Stalins Buffer Zone

Question 1

What was Stalin’s aim after the war and how did he do this?

Answer 1

To protect the USSR from future invasions. From 1945 he began to create a buffer zone in Eastern Europe. He did this by turning countries liberated from Nazi occupation into satellite states with communist governments.

Question 2

How did Stalin justify creating his buffer zone?

Answer 2

• Russia has been invaded by Germany twice since 1900 and many European countries had been hostile to the Soviet Union
  -Many countries including Poland shared borders with Russia and Stalin believe it was imortant they should have pro communist governments in order to guarantee long term safety

Question 3

What were the two ways that satellite countries became communist?

Answer 3

• Some countries chose to become communist because they were grateful for the Soviet red army liberating them
• Stalin also used very provocative methods aswell such as intimidating voters, rigging elections, ignoring election results, forcing non-
  communist politicians to flee or face imprisonment, and even forcefully removing non-communists from power and executing his opponents.

Question 4

Give one example of these provocative methods of creating satellite countries

Answer 4

In 1944, during the war, Poles staged a rebellion against German occupation known as the Warsaw Uprising. The Soviets had promised to support them, but instead of helping the Red Army waited until the uprising had been crushed, Only then did they invade Poland and put a pro-communist government in place. At first, it included some politicians who were supporters of democracy. However, after rigged elections in 1947, these politicians were forced to flee or face imprisonment. Overall, Stalin wanted to make it seem like democratic elections were being held in Poland but wanted to ensure that the result worked in his favour.

Question 5

What did Stalin eventually create?

Answer 5

many countries in Eastern Europe became communist in the years after the war. They formed the USSR’s ‘sphere of Influence’

Question 6

Why would Britain and USA be unhappy with stalins actions in Eastern Europe?

Answer 6

• He had betrayed the yalta conference for free democratic elections and USA felt threatened that measures would be needed to be taken to suppress communism
• Eastern Europe was a stepping stone for the takeover of Western Europe