Tehran Conference November 1943:
Cause?
Agreements?
Consequence?
CAUSES:
The Grand Alliance needed to plan a strategy to end WW2
AGREEMENTS:
It was more of a success for Stalin as Roosevelt sided with him over Churchill, for example he rejected Churchill’s idea of an Allied invasion through the Balkans.
They agreed to open up a second front by invading France in May 1944.
They agreed the Soviet Union would have a war against Japan after WW2.
A UN would be set up after the war.
An area of Eastern Poland was added to the Soviet Union.
Free elections would be held in Eastern Europe
CONSEQUENCES:
Seemingly positive relationship between the superpowers
Yalta Conference February 1945:
Causes?
Agreements?
Consequences?
CAUSES:
The Big Three met again to discuss the government of post-war Europe.
The Soviet Union had liberated much of Eastern Europe from Nazi control so they needed to work out what to do with it.
They needed to solve their earlier disagreements about Germany and Poland.
AGREEMENTS:
Germany would be split into four zones, each to be controlled by a superpower including France, and would have to pay $20 billion, half of which went to the USSR.
A United Nations was also agreed to be set up and all nations would be allowed to join (set up in October 1945).
They would allow countries that had been liberated from German occupation to have free elections.
Eastern Europe could be a Soviet “sphere of influence”.
CONSEQUENCES:
Tensions increased because the Soviet Union created communist governments in Eastern Europe, seen by the West as breaking the agreement
Poland disagreements created mistrust because Stalin ensured that a Communist government took control by 1947.
Clash about reparations led to negative feelings on both sides as US didn’t want to risk another WW2 incident but the USSR felt that Germany was threatening them if they were allowed to stay powerful.
Potsdam Conference 1945:
Events before?
Causes?
Agreements?
Consequences?
EVENTS BEFORE:
Soviets did not remove their military presence from Eastern Europe.
Stalin set up a communist government in Poland, and insisted that it was a defensive measure against possible attacks.
Although the West began to demilitarise, Stalin refused to demilitarise the Red Army, which was the biggest in the world already.
In April 1945 Roosevelt died and was replaced with Truman who distrusted Stalin.
16th July 1945 Americans tested the Atomic bomb without asking Stalin.
CAUSES:
Germany had surrendered in May 1945 and the Allies needed to decide how to punish and rebuild Germany.
Leadership changes created tension: Harry Truman replaced Roosevelt and distrusted Stalin.
The USA had successfully tested the atomic bomb, giving it greater confidence.
AGREEMENTS:
Germany and Berlin split and Germany demilitarised and democracy established.
It would also pay reparations but mostly to USSR.
Poland’s frontier moved westwards to the rivers of Oder and Neisse.
CONSEQUENCES:
Disagreement over reparations increased tension between the USA and USSR.
Relations between the superpowers worsened, accelerating the development of the Cold War.
Stalin’s takeover of Eastern Europe 1943-1948:
Causes?
Events?
Consequences?
EVENTS BEFORE:
Soviets did not remove their military presence from Eastern Europe.
Stalin set up a communist government in Poland, and insisted that it was a defensive measure against possible attacks.
Although the West began to demilitarise, Stalin refused to demilitarise the Red Army, which was the biggest in the world already.
In April 1945 Roosevelt died and was replaced with Truman who distrusted Stalin.
16th July 1945 Americans tested the Atomic bomb without asking Stalin.
CAUSES:
Germany had surrendered in May 1945 and the Allies needed to decide how to punish and rebuild Germany.
Leadership changes created tension: Harry Truman replaced Roosevelt and distrusted Stalin.
The USA had successfully tested the atomic bomb, giving it greater confidence.
AGREEMENTS:
Germany and Berlin split and Germany demilitarised and democracy established.
It would also pay reparations but mostly to USSR.
Poland’s frontier moved westwards to the rivers of Oder and Neisse.
CONSEQUENCES:
Disagreement over reparations increased tension between the USA and USSR.
