Cold war 1945-1972

Yalta conference date

February 1945 (before end of WWII)

who attended the Yalta conference?

Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin

agreements at Yalta

• Stalin would enter war against Japan once Germany surrendered

• Germany + Berlin divided into 4 zones

• UN would be set up + they would join

• eastern europe seen as ‘Soviet sphere of influence’ (buffer zones for Stalin - geography)

disagreements at Yalta

borders with Poland, Stalin wanted more space, Churchill + Roosevelt unhappy but couldn’t do anything

Potsdam conference dates

17 July 1945 ( after end of WWII in europe)

who was at the Potsdam conference

Stalin, Truman, Attlee

disagreements at Potsdam

• reparations (Stalin wanted $10 bill compensation, Truman didn’t want another Treaty of Versailles mishap)

• Soviet policy in Eastern Europe (Stalin wanted buffer zones, Truman saw it as a threat)

• Truman had the A-Bomb (stalin had known about it since 1942 through spies)

Iron Curtain speech

1946, by Churchill, described the border between Soviet-controlled countries and Western Europe

what was Cominform

• established in 1947

• Communist Information Bureau

• to coordinate Communist parties of eastern Europe

• Stalin can tighten control + make himself secure

• Europe no longer reliant on $$

how did Truman view Cominform

the spread of Communism, europe no longer reliant on the American dollars (Marshall Aid 1948)

Truman doctrine

• March 1947

• containment of communism

• e.g. Marshall Plan, broken in Korean war (became offensive as the attacked over prev. boundaries)

Problems in post WWII europe

• homelessness

• costs of rebuilding damaged homes

• damaged infrastructure

• refugees ( thousands fleeing Easter europe fearing communist takeover)

• food/clothing/fuel shortages

• debts from cost of war effort

Marshall Plan

• 1948-52

• $17 billion

• created new markets of USA

• made Europe dependant on $$

• only allowed to happen after events in Czechoslovakia ( Jan Masaryk killed, communist takeover)

Stalin’s reaction to Marshall Plan

• Comicon (1949 - favoured the USSR)

• Cominform (1947)

• refused satellite states to ask for aid

causes of Berlin Blockade + Airlift

• Trizonia formed w/ new currency

• Stalin saw this as provocative

why was Trizonia formed?

• W Germany economy crippled, Allies needed to rebuild the industries to feed people

• Formed in 1948, became W Germany in 1949pp

Events of Berlin blockade

• June 1948 Stalin blocked all transport links to W Berlin, cutting off 2 mill people from food + supplies

• Allies flew in coal, flour + supplies

• 1 plane every 3 mins / 24 hrs

• ended in May 1949

importance of Berlin blockade (international crisis?)

• Allies couldn’t ram through road / rail blockades ( act of war)

• would USSR shoot down first planes

• Truman refused to be forced out of Berlin (feared rest of Germany would be next —CONTAINMENT)

• Berlin became a symbol for CW

• not willing to go to war w each other directly

• NATO formed

NATO formation

• April 1949 (during Berlin Blockade)

• finalized split between 2 sides (capitalism vs communism)

why did Truman want NATO?

US forces can have secure bases in Europe so if USSR attacked then forces wouldn’t have to cross atlantic

China goes Communist

• 1949 Mao took control

• 1950 Treaty of Friendship, Alliance + Mutual Assistance

• USA containment (Truman Doctrine) had failed in Asia — fears of the Domino theory

Korean War dates

1950-53

Why was the USSR not there for the vote on entering the Korean War

UN refused to acknowledge Mao as leader of China, so USSR was boycotting UN, this led to them missing the vote and losing their veto power

who invaded in Korea first

Communist dictatorship north invaded anti-Communist (but not democratic) South

UN intervention in Korean War

General MacArthur and Un troops stormed Ichon in Sept 1950, retaking the whole of South Korea to 38th parallell

Significance of MacArthur going beyond 38th parallel

• Ignored Truman doctrine as no longer containment

• warnings from Mao that if they did then China would join (funded by USSR)

when did China intervene in Korean War

• October 1950

• when MacArthur went beyond 38th parallel

• supported by USSR w weapons + tanks

importance of Korean War (international crisis)?

• Proxy war between USA + USSR

• UN proved that it could act (although only when USSR wasn’t there)

• USSR resumed security counsel + wouldn’t make same mistake again

timeline of Korean war

1. June 1950 - NK invades SK, Truman commits USA forces to defend SK

2. July ‘50 - UN approves resolution to make this a UN force

3. Sept ‘50 - Un forces land in Ichon + push back NK

4. Nov ‘50 - Chinese forces cross into SK to push back UN

5. Jan ‘51 - Communists take the capital, Seoul

6. March ‘51 - UN retakes Seoul, MacArthur sacked after disagreements w Truman (wanted to advance into China ect - Truman though it was too risky)

7. June ‘51 - peace talks begin

8. July ‘53 - ceasefire

when did Stalin die

march 1953

Warsaw pact

• 1955

• made by Khrushchev

• communist NATO