THE COLD WAR SYSTEM
EXTENSIVE NOTES
Early Cold War, 1947-53: Truman & Stalin
1945
YALTA CONFERENCE The ‘Big Three’ met to sort out what would happen to Europe after the
end of the War. Problems arose immediately about the control of Eastern
Europe. Stalin did eventually agree to the principle of ‘free elections’ in
Eastern Europe. Agreements were also made that divided Germany and
Berlin into four sectors owned jointly by the major powers, Britain, France,
the USA and the USSR.
POSTDAM CONFERENCE The ‘Big Three’ had changed – Roosevelt had died and was replaced with
Truman, and Churchill lost the election during the conference and was
replaced with Attlee. Stalin began to feel that he was not being shown the
respect he deserved, especially by Truman, who attempted to intimidate
Stalin with the news of the successful atomic bomb test in the USA.
HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI Little Boy’ bomb, dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, had a
capacity of 12,500 tons of TNT – it killed 70,000 people within two
seconds.
‘Fat Man’ bomb, dropped on Nagasaki on 9 August, had a capacity of
25,000 tons of TNT – it killed 50,000 people within two seconds. Japan
unconditionally surrendered on 14 August.
COMMUNIST CONTROL OF Albania (1945); Bulgaria (1945); Poland (1947); Hungary (1947); Romania
EASTERN EUROPE GROWS (1945–1947); Czechoslovakia (1945–1948); East Germany (1949) – Russia
turned their zone of Germany into the German Democratic Republic in
1949.
1946
KENNAN’S LONG This was an analysis of the foreign policy of the USSR and its possible
TELEGRAM future actions. It stated that the Soviet leadership were suspicious and
aggressive and that there must be no compromises with the USSR. Only
a hard-line approach would be e ective in containing Communism. The
Telegram proved to be the basis for the Truman Doctrine.
Kennan’s ideas of containment were the basis of the Truman
administration’s foreign policy: “The main element of ant United States
policy toward the Soviet Union, must be that of a long-term, patient but
rm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.” To that
end, he called for countering “Soviet pressure against the free institutions
of the Western world” through the “adroit and vigilant application of
counter-force at a series of constantly shifting geographical and political
points, corresponding tot he shifts and manoeuvres of Soviet policy.”
1947
TRUMAN DOCTRINE The USA pledged $400 million to help Greece and Turkey due to the fact
that Britain was no longer in a position to do so. This was an attempt to
stave o Communism and the rst example of an active US policy to
combat the threat of Communism in Europe.
fi ff fi ff
, 1948
MARSHALL PLAN This was a huge pledge of money to help countries that wished to stave
o Communism. More than $13 billion was given to a vast number of
European countries including Britain, France and West Germany. The USA
made sure that all countries who took aid were now also major trading
partners of the USA!
COMINFORM This was the USSR’s reaction to the Truman Doctrine – it was an
organisation that was set up to ‘co-ordinate’ Communist groups and
parties across Europe.
1949
COMECON This was the USSR’s reaction to the Marshall Plan – it provided economic
assistance to the countries of Eastern Europe.
NATO The Berlin crisis had illustrated the fact that the West needed a more
centrally co-ordinated approach to the threat of Communist expansion.
This established military co-operation in the event of war, and included
countries such as Britain, France, Canada and Belgium, as well as many
smaller Western European nations.
USSR GET THE A-BOMB The USSR secretly tested their rst A-bomb a full six years earlier than
the USA had expected them to. The radiation was detected, and thus the
power balance of the Cold War had now dramatically been shifted.
1950
McCARTHYISM A hunt for the ‘Reds under the Beds’ took o in the USA. Joseph
McCarthy single-handedly sought to oust all Communist sympathisers in
the USA.