Relations between the superpowers worsened, accelerating the development of the Cold War
Long and Novikov Telegrams-1946:
George Kennan’s Long telegram (Feb 1946) and the Novikov telegram (Sept 1946) both said the other one was trying to dominate the world. This led to increased distrust and influenced the Truman Doctrine.
The Long Telegram was 8,000 words in length:
The USSR was heavily armed and feared the outside world.
The USSR was determined to spread communism and therefore there could be no peaceful co-existence between the USSR and the USA.
The USA was stronger than the USSR and so communism could be ‘contained’.
Iron Curtain Speech- Winston Churchill:
When?
What did he say?
5th March 1946
Illustrated the divide between East and West
Churchill condemned the expansion into Eastern Europe
The Truman Doctrine 1947:
Causes?
Key features?
Consequences?
CAUSES:
Britain could no longer afford to support Greece and Turkey, which were threatened by communist movements.
The USA feared the spread of communism in Europe.
The US wanted to use their atomic bomb to put pressure on the USSR and prevent expansion.
The US government believed the USSR was trying to expand its influence globally.
KEY FEATURES:
Truman (USA), publicly stated that the world was divided between free, non-communist countries, and unfree, communist countries.
It described communism as the will of a minority being imposed upon a majority.
The US decided to provide aid to Europe and become more involved in their affairs, but nothing was done yet.
CONSEQUENCES:
The USA promised to support countries resisting communism.
It marked the beginning of the policy of containment.
The USSR saw this as aggressive, increasing Cold War tensions.
USSR set up Cominform, an organisation set up in 1947 to control Eastern Europe politically. It was introduced to ensure that eastern European countries followed Soviet policies.
The Marshall Plan- 1947:
The economic aid to back up the words of his doctrine, which cemented most of Europe’s loyalty.
CAUSES:
Europe’s economies were devastated after WWII.
The USA feared poverty would encourage support for communism.
The USA wanted to rebuild European markets for American goods.
KEY FEATURES:
America gave $13 billion to Europe, which increased to $17bn by 1953.
Eastern Bloc countries declined financial help as well as the Soviet Union
16 countries were given aid
US advisers helped rebuild transport systems and factories were repaired by US machinery.
In return for aid the countries would trade with the US and allow US companies to invest capital in their industries.
CONSEQUENCES:
The USSR said it was “dollar imperialism” and that the US was trying to gain influence in Europe. This open criticism showed the distrust.
The USSR set up Comecon in 1949, an economic organisation which helped tighten his control of Eastern Europe. It was supposed to offer financial aid to the USSR’s satellite states but, in reality, it was used by them to gain control of their economies and have access to their resources.
Distrust and rivalry increased.
The Berlin Crisis:
Causes?
Key features?
Consequences?
CAUSES
In January of 1947 the British and US zones merged to create Bizonia
In March 1948 the French joined and it was renamed Trizonia.
In June 1948, a new currency called the Deutschmark was introduced, which seemed to solidify the idea that there were two Germanys - West and East.
KEY FEATURES
On the 24th June 1948, Stalin cut off road, rail, and canal traffic in an attempt to starve West Berlin, because he wanted the Allies to pull out of their sectors.
On the 28th, the Berlin Airlift began. Planes were soon flying day and night at 90 second intervals. Truman wanted Berlin to be a symbol of freedom.
In September 1948, planes were flying in 4,600 tons of supplies a day, but it wasn’t enough.
During the 16-17th April 1949, the airlift was at its peak. 1,398 flights landed nearly 13,000 tons of supplies in 24 hours.
On the 12th May 1949, Stalin called off the blockade. During this period there were a total of 275,000 flights with an average of 4,000 tons of supplies a day.
West Berlin had survived, which for Stalin was a defeat and humiliation.
CONSEQUENCES:
On the 4th April 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO, was set up. Its main purpose was to prevent Soviet expansion.
In May 1949, the Western Allies announced that their formal occupation zones would join together to form the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany).
In October 1949, Stalin announced that the Soviet zone would become the GDR (German Democratic Republic).
