WHO WAS TO BLAME FOR THE COLD WAR??

ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR:

- No known reason as to why it started. Over the years, there have been three ju
stifications for it:
1. The USSR started it, due to Stalin's desire to dominate the world under Commu
nism. His takeover of Eastern Europe was seen to be the first step towards this.
2. The USA started it, due to its want to control and influence her 'sphere of i
nfluence' without the intervention of another nation. She wouldn't allow the USS
R to do the same for her sphere of influence, therefore any action taken by the
USSR is seen to be defensive.
3. Neither the USSR nor the USA started it. This is because the Cold War can be
seen as an inevitable war that was beyond control for both of them.
1945 SUMMIT CONFERENCES:
YALTA CONFERENCE (February 1945)
- Allied leaders met in Yalta (Ukraine) with the intention of discussing Germany
's future, as war was soon to end.
- Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill were present, they agreed on the following:
1. Stalin would enter the USSR into the war against Japan.
2. Germany was to be divided in 4 zones, controlled by America, France, Britain
and the USSR. Berlin would also be divided into four zones.
3. Individuals who were responsible for the concentration camps and the ill trea
tment of minorities were to be punished.
4. The creation of the United Nations (UN) which took over from the League of Na
tions to preserve peace. All of them should join.
-However, they disagreed on what should happen to Poland.
STALIN: wanted to move the borders of the USSR westwards into Poland.
CHURCHILL: Disagreed, but couldn't do much as the Red Army controlled both Polan
d and East Germany.
ROOSEVELT: Like Churchill, he felt the same way about the idea. However, Churchi
ll managed to persuade him into accepting it.
POTSDAM CONFERENCE (July-August 1945)
- After Germany surrendered in WW2 and Hitler had committed suicide.
- The allied powers met again, but in Potsdam (Germany).
- Halfway through the meeting Churchill was replaced by Clement Atlee.
- The relationships between the allies were affected given the following reasons
:
1. Stalin's armies were occupying most Eastern Europe, by July 1945, the USSR wa
s controlling Poland, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and th
e Baltic states.
2. President Theodore Roosevelt had died and Vice-President Harry Truman took ov
er, he was seen as an aggressive leader.
3. An atomic bomb was tested in the desert of the USA (made other countries susp
icious and afraid).
The following disagreements occurred between the allies:
1. Stalin wanted to cripple Germany so she'd be protected from future threats, h
owever Truman ruled this out as he didn't want a repeat of the ToV.
2. Stalin wanted Germany to compensate for the 20 million Russians who died. Tru
man quickly ruled this out too.
3. Stalin received the green light from the past representatives to set up gove
rnments in Eastern Europe, but Truman disliked this idea and 'got tough' with St
alin.

STALIN'S TAKEOVER OF EASTERN EUROPE.

- occurred in three phases
1: Poland 2: Romania & Bulgaria 3: Hungary & Czechoslovakia.
POLAND 1945
Stalin promised to set up a joint Communist/non-Communist government (London Pol
es mixed with Lublin Poles) at Yalta, but when he invited 16 non-Communist leade
rs to Moscow and immediately arrested them. Thousands of non-Communists were arr
ested, subsequently the Communists won the 1947 elections.
BULGARIA & ROMANIA 1946
In the 1945 elections, a Communist-led coalition was elected, but the Communists
executed the non-Communists. In 1946, the Bulgarian and Romanian (but in 1947 h
ere) monarchy were abolished.
HUNGARY 1947
Non-Communists won the 1945 elections with Zoltan Tildy as president. Communist
leader Rakosi took control of the secret police (AVO) and executed and arrested
opponents. Tildy was forced to segin and Cardinal Mindzenty (head of Catholic Ch
urch) was imprisoned. By 1948 Rakosi had complete control of Hungary.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA 1948
A coalition government was set up and led by non-Communist Benes. However, Commu
nist Leader Gottwald made sure that the radio, army and police were controlled b
y the Communists. Gottwald became prime minister and set up a secret police forc
e. Non-Communists were arrested. In 1948, Communist workers went on strike, nonCommunist minister Masaryk committed suicide and Gottwald took over the governme
nt.
AMERICA REACTS:
- After 1945, the USA had obviously forgotten about isolationism. Eventually, th
e USA set up its own sphere of influence.
- After the soviet takeover America reacted with the...
TRUMAN DOCTRINE (1947) & MARSHALL PLAN (1948)
- The Truman Doctrine stated that the USA would help any country in the fight ag
ainst Communism.
- This was sparked due to the crisis in Greece in 1947 (Britain couldn't afford
to pay for troops in Greece and Turkey to help them with the war against Communi
sm)
-Marshall Plan meant that aid was given to European countries to get their econo
mies running again.
- It was introduced in March 1948 after Czechoslovakia became Communist.
- It was sent to Congress by General George Marshall and Truman in June 1947 (af
ter Marshall saw the destruction in Europe). The Congress had said no at first.
- Aid was given int he form of food, grants to buy equipment, improvements to tr
ansport systems and everything "from medicine to mules."
BERLIN BLOCKADE & AIRLIFT (1948-1949)
-In 1948 Stalin planned to starve the people of West Berlin, however this failed
.
- Stalin closed off all roads and railway systems that led into West Berlin.
- To get to West Berlin, one would have to pass through East Germany (ran by the
USSR).
-The USA didn't know how to respond as she either could let Stalin have his way
and leave 2 million people to starve or use force by sending troops and tanks to
blast the blockade (possibly resulting in a full scale war).
- So the USA decided to supply the people of West Berlin through airlifts.
- This plan succeeded. In May 1949, the USSR stopped the blockade.
- During the blockade over 200,000 airlifts occurred (testifying how much the US

A wanted to fight off and contain Communism).

CREATION OF NATO (APRIL 1949) & THE SUBSEQUENT CREATION OF THE WARSAW PACT (1955
)
- NATO is an alliance between the Western powers, created in April 1949.
- NATO= North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
- Dominant country is the USA, every single commander of NATO is American.
- Alliance provided troops on ground for its members.
- As a result of Nato, the Soviets created their own version (Warsaw Pact).