Subject: history

Subject: History Topic: 4. 1 The Outbreak and Escalation of the Cold War. Reasons for Cold War | What are the reasons for the Cold War? | What are these reasons about? | Why did these reasons cause the Cold War?| | 1. Differing political systems | The West was capitalist while the East | This led to Cold War because as their | | | was communist. The West believes in | political beliefs were different, both | | | democracy where the people elect the | sides saw each other with suspicion and | | | government and the government carries out| distrust. This led to strained | | | the wishes of the people. The East | relationship with one another, leading to| | | believes in communism where the | the Cold War. | | | government imposes its decisions on the | | | | people with the citizens having little or| | | | no freedom of rights. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2. Different economy system | A capitalist economy encourages private | This led to Cold War because as their | | | ownership, profit and free competition. A| economic beliefs were different, both | | | communist economy is controlled by the | sides saw each other with suspicion and | | | government; the state controlled and | distrust. This led to strained | | | planned all economic activities and owned| relationship with one another, leading to| | | the wealth and resources. | the Cold War. | | 3. History of distrust | Even before the end of the Second World | This led to Cold War because it meant | | | War, there was a lot of distrust between | that both sides lost confidence and trust| | | the West and the East. This led to | in each other. It also led to increased | | | incidents where both sides could not | bad feelings and mistrust between the | | | agree with one another. An example is | two, leading to the Cold War. | | | when USA informed the other allied powers| | | | like Britain and France that it planned | | | | to drop the atomic bombs on the Japanese | | | | cities. However, the USSR was not | | | | informed of this until much later. The | | | | USSR thus became suspicious that the USA | | | | was planning to destroy the USSR with the| | | | nuclear weapons. | | | 4. The USSR and Satellite States | The USSR suffered badly during the WW2 | This led to Cold War because both sides | | | with over 20 million people dead. It | could not agree on the fate of the | | | wanted to ensure that it was secured from| Eastern European countries. This led to | | | any future attacks by extending its | unhappiness and distrust of each other | | | sphere of influence over the Eastern | which eventually led to the Cold War. | | | European countries. The USSR stated that | | | | this was solely for defensive or security| | | | reasons. The USA and West saw it as the | | | | communist aim of expanding and spreading | | | | communism further. | | | 5. Personality clashes | During Potsdam Conference, USSR was led | This led to Cold War because it meant | | | by Stalin and USA by Truman. Truman was | that both of them could not agree with | | | anti-communist and did not trust the | one another and began to offend one | | | Soviet Union. Stalin and Truman found it | another, leading to the Cold War. | | | hard to understand each other. | | | 6. Withdrawal of aid to the USSR | Before war: the USA was a superpower | This led to Cold War because the two | | | while the USSR was developing. The USA | sides viewed the withdrawal of aid in | | | thus provided financial aid to the USSR. | different ways. There was increased | | | Post war: both the USA and the USSR were | tension and distrust between the two | | | superpowers. USA stopped giving financial| powers, leading to the Cold War. | | | support to Soviet Union. USA saw no need | | | | to do so as Soviet Union was a | | | | superpower. USSR felt that this was to | | | | cripple Soviet Union, which was unlike | | | | USA, badly affected by the war | | Impact of Cold War on Europe | What were the impacts? | What are these impacts about? | Why was this an impact? | | 1. Europe was divided | Europe was divided into two blocs between| This was a negative impact of Cold War on| | | 1945 and 1948. The East comprised mainly| Europe because it further contributed to | | | of Communist governments and the West | the bad blood between the two | | | consisted of democratic countries. | superpowers. | | | The USSR expanded its control over | | | | Eastern Europe by setting up Communist | | | | governments in these countries. The USSR| | | | could then influence these. Communist | | | | governments to follow policies that were | | | | non-threatening to it. The countries | | | | with Communist governments were known as | | | | satellite states. The West criticised | | | | the USSR for setting up such governments | | | | without holding free elections and for | | | | their harsh tactics. Churchill’s ‘ Iron | | | | Curtain’ speech was made in response to | | | | the spread of communism in Eastern | | | | Europe. | | | 2. Truman Doctrine was announced | Following Soviet expansion in Eastern | This was an impact of Cold War on Europe | | | Europe, President Truman decided that the| because it indicated that the Americans | | | USA must stop Communism from spreading. | were determined to resist the global | | | On 12 March 1947, he announced the Truman| expansion of communism and to protect the| | | Doctrine. The Truman Doctrine provided | capitalist system. | | | American aid to Greece and Turkey in | | | | order to prevent the spread of Communism.| | | | Agreeing with Truman’s sentiments, | | | | Congress soon voted $400 million of aid | | | | to Greece and Turkey. The Truman | | | | Doctrine was a milestone in the US | | | | postwar foreign policy. | | | 3. Marshall Plan was put into action | Following the Truman Doctrine, the | This was an impact of Cold War on Europe | | | Marshall Plan was introduced. The Plan | because the Marshall Plan brought | | | sought to make Europe rich and strong | economic recovery and thus stopped the | | | again and prosperous enough to resist | spread of communism in Western Europe. | | | Communism, by providing financial help. | | | | Between 1948 and 1952, 16 countries in | | | | Western Europe received a total of US$13 | | | | billion in aid, loans and goods. Soviet | | | | satellites were forbidden from accepting | | | | American financial aid. Stalin felt that | | | | the West was using this to expand its | | | | influence over Europe. | | | 4. Germany was divided | A crisis ensued among Britain, France, | This was a negative impact of Cold War on| | | the USA and the USSR over how to | Europe because it worsened relations | | | administer Germany in 1948. Germany was | between the Western powers and the