On 9th May 1955, West Germany became a member of NATO which allowed it to remilitarise. Stalin saw this as a direct threat to the Eastern Bloc countries.
On the 14th May 1955, the Warsaw Pact was created. It was a military treaty set up between the USSR and its European satellite states. Designed to counter the threat of NATO. The existence of the two opposing alliance systems increased rivalry between the USA and the USSR and intensified the arms race.
East and West rivalry greatly increased.
Throughout this time, the Arms Race between the two superpowers was also happening. It began in 1945 when the USA held its first atomic bomb test. At the start of the race, the USA held the most power, however from 1957 when Sputnik was launched by the USSR, they began to take back some power. Despite the USA being untouchable (too far for missiles to reach), the USSR was becoming much more of a threat.
NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV IN POWER IN 1953 - STALIN DIES
Khrushchev believed in peaceful coexistence and denounced Stalin’s policies in a ‘secret speech’ on February 26th 1956
EISENHOWER ALSO IN POWER IN 1953 - TRUMAN REPLACED
Hungarian Uprising- 1956:
Causes?
10 Key Features?
Consequences?
CAUSES:
People disliked Rakosi:
He was a hard-line communist and took orders from Moscow. He killed 2,000 people in the purges and imprisoned 200,000 political opponents.
The Secret Police (AVH) were hated and dreaded.
The leader of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Mindszenty was imprisoned for life in 1949.
1952: lowest agricultural output ever (Rakosi’s five year plan failed)
Russian language being forced on people e.g. Hungarian signs replaced
Malenkov (ruler after Stalin) replaced him with Imre Nagy.
Nagy introduced reforms and released Cardinal Mindszenty, as well as said he would withdraw from the Warsaw Pact
KEY FEATURES
July 1956: Due to unrest, Rakosi replaced by Erno Gero, another hardline Communist, hoping it would limit unrest.
23 October 1956: A student and workers’ demonstration in Budapest demands democracy, freedom from the USSR and freedom of speech. Members of the AVH (secret police) are killed, Soviet statues of Stalin torn down and communists attacked.
25th October: tanks open fire on protesters killing twelve and wounding over 100
26th October: reinstated Nagy
30th October: Nagy released some political prisoners e.g. Cardinal Mindzsenty
31st October: Nagy publishes reforms such as freedom of speech and Hungary becoming neutral. He wanted to leave the Warsaw pact and develop trade links with the West.
1st November 1956: Nagy announced that Hungary would be leaving the Warsaw Pact.
4th November: under pressure from China’s leader, Mao Zedong, who urged him to stay strong, Khrushchev sent in 200,000 troops and 6,000 tanks. 7,000 soviet troops were killed but 20,000 Hungarians were.
10th November: ceasefire agreed. Nagy replaced by Janos Kadar.
1958: Nagy executed in Romania
CONSEQUENCES:
The uprising made Khrushchev’s position in the USSR much more secure and gave him a stronger position in the Warsaw Pact.
Members knew they must do as they were told.
If they rebelled they could not expect military support from the US, which made Khrushchev more confident in dealing with the US because he now knew no military action was likely to be taken.
The US had offered $6 million in financial aid and encouraged Eastern Europe to rise up against the communist rule, but despite Eisenhower being sympathetic towards the Hungarians, nothing was done. Some NATO nations took in refugees, but no military support was offered. A military attack on a Soviet state could trigger a nuclear war.
Superpower relations worsened again because Khrushchev had shown that he was not any better than Stalin.
The Berlin Ultimatum- 1958:
Causes?
Key Events?
Consequences?
CAUSES:
West Germany was a member of NATO and the European Economic Community. It was a prosperous symbol of success of the West within Communist territory
Khrushchev was wary of a German invasion
He thought the USA was using it for espionage
“Brain drain” between 1949 and 1961 4 million people fled to the West from the East. This increased to 20,000 a month from January 1961. One day the entire maths department of Leipzig university moved.
SUMMITS:
Eisenhower was willing to negotiate so they had two summits, Paris and Vienna.
