The Cold War, edexcel gcse

Franklin Roosevelt

Period: 1941 to Apr 12, 1945

Stalin

Period: 1941 to 1953

Churchill

Period: 1941 to Jul 26, 1945

The Tehran Confrence

Dec 1, 1943

First meeting- war was still ongoing but laid foundations of the grand alliance.
- US and UK agreed to open a second front by invading Nazi Europe
- USSR declare war on Japan when WW2 was over and Germany lost
- Poland's boundaries pushed towards USSR, losing land
- International body to be set up to settle future disputes so no more world wars happened - frame work for UN

• Stalin happy, Churchill not (different 2nd front), US want UK to end British empire
• US and USSR 2 real superpowers

The Yalta Conference

Feb 8, 1945

-Germany was to be reduced in size, divided, and demilitarised - with a small amount of reparations (once defeated)
- Europe would be rebuilt and borders re made
- Democratic Elections in Europe
- UN set up
- USSR still declare war on Japan
- Poland in 'Soviet sphere of influence' but still be an independent country with a broad democratic system

Harry Truman

Period: Apr 12, 1945 to 1953

The Potsdam Conference

Jul 25, 1945

• Council of Foreign Ministers set up to organise rebuilding of Europe
• Nazi Party banned and war criminals prosecuted
• Germany (and Berlin) to be divided up into four zones run by: France, USA, Uk, and Soviet Union
• USSR receive 25% output from other zones (compensation for no reparations)
• old mistrust returned, relationships worsen
• US and USSR threatened by one another

Atomic Bomb on Japan

Aug 6, 1945

USA dropped an atomic bomb on Japan, signifying their strength - no-one else had an atomic bomb

End of the Grand Alliance

Feb 12, 1946

• Didn't actually break down on one specific day, it was over time from 45-48
• US dropped atomic bombs on Japan, military advantage
• Roosevelt died 12 April 1945, replaced with Truman who, like Churchill, was suspicious of Stalin Stalin didn't like Truman and how he pushed him around
• Stalin wanted Europe to be a communist democracy, whereas the US wanted it to be a capitalist democracy
• Different views on Germanys punishments; reparations vs Germany rebuilt

The Long Telegram

Feb 22, 1946

From Us ambassador in Moscow to Truman
- USSR saw capitalism as a threat to communism and had to be destroyed
- Soviet Union was gaining military power
- peace between US and USSR not possible
- US thought best way to deal with USSr was containment; to stop communism spreading

Iron Curtain Speech

Mar 5, 1946

Iron Curtain speech by Winston Churchill indicated top the US that Europe was heavily divided into east and west. The west were free and the east was trapped by communism

The Novikov Telegram

Sep 27, 1946

From Soviet ambassador in USA, to Stalin
- US wants world domination, building military
- USSR only country that could stand up to US after the war
- US preparing for war with USSR
- Made Stalin believe they needed as much protection in Eastern Europe as possible

Bulgaria becomes communist

Oct 1, 1946

elected communist government, after the royals throne off the throne, all elected non-communists executed

Truman Doctrine

Mar 12, 1947

Fears:
- USSR was too weak to invade anymore Europe countries
- Europe in terrible state, many might be attracted to Communism, Stalin may try and convince them to turn communist
- if Turkey and Greece turn communist, everyone would Doctrine:
- Communism must be contained
- people must choose between capitalism or democracy
- Communism bad no freedom
- US provide money + troops to help governments (Turkey and Greece) combat communist takeovers ($400 mill)
- marked start of US direct involvement

Marshall Plan

Apr 3, 1947

Announced 1947, put in place 1948
Plan:
- $13 bill from Us to help rebuild west Europe, and stop spread of communism
- must trade with US to get money
- 16 countries took money Reaction:
- Stalin furious, saw it as an attack and it threatened communism in eastern Europe
- led to Com-inform and Comecon

Cominform

Sep 22, 1947

Communist Information Bureau
- made of satellite states
- made sure they followed orders from Moscow
- encouraged trade with on-another
- encouraged avoiding non- communist countries, and western communists to block Marshall plan assistance
along with comecon, reason for increased tension and NATO

