-
Period: to
President Roosevelt
president of USA -
Period: to
Winston Churchill
prime minister of UK -
Period: to
Joseph Stalin
leader of Soviet Union -
Grand Alliance formed
It was an alliance between the USA, USSR and UK during WW2 with the aim to defeat Hitler's Germany. -
Tehran Conference
Leaders: Churchill (UK) , Roosevelt (USA), Stalin (USSR)
* Russia could keep land on eastern europe after winning ww2
* Agreed on the creation of an international organization to settle arguments with discussions not war (United Nations)
* USA and Britain would launch a 2nd attack on germany and take away some army on east so russia could keep more land on east after war
* Improved relationship between usa and britain with russia -
Stalin sets up Satellite States
- Towards the end of WW2, the Soviet 'Red Army' had 'freed' many countries from Nazis
- After the war, they remained in Eastern Europe
- As these countries had no leadership, Stalin turned them into Soviet 'Satellite States' and each country had a communist government controlled from Moscow
- Stalin used these as buffer zones
- Included: East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
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Period: to
Harry Truman
president of USA -
Period: to
Clement Atlee
prime minister of UK -
Yalta Conference
Leaders: Churchill (UK) , Roosevelt (USA), Stalin (USSR)
- Churchill felt isolated as Stalin and Roosevelt got on well and made most of agreements.
- Germany would be divided into 4 zones controlled by France, Britain, America and Russia
- Berlin would also be divided into 4 zones
- Germany would pay $40 million in reparations. Halft went to USSR
- East Europe was looked after by Russia in their 'Soviet Sphere of Influence' and there would be elections. -
Postdam 1945
Leaders: Atlee (UK), Truman (USA), Stalin (USSR)
- Soviet troops defeated Germany and not taken away their troops from eastern europe
- Stalin set up a communist government in Poland. He had previously promised not to do this.
- Stalin refused to 'demilitarise' his Soviet army
- Americans had just successfully tested another atomic bomb. Stalin was furious about this
- Truman saw Russia's Red Army as a threat to peace and began his 'get tough' policy against Stalin and USSR -
Atomic Bomb on Japan
The Americans dropped the first nuclear bomb at 9:15am in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan), with 120,000 Japanese civilians wiped out.
Effect on US-Soviet relations:
- Power: Soviet Union believes that there is a power in balance. Increases tensions because the Soviet Union feels threatned/intimidated.
- "Arms Race": competition to build nuclear weapons.
- Land: Soviet Union starts moving troops into Eastern Europe. "Buffer Zones" -
Kennan's Long Telegram
Sent from Moscow to Washington by the US diplomat George Kennan.
- Stalin wants to completely wipe out capitalism.
- Stalin did not trust the USA
- Russia would back down if America shows strength and power (patriotism)
consequence
- --> "containment" ; keep communism in Soviet Union to stop it spreading. -
churchill's 'Iron Curtain' speech
- Iron Curtain is this 'physical' divide between one half of europe (Satellite States) and west europe (capitalist)
- Iron curtain was an important idea in the declining relationship between the east and the west as it was the first timme broadcasting their worry about Russia being a threat to world peace. Churchill had just called out the entire USSR
- It's the first time Britain officially announced their alliance with America (USA)
-
Novikov Telegram
Sent from Washington to Moscow by Nikolai Novikov, the Soviet diplomat.
- Americans want world domination through military actions
- USA want to contain communism
consequence
- --> Russia needs to expand communism in Eastern Europe -
The Truman Doctrine
It was Truman's idea to give money and send troops to Europe to fight against communism. It followed the idea of 'containment'.
The aim was to stop the spread of communism.
consequences
- Stalin believed USA was trying to become even more powerful and create an American Empire in europe.
- Europe became even more divided into west and east -
The Marshall Plan
US secretary of state George Marshall set out a plan to give money to countries in europe that were needing help after the destruction of the war.
The aim was to stop the spread of communism. If these countries were better off and happier, they would be less likely to support communism.
consequences
- Stalin called the USA's actions 'Dollar Imperialism'. In other words, a way to use money to take control and have influence over other countries
- Grand Alliance was now gone completely -
Cominform
All communist countries to follow the rules and information from Stalin.