Paris (1960):
due to be on the 14th May 1960. 9 days before this, the Soviets shot down a U-2 spy plane and captured the pilot. Khrushchev demanded an apology and to end the flights
Eisenhower did not apologise but was prepared to stop the flights.
Khrushchev stormed out of the preliminary meetings and Eisenhower cancelled his planned visit to the USSR
The Summit did not take place
Vienna (1961)
New president, JFK. Khrushchev thought he would be able to push him around
However Kennedy had reasserted the Truman Doctrine in his inauguration speech on 20th Jan 1961 and refused to withdraw Western forces and increased defence spending by $3.5 bn.
In July, Khrushchev increased the defence budget by 30%.
CONSEQUENCES:
Construction of the Berlin Wall on 13th August 1961. The original barbed wire wall was about 43km long around West Berlin. Eventually, it was replaced by a stronger wall which was 3.6m high and 1.2m wide, with the gap full of watchtowers, floodlights, dogs, patrollers, machine guns etc.
Standoff at Checkpoint Charlie
Germans were split by the wall
Physical symbol of division
Brain drain ended
Over 130 people were killed trying to cross.
Khrushchev had been forced to accept Western control in West Berlin.
Now that Berlin was divided, there was less likelihood that the US and the USSR would go to war over Berlin.
Kennedy made his “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech to show support for the people of West Berlin
Bay of Pigs Invasion- 1961:
Causes?
Key Features?
Consequences?
CAUSES:
1959 - Fidel Castro won an uprising against Batista, putting himself in charge. This scared America because Cuba was only 145 km from the US mainland.
In Summer 1959 Castro released a series of agrarian reforms and took over US companies based in Cuba.
He increased tax on US imports. This prompted Nixon to stop all trade with Cuba, although the sugar trade to the US was 80% of its exports.
This strengthened Cuba’s relationship with the USSR as Khrushchev picked up the sugar trade.
Castro nationalised all US businesses.
KEY FEATURES:
The CIA trained Cuban exiles in Guatemala and Florida
The operation had a budget of $45 million
On April 17th 1961, 1400 Cuban exiles (La Brigada 2506) landed at the Bay of Pigs and met 20,000 of Castro’s army.
19th April: 100 killed and 1100 imprisoned.
CONSEQUENCES:
Great embarrassment for Kennedy and made him more determined to remove Castro
He set up Operation Mongoose, a CIA operation to remove him
Pushed Castro to the USSR, and at the end of 1961 Castro declared he would become fully communist.
In September 1961, Khrushchev announced that he would provide nuclear arms to Cuba and protect them against future attacks.
Cuba a direct threat as it was now equipped with nuclear weapons which could target and reach all important cities in the US.
This increased tensions and helped lead to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Cuban Missile Crisis- 1962:
Causes?
Key Features?
Consequences?
CAUSES:
In September 1962 Soviet technicians began installing Ballistic missiles in Cuba
On the 14th October a U-2 spy plane showed that Soviet intermediate range Ballistic missile bases were being constructed. These would be operational by November.
These could hit almost any US city, so were a huge threat.
KEY FEATURES:
Tuesday 16th - Kennedy decided to impose a 3,300km naval blockade to prevent any Soviet ship delivering military materials to Cuba. A fleet of Polaris submarines were made ready for action and 156 ICBMs were made ready for combat. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were placed on combat alert.
22nd - Kennedy spoke on television whilst US armed forces prepared themselves for action.
23rd - Kennedy informed the USSR that if they didn’t remove all missiles then it would lead to an invasion of Cuba. Eighteen Soviet ships approaching Cuba turned around to avoid confrontation with the US blockade.
26th - Khrushchev sent Kennedy a letter which offered to remove the missiles if the blockade was removed and there was a promise not to invade Cuba.
27th - Khrushchev sent a tougher letter promising to remove the missiles if the USA removed its missiles in Turkey. A U-2 spy plane was shot down over Cuba by the Soviet Union.