Satellite States created

1948

• Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, easy Germany all communist satellite states
• US saw this as a betrayal to the Yalta agreement
• Some saw it as Soviet expansion: eastern Europe was a way to take over west Europe
• Us determined to stop spread of communism; Truman doctrine and Marshall aid
• USSR said needed to control east Europe as a buffer zone, protecting attack from west. US response unreasonable and unnecessary

Berlin Blockade

Jun 24, 1948

• Soviet Union had 1.5 million troops in zone, most western troops sent home
• East grew all food west ate
• Berlin deep in soviet Germany
• USSR closed all road rail and canal links into West Berlin to force troops to leave, and turn it communist
• Blocked all supplies into Berlin to show they had the power to stop Germany working
• had to give in due to Berlin airlift

Consequences:
- made USSR look aggressive and threatening
- October 1949, East Germany official
- May 1955 Warsaw Pact

Berlin Airlift

Jun 26, 1948

• West Berlin could not last long with no supplies (look weak and undermine US image)
• US reacted by flying in food, coal and other necessities
• built new runway and new airport for supplies
• from June 48 to September 49

Consequence;
- made us appear peaceful and generous
- September 1949 west Germany official
- Nato formed to counter USSR military threat
- cost US $350 mill

West Berlin

Aug 1, 1948

• US UK France wanted to rebuild Germany, whereas USSR wanted to keep it weak
• Western allies combined zones to make Trizonia, shared currency, began to improve
• Germany and Berlin split in two
• Stalin felt ganged up on it was being built to make communism look bad, and thought it went against Potsdam conference
• Stalin aimed to permanently divide rich and poor east and west Germany

Comecon

Jan 25, 1949

Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
- Stop countries being tempted by Marshall Plan
- Trade links between comecon countries built
- All communist countries had to support each other and joint industrial planning was put into action to increase production along with Cominform worsened tension and led to NATO. Fully divided Europe

NATO

Apr 4, 1949

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
- military alliance, with collective principle of security
- if one country attacked, other have to assist
- ongoing military US presence in Europe Consequence:
- US and Western Europe were not prepared to accept future soviet aggression
- USSR strengthened control on eastern Europe - Warsaw pact
- Stronger Iron Curtain

USA H-bomb

Nov 1, 1952

Dwight Eisenhower

Period: 1953 to 1961

Khrushchev

Period: 1953 to 1964

USSR H-bomb

Aug 12, 1953

Warsaw Pact

May 14, 1955

Collective defence treaty with communist places
- two opposing alliance in Europe separated by iron curtain
- planned for military action against each other, including nuclear and conventional weapons
- gave USSR direct control over armed forces of satellite state, strengthening grip on Easter Europe

Soviets control Hungary

Oct 1, 1956

Stalin:
- Hungary suffered under rule, food and industrial shipped to Russia, opposition wiped out, Rakosi brutal leader 'Stalin's best pupil', communism unpopular Khrushchev:
- hinted soviet control would relax (no longer dictatorship, one party state, soviets withdrawn from Austria, no communism? wrong
- October Hungarians demonstrating against communism, Stalin statues pulled down
- Nagy, more liberal PM appointed; wanted to leave Warsaw pact + neutral country, free election, UN protection

Hungary Invasion

Nov 4, 1956

Event:
- Khrushchev hated Nagy's reforms, if Hungary left other countries follow
- Nagy's actions threatened communist rule
- attack on communists+security forces Oct Budapest+other places
- 200k troops went to Hungary, depose Nagy+ restore order Consequence:
- 5k Hungarian 1k soviets killed, Nagy (arrested+ executed) prevent other rebellions
- Kadar appointed, 15 point program re-establish communist rule. Had better living standards than other communist countries
- US didn't help, they gave up

Reaction to Hungary

Dec 1, 1956

Reaction to Hungary Invasion
- UN condemned USSR actions
- some countries olympics in protest
- US supported uprising- money, medical aid and words. accepted 80k refugees. (couldn't send troops, risk nuclear war)
- Hungary was on their own, so gave in
- satellite states saw the US wouldn't help against soviet union, soviet control retightened