The aim of cominform was to keep control of governments of satellite states by making sure all of the rules and orders given out by Stalin were carried out in each country. -
Trizonia formed
As the west felt threatened, Britain, America and France agreed to take 2 actions:
1. Unite their zones in Germany. Called this Trizonia
2. Give Trizonia the same currency called Deutschmark -
Berlin Blockade
Stalin blocked ways to enter the west side of Berlin; the canal, roads and railways and the electricity in retaliation of the creation of Trizonia and Deutschmark. -
Berlin Airlift
President Truman needed a plan to get supplies to west Berlin. Therefore he did an airlift with the initial plan to deliver 4000 tons of supplies everyday.
Between June 1948 and May 1949 food and supplies were flown in to keep western Berliners alive. -
Comecon
All communist countries to have their economy controlled by Moscow.
The aim of comecon was to make sure all communist states rejected capitalist ideas. Aimed to help the economies of the Soviet Union's satellite states -
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Alliance between some Europe countries and America. If a nation attaced any NATO members, like USSR, all of the other members were also attacked.
USA, France, Britain, Greece (1952), Turkey (1952), West Germany (1955), Belgium, Luxembourg, Canada, Iceland, Denmark, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands. -
End of Berlin Crisis
Stalin gave in and ordered the blockade to end as the Berlin Airlift was successful.
- Defeat made Stalin look weak
- Proved Trizonia could defeat USSR by using peaceful tactics
- 3 days after the blockade ended Trizonia got known as 'Federal Republic of Germany'
- In october Soviet Union made its zone 'German Democratic Reublic' -
Period: to
Dwight Eisenhower
president of USA -
Period: to
Nikita Krushchev
leader of Soviet Union -
Warsaw Pact
Alliance between communist countries.
Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania (until 1968), East Germany. -
de-stalinisation
After Stalin died in 1956, Khruschev, the new Soviet leader, openly criticised the policies and ideas of Stalin in his opening speech.
He introduces a de-stalinisation policy, which encouraged people in the Eastern bloc to think that greater freedoms might be possible. -
Hungarian Uprising
In june 1956 the Hungarian people began to protest against the current leader, Mátyás Rákosi (aka 'The Bold Butcher'), so Moscow replaced him.
The new leader was no popular and in october students took to the streets and were supported by the workers and the Hungarian army.
As riots spread, the Soviets agreed to the formation of a new government under leadership of more liberal Imre Nagy -
Imre Nagy leader of Hungary
Nagy's reforms:
- free elections to choose a democratic government
- an impartial legal system to ensure fair trials
- the total withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary
- farmers to be allowed private ownership of their land
- hungary to leave the warsaw pact and declare neutrality in the cold war -
Soviets invade Hungary
After Imre Nagy's reforms, Khruschev refused to accept the idea of Hungary leaving the Warsaw Pact as it would leave a gap in the buffer zone.
- 6,000 Soviet tanks crossed the Hungarian border.
- 30,000 were killed.
- Nagy tried to hide in Yugoslav Embassy, but was captured and executed in 1958
- President Eisenhower said "I feel with the Hungarian people", however did not intervene. -
The Refugee Crisis
- West Germany and West Berlin were much wealthier. They had accepted the Marshall Aid. However, East Germany and East Berlin suffered with food shortages and a lack of basic goods.There was lots of media censorship and little freedom of speech.
- This led to 3 million East Germans (1/6th of population) fleeing to West Germany for a better life.
- It was embarrasing for Khruschev and made him look weak
- 'Brain Drain' of East Germany; skilled workers were the type of people leaving.
-
Berlin Ultimatum
Khruschev wanted the whole of Berlin to be controlled by East Germany as it was located deep in his zone and wanted to look strong after the Hungarian Uprising. Therefore he issued the ultimatum:
- Western troops should be removed from East Berlin
- Berlin should become a free city (controlled by Soviets)
- The West had 6 weeks to do this. If they didn't, he threatened to take over all transport routes in East Germany to stop people travelling to West Germany -
Cuba as a threat to USA
Cuba became a communist country under the leadership of Fidel Castro and Che Guevera. US ally, Batista is overthrown.