28th - President Kennedy’s brother told him to accept the first letter. He added that if there was no Soviet response by the 29th October, the US forces would invade Cuba. The USA agreed to remove missiles from Turkey, but this would take place well after the removal of all missiles on Cuba. Khrushchev accepted the offer.
CONSEQUENCES:
Khrushchev humiliated: China’s leader criticised him for placing missiles in Cuba and then backing down. Within the USSR, he was seen to have failed over Cuba and this contributed to his removal as leader in 1964. He was made to remove his weapons from Cuba, losing his upper-hand and lots of support because the US didn’t broadcast their removal of missiles from Turkey so it appeared that they did nothing.
Removal of missiles from Turkey (secretly) and Cuba.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty - 1968 The countries that signed it agreed not to develop nuclear weapons, which reduced the risk of a nuclear war.
Hotline set up: To ensure that the two leaders didn’t communicate by letter in case of a crisis. Created between the White House and the Kremlin in Moscow.
Limited Test Ban Treaty - August 1963 Both the USA and the USSR agreed to stop testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) began in 1969 as both countries recognised the need to reduce their weapons.
Initially increased rivalry but in other respects reduced tension. e.g the US sold grain to the USSR in 1963 following bad harvests.
Czechoslovakian Invasion- 1968:
Causes?
Key Features?
Consequences?
CAUSES:
Novotny unpopular because he was slow to implement “de-Stalinisation” and very slow to release political prisoners jailed under Stalin,
Czechoslovakian economy in serious decline. The USSR forced it to make steel for them but the Czechoslovakians needed the steel. National income fell from 1962-63 and Novotny’s New Economic Model was failing as it produced a surplus of consumer goods no one could afford.
In October 1967 Dubcek challenged Novotny’s leadership at the Central Committee of the Communist Party meeting. Brezhnev came to Prague and was surprised at the extent of opposition to Novotny.
He then supported Dubcek to replace him as First Secretary of the Communist Party on the 5th January 1968.
Spring 1968 - Dubcek releases a series of reforms called the “Prague Spring reforms” which become known as “Socialism with a human face.” This included reducing the secret police and more democratic elections as well as removal of travel restrictions and trade with the West e.g West Germany.
June 1968 the Social Democrats began to form a rival party.
The USSR became worried as Czechoslovakia was a key member of the Warsaw Pact due to its central position and stable economy.
KEY FEATURES:
9th August - leader of Yugoslavia, Tito who was distrusted by Brezhnev is welcomed into Czechoslovakia, angering him.
15-18 August - Three day meeting of the Politburo to decide what to do. Brezhnev shouted at Dubcek on the phone, saying he would bring down the Warsaw Pact.
20th August - 500,000 Soviet, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Polish and East German troops invaded Czechoslovakia. Fewer than 100 people were killed.
Petrol bombs thrown at tanks, buildings set on fire, protestors assembled in Wenceslas Square, barricades set up and street names torn down to confuse invaders.
CONSEQUENCES:
Immediate Consequences:
Dubcek and the other leaders were arrested and taken to Moscow and over the next few years replaced with hard-line communist officials (eg new leader Husak)
Dubcek was forced to resign, sent as an ambassador to Turkey and was then expelled from the Communist Party.
Consequences that had an impact on relations between other Communist countries:
The Soviets used propaganda to show that the events in Czechoslovakia were a serious threat to the Soviet Union.
Autumn 1968 - Brezhnev Doctrine published in Pravda. According to the doctrine, the Soviet Union had the right to invade any country in eastern Europe whose actions appeared to threaten the security of the whole Eastern Bloc. Brezhnev insisted the invasion was necessary because Dubcek had threatened the Warsaw Pact.
The doctrine redefined communism as a one party system and declared that all member countries had to stay in the Warsaw Pact. If any capitalist country threatened a communist country, other communist countries could intervene using force.
Increased the rivalry between the USSR and China as China feared the USSR might do the same to them.