Berlin Divided

Nov 10, 1958

• Some in East did not like communist government
• West had better higher paying jobs
• Easy to go to West Germany from West Berlin
• 1949-61, 2.7 mill east germans crossed into west Germany via west Berlin
• shortage of professionals with high skill level in easy Germany, while the west benefitted from influx
• bad for soviets; people preferred the west
• Khrushchev's ultimatum: all Berlin belonged to East, troops must leave in 6 months. If by force = a loosing war. lead to summit meetings

Cuban Revolution

Jan 1, 1959

• Before end of revolution Cuba + US were closely linked US-owned business in Cuba
• After socialist revolution, US refused to deal with new government, so Cuba built stronger links with USSR (cuban sugar - Soviet oil) US + Cuban relation worse
• USA refused to recognise Castro's government, didn't want socialist country with links to USSR in sphere of influence
• CIA tried to assassinate Castro not a success
• CIA convinced Kennedy that they should invade Cuba + overthrow Castro (bay of pigs)

Summit Meeting: Geneva

May 11, 1959

• foreign representatives only
• no solution / agreement
• next meeting organised in USA

Summit Meeting: Camp David

Sep 25, 1959

• Eisenhower and Khrushchev first meeting
• no agreement / solution
• next meeting organised to be in Paris

Summit Meeting: Paris

May 16, 1960

• during meeting Soviet Union shot down a US spy plane over Russia
• Khrushchev stormed out and Eisenhower refused to apologise

John Kennedy

Period: 1961 to 1963

Bay of Pigs

Apr 17, 1961

Plan:
- invasion look like revolt, trained exiles + disguised planes
- Casto's control is weak, most hate him Events:
- Planes recognised to be US
- Castro knew of invasion in advance
- 1.4k US met 20k Casto's troops
- Us- backed troops surrendered
- Most Cuban's didn't want old leader, he was corrupt Consequences:
- Ended all chances of friendly US-Cuba relations
- Castro announced he was communist
- Cuba + USSR closer, including military defence for Cuba
- led to Cuban Missile Crisis

Summit Meeting: Vienna

Jun 4, 1961

• Khrushchev thought he could push around weak inexperienced Kennedy
• Neither backed downs
• Reissued ultimatum to move troops out of Berlin
• Kennedy didn't want to look weak, relations weakened
• After meeting, Kennedy spent $2 bill on military, ready to fight for Berlin if necessary

Building of the Berlin Wall

Aug 12, 1961

• summit meetings failed to resolve problem, Kennedy started to prepare for war
• Khrushchev needed to solve problem with no war
• built Berlin wall, prevent east Berliners going to west Berlin. East Berliners going west were shot
• troops erected a barbed wire fence around west Berlin, became a heavily guarded wall
• soviet tanks deployed to stop western access to East
• over 200 east Germans shot trying to cross the wall 61-89

Impact of the Berlin Wall

Aug 12, 1961

• Western troops remained in Berlin
• solved refugee problem
• number of military alerts decreased
• better than war, suggested soviet no longer wanted to unify Berlin
• humiliation for USSR, suggested East Germans preferred living in the West
• West Berlin became a symbol of freedom
• Khrushchev thought Kennedy was weak for wall being built, allowed him to think about deploying missiles in Cuba

Limited Test ban Treaty

Aug 1, 1962

USSR and US agreed to ban all nuclear weapon testing, except for underground tests

Cuban Missile Crisis

Oct 16, 1962

• US had missiles close to USSR, not other way round
• Cuba saw missiles in country would prevent US invading
• Soviet ships carried nuclear missiles to Cuba
• US spy planes photoed missile sites
• US public learnt in range of missile
• Kennedy orders blockade of Cuba
• 1 soviet oil tanker allowed through
• US + USSR prep for nuclear attack, Cuba prep for invasion
• Khrushchev offers remove missiles if US does same in Italy+Turkey, +never attack Cuba
• Kennedy agrees get to remove his secretly