NSC-68 In the light of the new nuclear threat of Communism, NSC-68 was
produced, outlining the new direction that the USA’s foreign policy
needed to take in order to contain Communism. This new direction would
now focus on rollback, the view that Communism needed to be
confronted and pushed back to safeguard the free world.
ff
fi ff
EXTENSIVE NOTES
Early Cold War, 1947-53: Truman & Stalin
1945
YALTA CONFERENCE The ‘Big Three’ met to sort out what would happen to Europe after the
end of the War. Problems arose immediately about the control of Eastern
Europe. Stalin did eventually agree to the principle of ‘free elections’ in
Eastern Europe. Agreements were also made that divided Germany and
Berlin into four sectors owned jointly by the major powers, Britain, France,
the USA and the USSR.
POSTDAM CONFERENCE The ‘Big Three’ had changed – Roosevelt had died and was replaced with
Truman, and Churchill lost the election during the conference and was
replaced with Attlee. Stalin began to feel that he was not being shown the
respect he deserved, especially by Truman, who attempted to intimidate
Stalin with the news of the successful atomic bomb test in the USA.
HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI Little Boy’ bomb, dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, had a
capacity of 12,500 tons of TNT – it killed 70,000 people within two
seconds.
‘Fat Man’ bomb, dropped on Nagasaki on 9 August, had a capacity of
25,000 tons of TNT – it killed 50,000 people within two seconds. Japan
unconditionally surrendered on 14 August.
COMMUNIST CONTROL OF Albania (1945); Bulgaria (1945); Poland (1947); Hungary (1947); Romania
EASTERN EUROPE GROWS (1945–1947); Czechoslovakia (1945–1948); East Germany (1949) – Russia
turned their zone of Germany into the German Democratic Republic in
1949.
1946
KENNAN’S LONG This was an analysis of the foreign policy of the USSR and its possible
TELEGRAM future actions. It stated that the Soviet leadership were suspicious and
aggressive and that there must be no compromises with the USSR. Only
a hard-line approach would be e ective in containing Communism. The
Telegram proved to be the basis for the Truman Doctrine.
Kennan’s ideas of containment were the basis of the Truman
administration’s foreign policy: “The main element of ant United States
policy toward the Soviet Union, must be that of a long-term, patient but
rm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.” To that
end, he called for countering “Soviet pressure against the free institutions
of the Western world” through the “adroit and vigilant application of
counter-force at a series of constantly shifting geographical and political
points, corresponding tot he shifts and manoeuvres of Soviet policy.”
1947
TRUMAN DOCTRINE The USA pledged $400 million to help Greece and Turkey due to the fact
that Britain was no longer in a position to do so. This was an attempt to
stave o Communism and the rst example of an active US policy to
combat the threat of Communism in Europe.
fi ff fi ff
, 1948
MARSHALL PLAN This was a huge pledge of money to help countries that wished to stave
o Communism. More than $13 billion was given to a vast number of
European countries including Britain, France and West Germany. The USA
made sure that all countries who took aid were now also major trading
partners of the USA!
COMINFORM This was the USSR’s reaction to the Truman Doctrine – it was an
organisation that was set up to ‘co-ordinate’ Communist groups and
parties across Europe.
1949
COMECON This was the USSR’s reaction to the Marshall Plan – it provided economic
assistance to the countries of Eastern Europe.
NATO The Berlin crisis had illustrated the fact that the West needed a more
centrally co-ordinated approach to the threat of Communist expansion.
This established military co-operation in the event of war, and included
countries such as Britain, France, Canada and Belgium, as well as many
smaller Western European nations.
USSR GET THE A-BOMB The USSR secretly tested their rst A-bomb a full six years earlier than
the USA had expected them to. The radiation was detected, and thus the
power balance of the Cold War had now dramatically been shifted.
1950
McCARTHYISM A hunt for the ‘Reds under the Beds’ took o in the USA. Joseph
McCarthy single-handedly sought to oust all Communist sympathisers in
the USA.
NSC-68 In the light of the new nuclear threat of Communism, NSC-68 was
produced, outlining the new direction that the USA’s foreign policy
needed to take in order to contain Communism. This new direction would
now focus on rollback, the view that Communism needed to be
confronted and pushed back to safeguard the free world.
ff
fi ff