Castro becomes allies with Khruschev.
Americans companies are kicked out of Cuba by the communists. This leads to an American ban on trade with the island -
The Geneva Summit
Both sides met in Switzerland and put their ideas foward but no agreements were made.
US President Eisenhower invited Khruschev to the USA for further talks. -
Camp David Summit
Eisenhower and Khruschev met face to face for the fist time. The two enjoyed their time together and got on personally.
Khruschev took away his Berlin Ultimatum terms but no agreements were made about Berlin. -
Period: to
John F. Kennedy
president of USA -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
- Cuban exiles were trained by the CIA in Florida. Operation had a budget of $45m. They were known as La Brigada
- On april 15 US planes bombed part of Cuban air force. the next day the planned second wave of bombings was called off.
- On april 17, La Brigada landed on the Bay of Pigs with about 1,400 and encountered about 20,000 men from Castro's army. - They had been alerted by spied about the operation
- 100 of La Brigada were dead and 1,100 were imprisoned
- Kennedy had to pay $50m to Cuba
-
Paris Summit
The Soviet Union had just shot down an American Spy-Plane as it flew over USSR. The Americans said it was a weather plane that got lost but the Soviets interrogated the pilot who was shot down called Gary Power and he admitted it was a spy on a secret mission.
Eisenhower refused to apologise and Khruschev walked out of the meeting with no agreements made. -
Vienna Summit
F Kennedy was now president of USA.
Khruschev believed that he was young and ineperienced, so he went back to his Berlin Ultimatum again.
Kennedy refused to give in and the meeting ended with no agreements again.
Their personal relationship was also poor.
Kennedy decided to increase spending on the military by an extra $2 billion. -
Berlin Wall
- In just 1 day, 40,000 East Germans crossed the border with rumours
- Soviet troops began to surround the border of West Berlin
- White lines were painted and barbed wires raised
- Soviets ordered to 'shoot and kill' anyone trying to cross
- Khruschev ordered Berlin Wall to be raised to get more control
- There'd be only 1 official gateway through West Berlin called Checkpoint Charlie. It was heavily guarded by SU troops & only people with official permits were allowed to move between borders
-
Cuban Missile Crisis
- US spy plane photographs reveal Soviet IRBM missiles on Cuba
- JFK convenes ExCom to discuss response options
- JFK announces US navy ships to prevent Soviet ships carrying military equipment to Cuba and demandsNK to remove the missiles
- US armed forces placed on high alert. ICBM response prepared
- NK sends letter offering to remove missiles in return for promise not to invade Cuba and remove missiles from Turkey -JFK accepts second, ignores first. Wrns invasion if refused
- NK accepts offer
-
Test Ban Treaty
USA and Soviet Union promised to stop testing of nuclear weapons. -
The Hotline
A Hotline was set up between the White House and the Kremlin in Moscow to enable direct communication between leaders which it wasb hoped would provide an easy method for resolving disagreements and prevent a nuclear war. -
Period: to
Leonid Brezhnev
leader of Soviet Union -
Outer Space Treaty
USA and Soviet Union agreed not to use space for military reasons. -
Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty
USA and Soviet Union were not allowed to share their nuclear technology with any other countries. -
Alexander Dubcek becomes leader of Czechoslovakia
He was communist but wanted more fairness, was more liberal and believed in 'socialism with a human face'. -
the Prague Spring
Dubcek creates a few reforms:
- Removal of travel restrictions
- Greater political freedom; free speech and abolition of press censorship
- Reduction in the powers of the secret police (Statsi) to imprison without trial
- A 10-year programme for political change
New Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev dislikes this and gets worried that other Eastern Europe countries would want this same freedom and it would damage image of the Soviet Union
- The creation of works councils representing the workforce -
Period: to
Richard M. Nixon
president of USA -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
- Brezhnev warned Dubcek not to weaken communism and to stay strict
- Ordered Warsaw Pact troops to carry out military practice just outside the border of Czechoslovakia as a warning
- 500,000 Warsaw Pact troops invaded to stop the Prague Spring
- Dubcek ordered army and people to remain peaceful
- Only a few individuals attacked the troops and blocked roads
- Dubcek gets arrested and ordered to change his reforms
- For the next 20 years, the country was under strict Soviet control
-
Brezhnev Doctrine
It was a 'belief'. Brezhnev said that if any communist country attempted freedom, Warsaw Pact troops would be sent in. This was a way to stop any other countries from attempting their own Prague Spring -
Détente Period
The threat of a nuclear war was too great so during the 70s there was a period of 'peace' because of...