Consequences of Cuban Missile Crisis

Oct 22, 1962

Short:
- communist Cuba survived, and USA would never invade again
- USSR looks weak, unknown USA removed missiles
- Khrushchev undermined + replaced
- 'doves' came out well, avoided war Long:
- US initiated detente
- hot line agreement, direct line from Moscow - Washington
- limited test ban treaty 1963, ban overground nuclear weapon testing
- 1963 Kennedy speech, look for common interests with USSR
- USSR caught up in arms race 1965, war must be avoided all costs
- outer space treaty 1968

Lydon Johnson

Period: 1963 to 1969

Kennedy in Berlin

Jun 26, 1963

"ich bin ein Berliner" (i am a Berliner)
- expression of solidarity with west Berlin
- demonstrated that US and NATO prepared to defend west Berlin from communism
- showed that he was not 'soft on communism'

Brezhnev

Period: 1964 to 1982

Outer Space Treaty

Jan 27, 1967

banned deployment of nuclear weapons in space

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Jul 1, 1967

agreement to not share USA and USSR nuclear technology with other countries

Prague Spring

Apr 3, 1968

Prague Spring period of increased freedom
- Czechoslovakia hate communism, bad living standards, opposition crushed
- Dubček wanted communism to be better'socialism with human face'
- relax censorship more freedom less secret police
- Other parties in parliament+more power, less to soviet
- economy reformed some capitalist elements
- Most in communist party happy
- thought to be collapse of communism in country
- Brezhnev concerned, lead to demands for reform elsewhere threatened communist rule

Brezhnev Doctrine

Aug 21, 1968

Invasion:
- Brezhnev didn't allow reforms could break Warsaw pact
- Didn't convince Dubček to stop reforms
- USSR sent tanks to Prague, Dubček arrested
- Czechoslovakia back to strict Soviet control Consequences:
- USSR had right to invade any East bloc country that was threatening the security of East bloc
- US hate invasion, did nada; fear war
- West Europe communists horrified, independent from USSR
- Yugoslavia+Romania backed off USSR, weakening grip
- Poland+Hungary stayed Soviet communist

Richard Nixon

Period: 1969 to 1974

SALT 1

May 26, 1972

Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
- no further production of ballistic missiles (short-range)
- no increase of intercontinental missiles (new replace old)
- no new nuclear missile launchers
- new submarines that could launch nuclear weapons only allowed if replacing old
- anti-ballistic missile treaty limited both sides to 2 ABM areas

• slowed arms race
• led to further negotiations
• ensured both sides had decisive advantage
• didn't cover intermediate nuclear weapons, both side still deployed

Gerald Ford

Period: 1974 to 1977

Helsinki Conference

Aug 1, 1975

• agreements signed by all European countries (- Albania+Andorra) +USSR, USA, Canada
• agreed on security issues, cooperation, human rights, boarders
• US oil from USSR, USSR wheat from US
• Disputes peacefully settled through UN
• sharing scientific knowledge
• helped stable US+USSR relationship
• high point of detente
• led to joint space missions
• USSR focus on Eastern bloc, treated protesters harshly ignoring human rights
• US prioritised interest in countries it could influence Chile etc

Jimmy Carter

Period: 1977 to 1981

SALT 2

Jun 18, 1979

Agreement:
- under negotiation from 1972
- Both limited to 2250 war heads
- sea/land missiles: USSR 2,360, US 1,710
- limits on new launch systems
- war heads + missiles, bombers Failure:
-West German politicians opposed treat, weakened defence. US less likely to use weapons if USSR attacked
- US politicians thought too many concessions to USSR
- Relations soured until invasion of Afghanistan
- never officially approved by US, never official US policy

USSR invades Afghanistan

Dec 24, 1979

• USSR saw the country as being in the zone of influence, must be communist and Soviet-backed
• President Taraki assassinated October
• Amin new president, threatened USSR influence
• USSR invaded, killed Amin + supporters
• Kamal made president, USSR troops remained in country

USA reaction:
- Brezhnev thought US wouldn't care
- US worried USSR get more control in middle east
- US got oil from Middle east, it was essential . Iran could block the oil due to invasion

End of SALT 2

1980

• US began to build up on conventional and nuclear weapons
• developed cruise + Pershing missiles for Europe
• Soviets developed medium range missile
• arms race sped up again

