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Tehran Conference
Churchill (britian president) said that the USR could absorb part of eastern Poland while thelatter would gain part of eastern German.
When this was said, Roosevelt did not object but just said that he could not publicly agree so as not to alienate the Polish-American votes. -
Percentages agreement
Agreement where Britian to have 90% influence in Greece, the USSR to have 90% influence in Romania and 75% in Bulgaria.
However, Rooselvelt was not prsent but was briefed on it and he did not openly appose.
This gave Stalin an impression that the Allies understood his needs of security and by extention of fear of influence in Poland and eastern Europe. -
Morgenthau Plan
This Plan decided to make Germany an industrial wasteland and reduce it to an agriculture-based state. -
First Dollar Diplomacy
Dollar Diplomay is the use of economic means to gain political concessions, which also means to 'bribe' other countires.
USSR asked for a $6 billion loan by the US. The US immediately imposed conditions in particular the opening of Eastern Europeans markets to US manufactured products.
The Soviets' need for capital was made more desperate when the US terminated the Land-Lease in May 1945. -
First Dollar Diplomacy
A further request of $1 billion loan by the USSR was 'lost' by the US State Department, further increasing the Soviet's conviction that the US was unwilling to collabrate in post war economic reconstruction. -
Yalta Conference
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Soviet Actions in Trieste and Greece
Marshall Tito's forces entered the port city, and the owenership of Trieste had historically been disputed between Yugloslavia and Greece.
The Greek civil war and the involvement of the Greek communist (KKF) made the US fear soviet involvement.
Tito's control of Yugloslavia and the presence of Soviet occupation armies in the Balkan states increased this fear
At this point of time, stalin was honouring the Percentages Agreement of 1994, recogonising Greece as british space of interest. -
Soviet Actions in Trieste and Greece
However, this was a misconception between the US and the Soviets.
US saw yugoslavian intervention under Tito was part of Soviet's expansionism.
This showed that in 1945, the US saw communism anywhere as synonomus with Soviet cimmunism control. They saw all communists as answering to Moscow. -
Potsdam Conference (Atomic Diplomacy)
Atomic diplomacy is using information about the atomic bomb to gain concessions.
Eg: Truman offered stalin information about the bomb in return for the reorganisation of soviet-controlled government in Bulgaria and Romania.
The soviets were not intimidiatd, but sped up their own atomic programm. furthermore, they did not reorganise the whole of bulgaria and romania governments but only made token gestures.
This accelerated the start of a nuclear arms race that the world would characterise CW. -
Soviet Actions in Korea
Soviet troops moved across the Russian borders into North Korea to take over from the Japanese.
The Americans were worried about Soviet's intentions in Korea and hence, quickly send troops to occupy South Korea.
However, Stalin did not object to that , and Korea was divided into two occupation zones along the 38th Parallel.
This reflected the SOviet's attitude at the poin in time where stalin was willing to cooperate with the US and that the USSR was not indiscriminately expanding. -
End of WW2
USSR took over North Korea -
Soviet Actions in Manchuria
The Soviets recognised the KMT as the legitimate government but yet, handled Japanese weapons to CCP units and allowed them to establish oothold in Manchuria and northern China. Stalin did this as he was hedging his bets; even though links between the Kremlin and CCP were not strong, the CCP might prove useful allies in the event of the breakdown of US-Soviet relations. -
Soviet Actions in Manchuria
Because of this, the Americans sent 50000 US marines to North China to secure key commnications centres, road, rail routes and help transport KMT armies to the area.
Eventhough the soviets did not show overt aggression, it still showed them as responsible for the COld War . This is underlined by the response of sendig 50000 US marines to help the nationalist restore control in north China. This covert act of expansionism had severe implications on the levels of trust the US had with the USSR. -
Impact of Dollar Diplomacy
Led to the the Soviet's failure to join the international monetary fund (IMF) and the World Bank in December 1945.
This also caused the Soviets to boycott the IMF and World Bank, signalling their refusal to participate in the reconstruction of the global economy.