- Threat of MAD (mutually assured destruction)
- Public Pressure for Peace in the USA; it had been involved in the Vietnam war and caused death of over 60,000 american soldiers. President Nixon gave in to the mass protests against war
- More money and time to solve social issues. US with black civil rights and SU with poor living standards
- Pressure from Willy Brandt called 'Ostpolitik' -
Improved relations with China
China and Soviet Union had once firmed a strong communist relationship. However this came to an end.
This made it easier for the USA to form a relationship with China. China was still communist but wanted better trade with the west.
President Nixon was invited to visit China and the US table tennis team were also invited to play there in 1971; this was known as the 'Ping Pong Diplomacy'. -
SALT 1
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
- Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty; ballistic missiles were only allowed on two military sites and a maximum of 100 missiles were allowed
- Interim Treaty; put a restriction on number of long range missiles called ICBMs that each side was allowed
- Basic Principles Agreement; It was a set of rules about where missiles could be placed -
Joint Space Mission
American austronauts and Soviet Cosmonauts met in space during a planned joint space mission called the Apollo-Soyouz. They were photographed from their space cabins meeting each other and shaking hands.
It caused détente as they were symbold of capitalism and communism making peace. -
Helsinki Agreements
35 countries in the Warsaw Pact and NATO countries signed an agreement to set in stone the official borders in Eastern Europe.
The Soviet Union promised not to invadde more land or change these borders.
All countries agreed to important human rights rules such as freedom of speech and religion and for taking care of people in their countries. -
End of Vietnam war
President Nixon gave in to pressure from the American and world wide public to bring the Vietnam War to an end
The Americans were helping South Vietnam fight against communist backed North Vietnam. The end of the war symbolically ended fighting against communism and was a success for the peace movement in the West -
Period: to
Jimmy Carter
president of USA -
SALT 2
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty New American President Carter refused to sign the SALT 2 treaty because of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan as he saw this as the biggest threat to world peace since the end of the Second World War. -
Soviets Invade Afghanistan
- USSR were scared that Afghanistan would be taken over by Muslims Fundamentalists like it did in Iran and it would spread to Soviet Union
- They invaded and claimed that Amin (pro-muslim Afghan leader) had wanted them to invade to protect his government from Islamic terrorist.
-
Amin is assassinated
Amin was assassinated (almost certainly by Soviet troops) and he was replaced by pro-soviet leader Kamal.
-Soviet Union remained in Afghanistan for 10 years fighting off Mujahedeen (Islamic army)
- Carter sent weapons and money to Mujahedeen to fight off Soviet Union. One individual to gain from this was Osama Bin Laden.
- Carter said in january 1980 that America would use force in the Middle East if any American interests were threatened -
USA boycott of olympic games
The US influenced 60 other countries to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games
The boycott proved how influential USA was over other countries other countries against Soviet Union
- The SU were hoping to promote communism and show the world how successful they were but now they would not be able to do this -
Period: to
Ronald Reagan
president of USA -
Reagan Doctrine
- Increased spending on arms/weapons and the military by 13%
- The doctrine promised to support anti-communist groups in their mission tp end Communist Control around the world.
-
Period: to
Yuri Andropov
leader of Soviet Union -
Reagan's speech about USSR
In a speech to a Christian group he described the Soviet Union as an 'evil empire' and that America was a force of 'good'.