Carter Doctrine

Jan 23, 1980

• threatened to use for if USSR tried to control of Persian Gulf
• US stop trade with USSR
• US, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia secretly helped Afghan rebels
• US ceased cooperation with USSR, confront instead

Moscow Olympics

Aug 1, 1980

USA boycotted

Ronald Reagan

Period: 1981 to 1989

hard-line attitude
anti-communist
elected as a result of Afghanistan invasion

Reagan's Evil Empire Speech

Mar 8, 1983

• publicly described the USSR to be an evil empire, communism is evil
• this kick started the arms race again
• ended detente officially
• US developing technology, computing
• US put money into new missile technology

USSR:
- economy bad, spent too much on weapons
- living standards low across Eastern bloc
- busy in Afghanistan
- did not have comping expertise
- USSR could not keep up with US's new technology and missiles

Strategic Defence Initiative

Mar 23, 1983

• satellites, lasers, mirror sin space to destroy soviet missiles before they reached US
• damaged relation badly, broke outer space treaty and gave US advantage in arms race

'Second Cold War'

1984

1979-1984
USA:
- recovered after failed Vietnam war
- developing tech
- determined to stop communism
- prepared to fund anti-communist forced USSR:
- decline, poor living standards
- bad leader ship, 3 leaders in 1 year
- bad tech, no money
- struggling with anti-communist movements in Europe Relations:
- bad: olympics, Reagan, no SALT 2
- USA's SDI, USSR couldn't keep up
- KAL007 shoot down, lowest point

LA Olympics

Aug 1, 1984

USSR boycotted

Gorbachev

Period: 1985 to 1991

• recognised falling economy
• USSR was unhappy with government
• started doing things a new way
• more freedom of speech
• positive foreign relations
• wanted out of Afghanistan
• slow to allow democratic elections
• tried to cover up scale of Chernobyl
• didn't want capitalism, stronger socialism
• never planned to end USSR

Geneva Meeting

Nov 19, 1985

• Gorbachev + Reagan met, got along, more meetings planned
• Public was against arms race
• Gorbachev popular everywhere
• both prepared to with together to improve relations
• represented easing of tension
• led to better cooperation
• led to INF treaty + START 1

Reykjavik Meeting

Oct 11, 1986

• work to cut down number of nuclear weapons
• Gorbachev wanted Reagan to end SDI, but not agreed

INF Treaty

Dec 8, 1987

• continued Reykjavik meeting, agreed on INF treaty, signed in Washington
• Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces; got rid of all 500-5500 km range nuclear missiles
• INF mostly applied to Europe

End of Brezhnev Doctrine

Dec 1, 1988

Gorbachev ended it because:
- Make Eastern block better
- communist government planning little reform
- reform end unrest in Poland where trade union Solidarity and Catholic Church challenged government
- USSR improve trade relations to rebuild economy, only happen if repression reduced
- cost of troops and military crippling in USSr, no longer afford Warsaw Pact

George Bush

Period: 1989 to 1991

Fall of Berlin Wall

Nov 9, 1989

The Fall:
- East Germany, lots of protests, no word of help from Gorbachev
- Honecker resigned, replaced with moderate Krenz
- Could travel to West Germany via Hungary + Czechoslovakia
- allowed to travel to west
- wall came down Consequences:
- German reunification, one country, 1990
- USSR withdrew from East Germany
- UK, US, France remained West
- End of Warsaw Pact
- withdrawal of USSR troops Eastern Europe
- NATO included former Warsaw pact countries
- led to CFE agreement
- led to START

Conventional Forces in Europe Agreement

Nov 9, 1990

CFE
limits on non-nuclear forces deployed in Europe

End of Warsaw Pact

Jul 1, 1991

Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty

Jul 31, 1991

START
US and USSR reduce nuclear warheads by about 1/3, additional undertaking to reduce further

End of Soviet Union

Dec 25, 1991

• new policies didn't work, economy worse than before
• republics demanded independence 1990-1
• army officers felt Gorbachev betrayed communism
• august failed military takeover of Gorbachev
• Gorbachev tried to stop the end by issuing new constitution, give soviet republics more independence
• same day as dissolution of USSr, he resigned
• less influence on other countries, Warsaw pact ended July 1991