cold war

Question 1

why were the USSR and USA rivals ?

Answer 1

USSR - were a communist country, felt they were under threat by aggressive capitalist countries
USA - is a capitalist country, USA was convinced that the USSR were trying to spread communism so it united with other capitalist countries e.g. Britain and France

• when communists took control in 1917 USA, France and Britain sent supplies to those fighting against it
• Russia not invited to peace talks at the end of WW1 ( parts of Russia were given away ) increased resentment
• 1919 suicide bomber exploded at house of Mitchell Palmer feared it was communists - led to 6000 suspected communists arrested
• USSR failed to form anti-Hitler league, saw this as a sign that Britain and France would allow Hitler to attack them ( Hitler was anti-communist)

Question 2

what were the tensions after WW2 ?

Answer 2

• Britain and France disagreed with USSR over what to do with the countries devastated by the war.
• Britain and USA felt that countries of Europe should be helped to recover quickly, time of peace and trade
• USA willing to pay lots of money to help the recovery (Marshall plan)
• But Stalin wanted to keep Germany weak, wanted to keep Soviet troops inside the European countries he had invaded - gained control of 20 million more people than before the war
• Communists took control over Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland (Stalin helped) - led to Winston Churchill to declare that Europe had been divided by an ‘Iron curtain’

Question 3

What was the Truman Doctrine ?

Answer 3

• March 1947 - Truman made a speech that the USA would come to aid of any country under communist threat
• US would contain and control the communism - policy of containment became known as the ‘Truman doctrine’

Question 4

How was the cold war fought ?

Answer 4

• fought not directly
• war of threats, bluffs, and propaganda
• US allies fought Soviet allies (paid their allies + didn’t lose military troops because of this)
• Each side feared each other and a nuclear war
• fought in proxy wars

Question 5

What was NATO ? Who was in it ?

Answer 5

-USA
-Britain
-France
-Belgium
-Canada
Aim:
- Defense against the USSR + European allies to stop the spread of communism

Question 6

What was the Warsaw Pact ? Who was in it ?

Answer 6

-Albania
-Bulgaria
-East Germany
-Hungary
-Poland
-Romania
Aim:
-military alliance
-retaliation against NATO
-stop spread of communism