Albania refused to send troops and left the Warsaw pact
Consequences that had an impact on the relationship between the East and West:
Temporarily worsened relations between the two, but they thawed after a slight break.
The USA was busy with a presidential election and the Vietnam War. The two leaders had an unspoken deal that they wouldn’t interfere with each other’s wars (Czechoslovakia and Vietnam).
America condemned it publicly but offered no military aid.
The Soviet Union lost influence in some western countries, who began to develop their own form of communism known as ‘Eurocommunism’.
Detente:
When was it?
Why did the US want it?
Why did the USSR want it?
Why did it happen?
Detente lasted between roughly 1967-1979, ending with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
WHY DID THE US WANT DETENTE?
Risk of nuclear war
Reduce expenditure on nuclear weapons
Focus on the Vietnam war (proxy war) which was hugely unpopular and had been going on since 1965
Civil unrest, MLK Malcom X etc
WHY DID THE USSR WANT DETENTE?
Avoid risk of nuclear war
Reduce expenditure on weapons
Focus on the economy and low standards of living
The Cuban Missile Crisis had shown both sides that talking to each other achieved much more than threatening each other. The new telephone hotline made this much easier.
Both sides were interested in reducing their nuclear arsenals as building and maintaining their nuclear weaponry was very expensive. The 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty showed that cooperation could help them to achieve this.
US intervention in Vietnam had failed to contain communism. Therefore, if the USA improved its relations with the Soviet Union, it could help the USA to negotiate a withdrawal. This was one of the reasons why President Richard Nixon visited Leonid Brezhnev, leader of the Soviet Union, in Moscow in 1972.
The USA and the Soviet Union were both worried about the growing power of communist China. The USA did not want to see a communist alliance between the Soviet Union and China. Closer American and Soviet cooperation could prevent this.
The USA hoped that talks with the Soviet Union might result in more freedom for people in Eastern Europe.
Salt 1- May 1972:
Treaties and Agreements?
Consequences?
SALT 1 was signed in May 1972 after several years of difficult negotiations between the USA and the USSR.
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty: only two missile sites allowed, each with a maximum 100 missiles.
Interim Treaty: only until 1977, placed limits on the amount of ICBMs/SLBMs each country could have. The USSR was allowed more than the US.
Basic Principles Agreement: laid down rules for the conduct of nuclear warfare, and set out steps to avoid a nuclear war.
There were a few weaknesses with the agreement: it was unrealistic to expect that it would stop a nuclear war, and it didn’t cover later technological developments. MIRVs were not limited.
CONSEQUENCES:
It had a major symbolic importance because both the USSR and USA wanted to show their better relations publicly and reach an agreement.
Helsinki Agreements- August 1975:
Causes?
Agreements (baskets)?
Consequences?
CAUSES:
Nixon visited Moscow in 1972 and made it clear he did not see the Vietnam war as an obstacle to detente
Nixon had visited China three months earlier making Brezhnev wary of an alliance
The soviets wanted to trade with the US
Nixon agreed to take part in a European Security Conference and there they agreed the Helsinki Agreements. Helsinki Agreements were announced in August 1975, between 33 NATO nations and the Warsaw Pact.
Basket 1: the first time that boundaries between East/West Germany and the existing boundaries of the Soviet-controlled countries were formally accepted.
Basket 2: spirit of cooperation, Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975.
Basket 3: the USA wanted an extension of human rights into Soviet-controlled territories. The Soviets were concerned that things would be set up to monitor Soviet policies in their satellite states
This was the high point of detente. Americans were unhappy with baskets 1 and 2, but thrilled with 3. The Soviets were the opposite.
CONSEQUENCES:
Following the human rights agreements, Carter sent a letter to the Soviet dissident, Andrei Sakharov, supporting the stand he was making against the Soviet authorities.
Brezhnev made a speech at the Helsinki talks saying this was a huge interference in their affairs
Helsinki groups set up around Europe to monitor the USSR’s adherence to the agreements
Despite the agreements, the USSR sent weapons to Angola and Ethiopia, and by 1980 21 other African states had received weapons.
