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The Polish Issue
Stalin was led to believe that the allies understood his need for security and allowed the USSR to expand its sphere of influence due to the 1943 Tehran Conference and the 1944 Percentages Agreement. Hence, Stalin disregarded the 1945 Yalta Agreement.
Roosevelt - His tacit agreement in 1943 and 1944 made Stalin think that he was given leeway to build his sphere of influence in Eastern Europe
Stalin - He signed the Declaration of Liberated Europe without the intent to abide by it. -
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Sovietisation
USSR was reponsible for the Cold War.
In Feb 1947 Bulgaria, Petkov leader of the Agrarian Peasant Party was tried and hanged for plotting a coup.
In March 1947 Romania, Iliu Maniu leader of the National Peasant Party was imprisioned for life for working with Anglo-American intentions.
The sovietisation of Romania and Bulgaria led to Truman concluding in Jan 1946 that they should not compromise any longer and that he was tired of babying the Soviets. -
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Dollar Diplomacy (Examples)
The US was reponsible for starting the Cold War.
The US utilized the need of Capital by the Soviets to get concessions from the USSR, The impact of American dollar diplomacy as well as other indicators of American refusal to aid in Soviet economic reconstruction led to Soviet failure to join the IMF and the World Bank in Dec 1945. By June 1946, all negotiations over loans ended. -
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Atomic Diplomacy (Diplomacy)
The US was reponsible for starting the Cold War.
The US used its advantage of atmoic weaponry to force concessions from the USSR. This caused the Soviets to speed up their own atomic programme which was completed in 1949 which played a part in causing the Arms Race of the Cold War. -
Soviet Actions in Manchuria
The USSR was reponsible for starting the Cold War.
They recognised the democratic KMT as the legitimate govenment but handed Japanese weapons to communist CCP units & allowed them to establish a foothold in Manchuria and Northen China.
Even though in this case the Soviets did not show overt aggression, this example still shows them responsible for the Cold War as this covert act of expansionism had severe implications on the level of trust the US had with the USSR. -
The Long Telegramme
The Long Telegramme had an impact on the US policy makers. It was the decisive factor in Truman administration's change in course to a policy of firmness towads the USSR. This led to the start of a change in mindset by the US towards the USSR and a harsher policy towards the Soviets -
Truman Doctrine
The US was reponsible for the Cold War.
Truman made a speech to the US public that the US would be assisting Greece and would fight the communist threat. This was the first american declaration that to fight communism. This elicted no response from Stalin and any change in american relations with the USSR. However, this showed how the US perception of the USSR had crystalised and thier change in mindset towards the Soviets. -
Marshall Plan
The US was responsible for starting the Cold War.
During the discussion of the Plan, American insistance of economic coordination which meant that Soviets would have to lose exlusive control of their own economy was unacceptable to the USSR.
This shows the unwillingness of the US to cooperate with the USSR at this point. The plan caused the economic schism in Europe, dividing Europe into 2 economic blocs. -
Berlin Blockade
The USSR was responsible for starting the Cold War.
To oppose against the establishment of the Deutschemark, the USSR blocked all roads and rail routes to Berlin. The blockade came close to the first armed clash between the 2 sides and represented the point where the Cold War almost turned hot. The blockade ended any hopes of agreement bewteen East and West over Germany. Germany was split into two states of East and West, its partition was a microism of the division in Europe.