USSR. | | | to be divided into four parts and Berlin | However, it did not develop into a ‘ hot’ | | | into four zones. In 1948, Britain, | war. | | | France and the USA decided to join their | | | | separate zones in Germany. In order to | | | | help the West German economy recover, | | | | they agreed to create a new currency. | | | | Afraid that Germany would grow strong and| | | | threaten the USSR, Stalin planned to | | | | seize control of West Berlin through a | | | | blockade. He had hoped to force the | | | | Western powers to leave the city by | | | | blocking all supplies of food to West | | | | Berlin. The USA was determined to | | | | support West Berlin as it represented the| | | | democratic system. After the crisis, the | | | | British, French and American zones | | | | combined to form the Federal Republic of | | | | Germany (West Germany). The Soviet zone | | | | became the German Democratic Republic | | | |(East Germany). As a result of the | | | | blockade Germany became two separate | | | | countries. | | | 5. NATO and Warsaw Pact were set up | The division of Europe into two spheres | This was an impact of Cold War on Europe | | | of influence forced both sides to set up | because the military alliance established| | | military alliances. In April 1949, the | enabled the two superpowers to check on | | | USA set up the North Atlantic Treaty | each other. | | | Organisation (NATO) for collective | | | | security against any Soviet attack. | | | | Similarly, the USSR set up an alliance | | | | known as the Warsaw Pact in 1955, uniting| | | | all Communist countries in Eastern Europe| | | | except Yugoslavia. | | | 6. Berlin was divided | | | | | | | Reasons for Marshall Plan | The reasons | What were these reasons about? | Why were these reasons important? | | 1. To bring about economic recovery in | When WWII ended, the situation in Europe | This led to the introduction of the | | Europe | was desperate with there being shortages | Marshall Plan because USA could offer | | | of food and other necessities. Money was| financial aid to Europe so as to restore | | | urgently needed for the reconstruction of| the economies of Europe and end Europe’s | | | houses, industries and communication |‘ hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos’.| | | networks, and to jump-start the economies| | | | of these countries. There was also | | | | strong public feeling, in some parts of | | | | US society, that the USA (as a wealthy | | | | nation) should be doing something about | | | | the poverty and suffering in Europe. | | | 2. To contain communism | Europe was ruined and — after the coldest| This led to the introduction of the | | | winter in record — starving. Truman was| Marshall Plan because by doing so, the US| | | afraid that all Europe would turn | hoped that Eastern European countries | | | Communist unless the US helped. He | would be attracted to capitalism and thus| | | believed that Communism flourished where | gain a foothold in the Soviet sphere of | | | there was ‘ misery and want’. The USA | influence. | | | feared that poor economic conditions | | | | could result in the election of Communist| | | | governments, even in countries like | | | | Britain and France. Therefore, Truman | | | | decided that the USA should help put an | | | | end to the poverty that existed and make | | | | communism less attractive to the people | | | | of Europe. Moreover, the plan was also | | | | offered to East European countries. | | | 3. To create new markets for USA | Truman knew that poor economic conditions|- This led to the introduction of the | | | in Europe would also affect the US | Marshall Plan because by doing so it | | | economy and Americans, too. would suffer.| would help to improve US economy. | | | Truman hoped to help the economies in | | | | Europe recover so that the Europeans | | | | could demand for US goods. | | | 4. To bring prosperity and success to | | | | Western Europe | | | Impact of Marshall Plan | What are the impacts of Marshall Plan? | What was this impact about? | Why was this impact important? | | 1. Containment through economic recovery | Economic recovery of the Western bloc was|- This was an impact of the Marshall Plan| | | one impact of the Marshall Plan. | because with the financial aid given, | | | President Truman persuaded the US Senate | many western European countries were able| | | to help in the economic recovery of | to recover from the effects of WWII, and | | | post-war Europe by giving aid to them. | thus, people in the Western bloc were not| | | He said that the countries were going to | supportive of communism. | | | have to choose between communism and | | | | democracy. Providing economic aid was a | | | | good way to prevent the spread of | | | | communism in Europe as countries in | | | | poverty were more receptive towards | | | | communism. There was also strong public | | | | feeling, in some parts of US society, | | | | that the USA (as a wealthy nation) should| | | | be doing something about the poverty and | | | | suffering in Europe. The Marshall Plan | | | | gave out $13 billion across Europe. | | | 2. Worsened relations between USSR and | Instead of offering aid to the USSR under| This was an impact of the Marshall Plan | | USA | the Marshall Plan, the USA told the USSR | because it signifies a breakdown in the | | | it could join the Marshall Plan as | relationship between the two superpowers.| | | aid-giver. While the USA had been | | | | relatively untouched by the war, the USSR| | | | had suffered terribly in terms of | | | | devastation from the fighting, loss of | | | | armed troops and also civilian losses. | | | | The USSR refused to join the Marshall | | | | Plan and told all of its satellite states| | | | in the Eastern bloc not to accept aid as | | | | Stalin felt that the Marshall Plan was | | | | part of Western plans to expand its | | | | influence over Europe. | | | 3. Economic recovery and cooperation in | In 1949, the USSR set up Comecon among | This was an impact of the Marshall Plan | | the Eastern bloc. | Eastern bloc countries to counter the | because with time, the USSR | | | Marshall Plan, although the USSR did not |‘ rationalized’ the industries in its | | | lend much money at first. Comecon was | satellites, Poland-shipbuilding, | | | set up to exchange economic experiences, | Hungary-trucks. This brought the | | | extend technical aid to one another, and | satellite states under USSR’s control. | | | to render mutual assistance with respect | | | | to raw materials, foodstuffs, machines, | | | | equipment, etc. It was also to tie the | | | | USSR and its satellites together more | | | | tightly in various trade dependencies. | | | 4. USSR sets up COMECON | | |