17th July 1975 - Apollo-soyuz mission: 5 US and USSR astronauts met up in Space and shook hands
SALT 2 was signed on the 18th June 1979 by both the USSR and the USA. When the USSR invaded Afghanistan, SALT 2 was still in the process of ratification, and president Carter had it withdrawn.
Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan- 1979:
Causes?
Key Features?
Consequences?
CAUSES:
27th April 1978 - Communists take over
Afghans reject this government
Mujahideen emerges and declared a jihad
September 1979 - Amin in power
Amin entered discussions with the USA which the USSR didn’t like.
Brezhnev believed that the US would tolerate the invasion in the same way it did 11 years ago in Czechoslovakia.
Despite Amin being a communist, Brezhnev didn’t trust him. The Soviet secret police reported he was a spy.
Brezhnev feared that if Afghanistan became an Islamic state, this could influence other countries to do the same. Islamic states were not communist, so this could harm Soviet interests in the region.
KEY FEATURES
25th December 1979: 500,000 troops sent in to fight the mujahideen and restore order.
27th December 1979: Amin shot and replaced by Babrak Kamal.
Barbrak Kamal argued that he had enough support to form a new government but he needed the 85000 soviet troops to help him stay in power as lots of Afghan soldiers deserted to join the mujahideen.
The invasion was seen as a disaster for Afghanistan and the Soviet Union.
It lasted for 10 years and around 1.5 million people died, including 15,000 Russian soldiers.
CONSEQUENCES
US president Jimmy Carter was appalled. He wrote the Carter Doctrine - the USSR would not be allowed to gain territory in the oil rich Middle East. They would also take steps to remove USSR troops from Afghanistan.
Carter formed an alliance with China and Israel to support the mujahideen, sending weapons. ($3 bn in support) Carter imposed economic sanctions, stopping virtually all trade with the Soviet Union, and ended diplomatic relations with them. US companies could no longer sell technology such as computers there.
Carter increased US defence spending by 5%.
The US boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games and 56 countries followed this lead. In return, the USSR and 14 communist countries refused to take part in the 1984 LA Olympics.
In the nine-year conflict, 1 million civilians and 15,000 soviet soldiers were killed, making it a huge embarrassment for Brezhnev.
NATO places long range missiles in Europe.
Death of detente.
Second Cold War- 1979-1985:
Attitude to foreign policy?
Reagan’s defence policy?
The Zero Option?
Strategic Defensive Initiative?
Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the US from 1981-89. Prior to his presidency, he was the Governor of California, and before that he was an actor. He introduced a few policies:
Attitude to foreign policy: fighting communism was the main emphasis of Reagan’s policies. He placed less emphasis on human rights and more on increasing US defence. He also wanted to eradicate the humiliation of the Vietnam War, the hostage crisis in Iran, and the influence of the USSR in both Africa and Central America.
Reagan’s defence policy:
Reagan announced that US defence between 1981 and 1987 would cost more than a trillion dollars.
This included the development of the neutron bomb.
The result of this strategy was worsening superpower relations.
Tensions rose because Reagan felt he could win a limited nuclear war with the USSR, a strategy called NUTS, whereas before it had been MAD that was accepted.
He developed stealth bombers and 6 trident submarines.
The Soviet Union placed SS20 missiles in the Western Soviet Union, so the USA placed cruise missiles in Western Europe (undetectable by radar)
The zero option: cancelling deployment of the new IBCMs in Europe in return for the USSR dismantling 600 SS20 intermediate range missiles.
proposed in 1981 by Reagan because he knew the USSR were in a position to accept because of their economic problems, but Brezhnev declined.
This meant the US could put more missiles in Europe.
“Evil Empire speech” 8th June 1982 to the House of Commons
In response, Soviet leader Andropov compared him to Hitler and insulted him a lot.