Yuri Andropov, new SU leader, responded by comparing Reagan to Hitler, calling him liar and insane -
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) 'Star Wars'
- The USA would place a number of satellites into orbit. These satellites would carry powerful lasers (this tech did not exist but no one knew that) which would be able to detect and then shoot down and destroy any missiles launched by the SU.
- It was against the Outer Space Treaty of 1967
- Soviet Union realised that they had basically lost in the Arms Race as their economy was poor
-
USSR boycott of olympic games
- In retaliation to the US own boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games
- Soviet Union refused to send its athletes and athletes from the other 15 communist countries to the Los Angeles Olympics in USA
-
Gorbachev's new thinking
- Perestroika (reconstruction); improve soviet economy by making communism more into capitalism
- Glasnost (openness); wanted an open government where freedom of speech was welcomed to increase trust
- End of Brezhnev Doctrine; stated soviet union would no longer get involved with desires of other soviet countries
- Reduced military size; reduced spending on nuclear weapons, arms and defense and withdrew soviet troops from afghanistan
-
Geneva Summit
- no formal agreements made
- gorbachev and reagan met for the first time
- established a good relationship
- both want to improve relations
-
Period: to
Mikhail Gorbachev
Soviet Leader -
Reykjavik Summit
- no formal agreements made
- usa did not want to give up the SDI programme
- usa and ussr have conflicting interests
- after the chernobyl disaster the ussr were worried about dangers of nuclear weapons
- gorbachev offered to reduce nuclear weapons in turn for giving up the SDI
-
washington summit
- usa still not given up SDI programme
- gorbachev knew it was on USSR best interest to have agreements on nuclear disarmament, reducing spending on weapons and better relations with west
- INF (intermediate range nuclear force treaty)
-
INF (intermediate range nuclear force treaty)
both countries agreed to remove all land-based missiles with a range of 500-5500km -
moscow summit
- extra details in INF treaty were agreed
- gorbachev declared he would reduce the number of of warsaw pact troops and stop fighting in afghanistan
-
A year of change
- Poland; trade unionist party 'solidarity' was not banned, free elections, non-communist PM
- Czechoslovakia; 'velvet revolution', free elections, non-communist leader, democracy
- Hungary; free elections, removes border, can move freely to capitalist countries
- Romania; no secret police, free elections, communist president sentenced to death
- Bulgaria; communist leader resigns on live TV, free elections
- East Germany; free to move to west, millions of people protesting, 125000 moved to west
-
malta summit
- gorbachev met with new president george bush
- marked the end of cold war
-
Period: to
President George Bush
-
Sinatra Doctrine
Gorbachev would not intervene with the protests happening in Berlin -
Demonstrations at Berlin Wall
East Germans citizens began to protest about the wall and demanded that 'Checkpoint Charlie' was opened. Thousands gathered at the checkpoint. -
Demonstrations at Berlin Wall II
One million demonstrators took to the streets of East Berlin to demand democracy and the end of the Berlin Wall -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Gorbachev refused to challenge the demonstrations and told the East Germany government that they could open the border 'indefinitely'.
For days after, people travelled through the other side and even brought pick axes and hammers to break down the wall themselves.
The fall of the Berlin Wall was broadcast live on TV around the world. TV images showed thousands of east germans crossing over the west for the first time in 28 years -
Reunification of Germany
Germany was formally united into one country in less than a year, and it was mainly controlled by the west. this showed how successful capitalism was -
Gorbachev Resigns
He was disliked by nationalistic Soviets. Under the pressure of the Kremlin and other soviet leaders, he resigned live on TV. In his resignation speech, he expressed regret for the breakup of the soviet union, but admitted his achievements were needed in order to improve the economy, freedoms, democracy and politics in eastern europe -
End of Warsaw Pact
Gorbachev said he would not challenge the actions and decisions of other eastern european countries so there was no need for the warsaw pact -
End of Soviet Union
Eastern Europe was no longer controlled by Stalinist communism, as they were now given more westernised freedoms and rights. The Iron Curtain had now fallen in Europe