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The Yalta Agreement
The US and Britain rejected revision od the Polish border.
Also, there was the inclusion of London Poles inside the Lublin Committee and call for free Polish elections to be held.
In this Agreement, Stalin signe the Declaration of Liberated Europe which pledged free elctions and democratic instituitions,
With this agreement, Poland's new borders with the USSR remained, free elections were NOT conucte in POland an only 2 London Poles were added into the Lublin Committee (tokenism) -
Kennan's Long Telegramme
Kennan"s analysis of Soviet foreign policy emphasized the role of communist ideology. He saw Societ leadership as suspicious and agressive; insecurities that stemmed from their view of the outside world as virulently anti-communist.it was a decisive factor in Truman's adminstration's change of course to a policy of firmness towards the USSR. -
Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech
Some of the things discussed in the Long Telegramme and private discussions within the officials are now aired to the public for the first time. This speech hardened the attitude of the American public on the Soviets.
Although Stalin called CHurchill a warmonger he did not have any concrete follow up actions. -
The Cliffor-Elsey Report
Reflects the US perception of the USSR which crystalised by this point in time. It acted as justification fro US perspective of the Soviets. -
Truman Doctrine
there was a misperception and misunderstanding between the two powers. America had misperception of USSR's involvement in Greece plus the accurate perception of Soviet agression towards Turkey led to the Truman DOctrine but the Soviets di not react. If tehy were to react, they would acknowledge that they were totalitarian.
But it laid the foundation for the formation of the Marshall Plan in june 1947 -
Marshall Plan
To restore economic stability and hence political stability.
The plan's Primary motive was political which was containment but the secondary motive was to create a captive European market for American goods which was a selfish aim.
This was perceived by the Soviets as American's attempt to create an economic empire in Europe.
this cemented the economic schism in europe an effectively divied europe into 2 economic blocs. -
The Molotov Plan
This was Soviet's reaction to the Marshall Plan.
this event highlights the initial willingness of the soviets to cooperate at this point in time as he sent a 100-man elegate to participate in the discussion of the plan.
but the American insistence of economic co-ordination meant that the soviets would have to give up exclusive control of their own economy which was unacceptable to the USSR -
The Berlin Blockade
the blockade came close to the first armed clash between the two sides an represented a point where the cold war might have turned hot.
it also increased the felling of military insecurity in northen, westen an southern europe.
and the blockade ended any hope of agreement between Eat and West over germany. germany was split into the 2 states
and this partition was a microcosm of the division in europe. -
NATO
NATO was not very important in startin the Cold War as it provoked no direct Soviet response and was not taken seriously as a military alliance until 1950