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65 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Why was Stalin determined to make the USSR secure in future? (figures) |
The USSR suffered the most civilian and military deaths in WWII: 13.6 million military and 7.7 million civilian. |
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Who were the superpowers of the world in 1945? |
USA and USSR |
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Why did differences in opinion begin to emerge between USA and USSR after the Second World War? |
Germany and Japan had been defeated, and therefore, the reason for this cooperation was gone. |
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What is meant by the USA 's democratic system of government? |
The President and Congress were chosen in free democratic elections. |
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What is meant by the USA having a 'capitalist' economy? |
Business and property were privately owned. Individuals could make profits in business or move jobs if they wished. |
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What was a huge negative feature of the USA 's capitalist economy? |
There were great contrasts in wealth: some people were very rich, others very poor. |
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Americans believed in the freedom of the... |
individual and in government by consent |
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Before the war, the USA had followed a policy of... |
isolationism. |
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The US government was prepared to help and support people people and countries that wanted to become democracies with capitalist economies. What was this seen as by the American people? |
Simply the defence of people's freedom against a system they did not want. |
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In the Communist system, the rights of the individual were seen as les important than... |
the good of society as a whole. |
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In the USSR, who owned all industry? |
the government |
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[USSR] What was the standard of living like compared to the USA? |
The standard of living was low. |
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Why did Stalin want countries on its borders to be controlled by Communist governments? |
To give him a ring of protection, in response to the many times the USSR had been attacked in the passed. |
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What did Stalin believe could happen if he did not set up other Communist governments? |
The USA would set up hostile countries on his borders. |
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Why did the minds of the Allied leaders turn away from the war, towards the end of it? |
By early 1945, it was clear Germany would be defeated. |
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What did the Allied leaders need to discuss at Yalta and Potsdam? |
the challenges that the defeat of Germany would bring |
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Who attended the Yalta Conference? |
Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin |
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What was agreed at Yalta? |
Germany and Berlin (respectively) would be divided into four zones |
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What was the disagreement at Yalta? |
Stalin wanted to move Poland's frontier further into Germany. The others were unhappy but had to disagree as there was still thousands of Soviet trips in Poland. To compensate, Stalin agreed not to support the rebels in Greece. |
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Who attended the Potsdam conference? |
Attlee, Truman and Stalin |
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Why might Stalin not have such an easy time as he did in Yalta? |
Truman was much more anti-Communist than Roosevelt and very suspicious of Stalin's intentions. |
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Why could Stalin be seen as more aggressive in Europe after Germany's defeat? |
After the war, Britain and the USA immediately began to reduce their forces in Europe, but the Soviets, who occupied much of eastern Europe, did not. |
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What did Truman inform Stalin of at Potsdam? and what did this start? |
He informed him of the successful testing of an atom bomb he was going to use against Japan. This began a new arms race between the USA and USSR. |
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What was agreed at the Potsdam Conference? (2) |
The Nazi party was to be banned and its leaders would be tried as war criminals. |
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What 3 things caused major tension at Potsdam? |
-The denial of Stalin's naval base in the Mediterranean. |
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Why did Britain and the USA deny Stalin a naval base in the Mediterranean? |
They saw no need for Stalin to have such base. |
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Why did the USA and Britain not want to cripple Germany? |
They had seen the devastating results of reparations after WWI. |
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What were Stalin's conclusions in Potsdam? (2) |
Stalin saw the denial of his naval base as evidence that his allies mistrusted him. |
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What important changes had occurred between the Yalta and Potsdam conferences that affected the relations between the allies? (3) |
Changing leaders |
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In addition to opposing ideologies, what other reasons are there for the breakdown in relations between the USA and USSR? (3) |
-The common enemy of the Nazis no longer existed. No reason to work together. |
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Why did Winston Churchill claim that an 'Iron Curtain' had descended across Europe? (2) |
Th failure to find a complete agreement at Potsdam caused tension between the Soviet Union and the western powers to increase significantly. There was now a divide between the democratic nations of the West and the Communist states of eastern Europe. |
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How many Soviet troops remained in Europe in 1946? |
Soviet: 6 million |