Strategic defence initiative: announced on the 23rd March 1983 by Reagan. It was a plan to stop missiles by shielding the US and destroying them - ground and space based. The USSR accused the USA of preparing a first strike attack. They said it would give the US an advantage in any conflict and would then consider a tactical nuclear war. US Congress voted in favour of funds for the development of SDI. The Soviet Union could not compete at all since their economy was failing and they had very limited computers.
Gorbachev’s new thinking
Soviet economy was failing, a housewife would have to wait 5 hours to buy a loaf of bread due to shortages
Political situation unstable as they had three leaders in two years
War in afghanistan failing and causing unrest asw as bad quality of living
In April 1986, Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine went into meltdown and exploded. Gorbachev approved a cover up that denied there had been any radiation leak but it was clear to Western powers there had been. The cost of containing and decontaminating the area was an estimated eighteen million roubles and almost bankrupted the USSR. Chernobyl was a powerful symbol of the problems in communism.
Realising the USSR could never out-spend the USA, Gorbachev began to cut spending on nuclear weapons. He initiated the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) with the USA and in 1987 signed a deal to limit the production of Intermediate Range Nuclear Missiles.
What were Perestroika and Glasnost?
Perestroika - Russian for ‘reconstruction’. It was used to describe his programme for reorganising and restructuring the Soviet state.
Glasnost - Russian for ‘openness’. Used to describe his new, open, attitude to government and foreign relations.
When Gorbachev was appointed in March of 1985, he introduced his ‘new thinking’
GLASNOST:
Banned books published again
People could openly criticise the government
Atrocities of Stalin made public
Religious freedoms given
CIA made a report praising it
PERESTROIKA:
Infant mortality rate dropped by 50%
Gorbachev travelled around Russia talking to workers “walkabouts”
Foreign companies could invest in the economy
July 1987: Production quotas abolished so Soviet companies could choose how much they wanted to produce
He also wanted to abandon the Brezhnev doctrine and end the arms race.
The Dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War- 1985 - 1991:
November 1985 - the Geneva Summit took place between Gorbachev and Reagan. They discussed the SDI and spoke of the world being a safer place. The Geneva Accord was set out: speed up arms talks, abolish chemical weapons, be more active in human rights. Both were able to be amicable.
1986 - the Reykjavik Summit was supposed to take place but it collapsed after Reagan refused to give up SDI.
1987- The INF Treaty was held in December and Gorbachev hoped it would be signed in Moscow in 1988. The Treaty agreed to the elimination of all nuclear missiles with a range between 500-5500 km. Stockpiles started to be reduced. Although Reagan didn’t change his mind about SDI, Gorbachev did because he thought that the US wouldn’t attack anyway and that it would win him Western popularity. Almost 3000 weapons were scrapped and both countries could inspect the other.
1989 - (ten years after the invasion, think taylor swift!) the USSR withdrew from the war in Afghanistan, which went a long way in improving relations between the east and west. Hungary opened its border with Austria so people could then move to West Germany from East Germany. Also in 1989 Gorbachev visited East Germany and informed political leaders that the Soviet Union would no longer be involved in its internal affairs.
4th November 1989 - large demonstrations in East Germany took place (300,000 in Liepzig and one million in East Berlin). The government was unable to stop the demonstrations after seeing other eastern European countries abandon communism.
9th November 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. The government was forced to allow free travel for east Germans and in the evening they announced the opening of border crossings into West Germany.
Sinatra Doctrine in 1989 - He accepted that members of the Warsaw Pact could make changes to their own countries without expecting outside interference.
3rd December 1989 - Malta conference, Cold war declared over, leading to CFE treaty
3rd October 1990 West and East Germany were formally reunited.
Washington talks: START treaty limits ballistic missiles to 4,900 each and reduction of warheads by 25% in 7 years.
1990 - Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania declare themselves independent, refusing to accept Gorbachev’s proposed constitution.
July 1991 - Warsaw Pact formally ended
19th August 1991 - senior communist government officials (gang of eight) organised a coup which removed Gorbachev from power because they felt he was weakening communism.
21st August (three days later) the coup is defeated and Gorbachev returns to Moscow.
