Development of Cold war
- Created by: hiimlaurynharrisimnew
- Created on: 09-04-18 17:19
Importance of Churchills iron curtain speech March
Key ideas:
Europe was firmly divided
The Ussr controlled all E Europe states equally
West need to negotiate to form strength
Ussr wanted to expand without limit and also expand doctrine of communism
.Summed up usa fears that russia was expanding and imposing controls and opposed communism
Reactions to the speech
Stalin argued ussr had a right to take measures to secure itself and make neighbours loyal. Called churchill firebrand of war
USA thought speech was irrisponsalbe and poisonous.Truman didnt really approve
Speech never changed Us policy, which was opposing communism. Speech was less important than Kennan who wanred of traditional russian ambitions to expand
1946 usa mood was shifting towards meeting dangers of communist expansion, confimred changing views.
Accuracy and Importance
Berlin was not under total soviet control nor was Vienna
in belgrade the control wasnt as strong
Speech was unaware of soviet security needs and overexaggerated stalins moves. Stalin didnt intervene in greece
Vivid image of speech provked anti russian and ramped up tension
Soviet influence was not as uniform as churchill made out
Impact of soviet control of E Europe on cold war P
At yalta 1945 they dealed on declaration of liberated europe so countries chose forms of government. In lands anneed by ussr there was no choice!
Poland: Soviet forces set up PG in june 1945 by communists who did not have support. They stopped free elections. Non communst peasent party reps resigned over that
Romania
december 1945 king imposed new gov. Stalin created national democratic front in 1946
Thsi won 80& votes by violence and pressure in november 1946 elections
in november 1947 king was made to abdicate and communist peoples republic formed april 1948
Soviet Zone of Germany
SPD was formed to merge with Commies for unity party after arrest of spd members
This wuld be the basis of government when an indepednat east germany established 1949
Bulgaria
Stalin wanted communists to accept non commies in gov and accept election results of october 1946 giving 3rd of votes to non commie parties
by 1947 stalin allowed commies to repress oppostion with backing of russian army
Hungary
Stalin allowed free elections in noember 1945
1947 leading oppostion leader was arrested and control was established
March 1948 socialsits merged with communists and indepedntant front was only party
Czechslovakia
March 1946 elections gave the commies 38% vote. Benes was able to work with commies but 1947 pressure for communist domination.
USSR determined to prevent czechs accepting marshall aid and 1948 feb coup took place with soviet support
Greece and Finland
Stalin didnt get involved until civil war in greece and didnt control finland after 1947 peace treaty gave naval base at petsamo to ussr
Elements of domination
Russians used salami tactics= ebntered pacts with parties then sliced them out of coalsitions
Ussr forced merges with socialsits to stregnthen itself and these were dominanted by commies backed by army
Elections were controlld by violence
Extensive propaganda and establishment of poltical police
1948 pro moscow comm leaders had been established and opp destroyed by arrests and murder.
The truman doctrine and marshall aid intro
12th march 1947 truman appealed for congress to strengthen non comm forces
He set out for his first way free institutions, representative gov free electiond and relgion etc, the second was based on the will of minorty imposed on majority using teror and oppression
It was policy of usa to support free peoples who resist attempted subjugation by armed minorites.
Recgonised poltical extremism and dictatorship had orgins in misery and want
Follow up was marsahll plan of june 1947 with aid to europe. stalin forbade soviet dom countries to attend the meeting. Congress approved it in 1948 and org for euro econ develop was up.
Why were these policies adopted?
usa couldnt rely on gb which had econ problms and overstrecthed forces
Fighting broke out in greece 1946 and stalin allowed comm focres from balkans to assist them
1947 clear stalin wasnt keeping yalta agreement about elections in eurupe
large comm parties in italy and gemrnay and comm focres fighting us nationalsits in china
expansion of comm was a threat to us econ interests
widley hled that rise of dictators and expasnionsist regimes betwene wars owed to poverty. In interesto f usa to use wealth o prevent problems and be in a europe war
us advisers ha accpeted model of dynamic communism trheatning us interests
Results
usa was committed to foreign policy of containment to use econ and miltiary power to interevne in europe then world affairs
Polciy confirmd emrgence of mutually hostile blocs
stregnthened anti comm feeling in usa- red scare
stregthened hosility in comm bloc which saw us attempts to use dollar diplomacy to exercise power
Most 12.7 billion aid as used to buy raw stuff from usa and defence
Supported re industrlasiation of west germany promoting poltical stability after 1949
econ results were varaible. Britan didnt use this opp for inbestment in infraturcture
Long term commitment to aid which conitnued after 1951 with 7 billion oing to europe under mutual security plan
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