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Why is it believed the elections in eastern Europe were rigged to allow the USSR-backed Communist parties to take control? |
Opponents of the Communists had been beaten, murdered or frightened into submission. By May 1948, all eastern European states had Communist governments. |
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Why was Tito (Communist leader of Yugoslavia) cut off from support from the USSR? |
He refused to submit to Stalin's control, acting independently from the plans of the USSR. |
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Why did the countries part of Cominform become known as 'satellite states'? |
Their governments and economies depended so heavily on the USSR. |
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What was Cominform? |
-An alliance of countries set up by Stalin in 1947, most likely in response to Marshall Aid. |
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Why did Stalin set up Comecon in 1949? |
to coordinate the production and trade out the eastern European countries. |
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What was the aim of the Truman Doctrine? |
Containment of Communism |
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What showed the world the USA would not return to isolationism in 1947? How? |
The Truman Doctrine. |
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What event provoked the Truman Doctrine? Explain the events. |
After the war, royalists restored the king in Greece with the help of British troops. However, they came under attack from Communist forces. They asked the USA for help in 1947. Truman provided Greece with arms and money. The Communists were defeated in 1949 after a civil war. |
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[Cold War] Each side feared... |
the spread of the other idea |
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[Cold War] When one side tried to extend its influence our support, this was seen as... |
a threat by the other side |
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Why was Truman desperate to make Europe prosperous again? |
He believed poverty and hardship provided a breeding ground for Communism. |
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What was the two main aims of Marshal Aid? |
-to stop the spread of Communism (not admitted, however) |
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What was Marshall aid? |
a European recovery programme created by American Secretary of State, George Marshall. |
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Why was Marshall Aid not entirely an act of kindness? |
Truman wanted Europe to recover in order to create a market for American exports. |
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How did Marshall Aid cause tensions? (2) |
-Only sixteen countries accepted it - all western states |
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Why did Stalin refuse Marshall Aid? |
He saw it as an attempt by American business to dominate western Europe. |
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Why was Czechoslovakia the only eastern European country that considered accepting Marshall Aid. |
Czechoslovakia was not fully part of Stalin's 'eastern bloc' of countries. Communists were not fully in control. |
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What lead to Czechoslovakia becoming fully part of the Communist eastern bloc? |
In the spring of 1948, elections were due and it seemed likely Communists would do badly. They organised protests and marches. Non-Communist ministers resigned and Foreign Minister Masaryk died under suspicious circumstances. |
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Why do historians believe the USSR was behind the takeover in Czechoslovakia? |
Stalin did not want a link between East and West, that was Czechoslovakia. |
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Why did Britain and the USA want Germany to recover after the war? |
They felt punishing Germany would not help future peace. |
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Which 3 zones in Germany merged to become one zone? |
French, American and British zones. |
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Why were many East Germans leaving to West Germany? |
East Germany had poverty and hunger whereas West Germany was beginning to recover with the help of Marshall Aid. It seemed a far more attractive place to live |
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How did Stalin perceive the merging of West Germany? |
To Stalin, it seemed the Allies were building up West Germany to attack him. |
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Why did Stalin blockade Berlin in 1948? (2) |
He wanted to make Berlin entirely dependent on the USSR. Also, it would make sure that the people of Berlin suffered the same kind of hardship that Stalin believed to be just punishment for the war. |
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How did the Allies continue to supply West Berlin? |
The Allies airlifted supplies |
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How long were the planes able to supply West Berlin? |
10 months |
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[Berlin Blockade] At what point did Stalin reopen communications? |
when it was clear the blockade had failed |
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What were the effects of the Berlin Blockade? |
-'Trizonia' became renamed Federal Republic of Germany |
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How did the Berlin Blockade show that the USA and USSR were not prepared to go to war with each other? |
Each country used propaganda to undermine the other as the leaders knew that actual conflict with the use of nuclear weapons could leave both countries in ruins. |
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What was the purpose of NATO? |
to defend each of its members from attack; if one member was attacked, all the others would help defend it. |
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What was NATO? |
North Atlantic Treaty Organization: |
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Why did the USSR set up the Warsaw Pact? |
In 1955, West Germany set up NATO. The Soviets had not forgotten the damage Germany had done to them in WWII. |
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Why were the allies not prepared to give up on Berlin? (3) |
-It was the only capitalist city behind the iron curtain - a symbol of freedom. |
