Cold war key dates

Question 1

When was the Potsdam conference?

Answer 1

July 1945

Question 2

When was the first atomic bomb dropped? - how did this effect the cold war?

Answer 2

The ‘atom bomb’ on Hiroshima 6th August 1945, killing over 140,000 people
- USA developed bomb in secret
- Stalin had spies ( Klaus Fuchs and Rudolf Peierls) working on Manhattan project so he knew all along
- Developed mistrust
- Ties in with Potsdam when Truman told Stalin that the USA ‘possessed a new weapon’ further adding to this mistrust between the superpowers

Question 3

How did Soviet Expansion into Eastern Europe effect the cold war?

Answer 3

• Stalin’s expansion into eastern europe made the USA feel threatened…
• Truman Doctrine (March 1947) - Containment policy bagun to stop communism spreading further so the USA won’t lose control, Under the doctrine the USA prepared to send money, equipment and advice to any county threatened by communist takeover
• Marshall Plan - American general george marshall found a ruinded economy in europe e.g. extreme foot shortages. $17billion aid was finally granted in 1948 when USSR invaded Czechoslovakia to help ‘rebuild europe’ for conatinment

Question 4

How did Stalin react to the Marshall Plan?

Answer 4

• He was suspicious and banned communist states from applying for it and set up his own version COMECON in January 1949