* IMF & World Bank are organisions which the US hoped would help reconstruct and create a new global economy. -
Start of Economic Schism
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Kennan's Long Telegramme
Kennan's analysis of Soviet foreign policy emphasized the role of communist ieology as he saw the soviet leadership as suspicious and aggresive. The Long Telegramme was said to the US Policy makers and that it was the decisive factor in the Truman administration's change of course to a policy firmness towards the USSR. -
Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech
Some of the themes discussed in the Long Telegramme s now discussed publicly for the first time. Just as the Long Telegramme shaped the attitude of the political elite towards the USSR, the Iron Curtain Speech hardened the attitude of the American public. (indicating that USSR is a threat)
This speech caused Stalin to call Churchill a warmonger (racist) and accused him of trying to start WW3. However, there was no concrete follow up action by stalin. -
Second Dollar Diplomacy
The US imposed the conditions of dropping trade barries in eastern europe and compensation for US assets seized in Roamnia and Bulgaria on a requst by the soviets for a loan in 1946.
Because of this, all loan negotiations ended.
The US attached more stringent conditions to loans requested by the soviets.These conditions included the dropping trade barriers in Europe and a greater American say in the economic reconstruction of the eastern european states. -
The Clifford-Elsey Report
This report is to show that stalin is bad and evil, and this was published to the General Public. Truman commissioned two of his advisors to review US-soviet relations, and the report highlighted examples of soviet aggression in Iran and Manchuria, as well as identified ideology and not securiy concerns as the driver of soviet foreign policy.
It reflects the US perspection of the USSR which had crystalised by this point in time. It acted a a justification for the US perspecive of the soviets -
The Baruch Plan
This Plan concerned the frequent inspection of atomic energy installations in UN member states part of the effort to regulate atomic energy.
However, the Plan demanded for the provision of soviet information about their level of research and development, it allows for the retraining of american atomic diplomacy.
This Plan led to the soviets using their veto in the security council to prevent any more discussion about it.
The US was not sincere in cooperating with the soviets. -
Marshall Plan
The primary aim of the Plan was to contain communism and the secondary aim was to create a captive market for american goods.
initially, ythe soviets were willings to cooperate and this is highlighted by the sending of 100-man delegation headed by Molotov, to participate in the discussion about the plan. However, the Americans insisted on economic cooridnation, which means that the soviets would have to give up exlcusive control of their economy, which was unacceptable to them. -
Truman Doctrine
This further led to the soviets thinking that the Plan was an attempt by the americans to create an american economic empire in eastern euope.
The Marshall Plan was important as it cemented the economic schism. The USSR ensured that the eastern european countries did not participate in it and instead, produced their own version of the Marshall Plan- Molotov Plan. This hence effectively divided europe into two economic blocs. -
The Czech Coup
The coup was an example of sovietisation and soviet aggression.
The coup took place sometime after the soviets ordered czechoslovakia not to participate in the marshall plan.
Beacuse of this actions, the coup catalysed the impementation of the Marshall Planwhich cemented the division in Europe.
The feelinmg of militart insecurity in west europe led to the formation of the militart alliance, the treaty of brussels in 1948. -
Truman Doctrine
Truman Doctrine is a containment policy that stated that the US would aid any country or government under sttack by armed minorities. It was aimed at preventing the spread of communism.
Hoerver, there was no immediate response from or any change in american relations with the USSR.
The Truman Doctrine was accompanied by an increase in US military preparedness in the form of the National Security Act as a precautionary measure, and this led to the foundation of the Marshall Plan. -
Berlin Blockade
When the US and British wantedto introduce a new German currency thst eould circulate all four zones, staliin interpretated tht the creation of a single currency would signal a new germany in the west as well. Because of this, Russia blocked out all the roads and rail routes to berlin.
The blockade came close to the first armed clash between the twosides and it represented a point where the cold war almost turned hot. -
Berlin Blockade
It also increased the feeling of military insecurity in the northern, western and southern europe.
The blockade hence ended any hope of agreement between the east and the west over germany. Germany was split into the two states of East and West, its partition was a microcosm of the division in Europe.
However, the Berlin Blockade did not really cause a division in europe cause the division was already there. -
NATO
NATO was formed by 5 european countries. This pact bound all the participants to come to the help of ant one of the defence of western europe was only avaliable with americans participation. The initiative for NATO thus came from western europe.
NATO remained nothing more than a political association until the Korean War of 1950 when an integrated military structure was set up. Provoked no direct soviet response and was not taken seriously as a military alliance.
