olympic games
-
The Carter Doctrine
-all relations with the Soviet Union were broken off
-trade agreements made at Helsinki stopped
-USA supported economic sanctions against the USSR
-committed to using force in Iran + Afghanistan if needed -
Reagan became US president
-harsh views towards communism and socialism
-funded the Mujahidin against the USSR in Afghanistan
-invested in Perishing missiles
-commissioned the Star Wars nuclear defence system -
USSR boycotted the Los Angeles Olympic games
-
Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union
-the economy was struggling
-satellite states only remained in the Warsaw pact for fear of miliary repression -
Dubcek died aged 70