Origins of The Cold War

By ReKee

  • Dollar Diplommacy

    -Led to Soviet failure in joining IMF and WB (Dec 1945)
    -By June 1946, all negotiations over loans ended.
    -Marked the start of the economic schism

  • Polish Issue

    The very first event that indicated the massive ideological divide between The USSR and USA

  • Atomic Diplomacy

    Accelerated the start of a nuclear arms race that would characterised the Cold War

  • Soviet Action in Manchuria

    50,000 Marines sent to North China to secure key communication centres, roads, rail routes and help transport KMT armies to the area. This showed that the USA took Soviet's actions very seriously

  • Kennan's Long Telegramme

    Concluded that there would be no compromise with The USSR

  • Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech

    Hardened the attitude of the American public about The USSR

  • Clifford-Elsey Report

    Reflects the US perception of The USSR which had crystallised by this point in time. It acted as a justification for the US perspective of the Soviets.

  • Truman Doctrine

    -1st American Declaration that they would step in to deal with Soviet aggression.
    -Laid the foundation for the formulation of the Marshall Plan (June 1947)

  • Sovietisation in Romania

    National Peasant Party suppressed, Iuliu Maniu(leader) was sentenced with life imprisonment

  • Marshall Plan

    -Cemented the economic schism in Europe
    -The USSR created their own version of the Marshall Plan, Molotov Plan
    -Effectively divided Europe into the economic blocs

  • Sovietisation in Bulgaria

    Petkov, leader of Agrarian Peasant Party was tried and shot for working with Anglo-American imperialism

  • Czech Coup

    -Catalysed the implementation of Marshall Plan wihch cemented the economic schism in Europe.
    -Feeling of military insecurity in West Europe led to formation of military alliance, Treaty of Brussels (1948) which was the predecessor of NATO

  • Berlin Blockade

    -Came close to the 1st armed clash between USA and The USSR and represented a point where Cold War might have turned hot.
    -Increased feelings of military insecurity in other parts of Europe besides East. Pressure to create common military force. Eventually formed NATO (1949)
    -Microcosm of the division in Europe