Chapter 4

Why did the US–Soviet alliance begin to break down in 1945?

Pre- war relationship

Wartime disagreements

- 1938 (Appeasement Policy)

- USSR responded by Non-Aggression Pact 1939
- Allies launch second military front only at 1944 (D-Day)
- Don’t share strategies during war

Ideological conflicts

- Capitalism and communism

- Fear of USSR
o 1917 → Britain and USA intervene in Russia Civil War against communist
o Fear of future attacked by capitalism
- Fear of USA (Red Scare)
o Spread of communism
o The aim of senior communist for worldwide revolution

Super powers

- Power vacuum after WW2

- France and Britain become less powerful
- Changes in American altitude
(More opposing toward Communism)

Yalta conference – 1945 (February)

Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill

Agreements

- Germany
o Only unconditional surrender will be accepted
o Germany and Capital to be divided into 4 zone
o Reparations would be paid
o Germany eastern borders to move westward
o Punish war criminals responsible for genocides
- To join United Nation
- To declared war against Japan once Germany have surrender
- Eastern Europe
o Soviet sphere of influence for Soviet future security
Disagreements

- To move border of USSR westward to Poland

- Churchill don’t approve but Red army already control
- Roosevelt was also unhappy
- In return USSR promise not to interference Greece

According to historian, Yalta conference was example of wartime co-orperation

Potsdam conference – 1945 (July-August)

Attlee, Truman and Stalin

Disagreements

- Germany
o Stalin wanted to cripple Germany
o Truman didn’t want to repeat same mistake
- Stalin wanted a foothold in Japan, Truman rejected
- Stalin wanted high reparation on Germany
- Eastern Europe to be influenced by soviet
o Stalin think if Slav are united no one will dare to move finger against them
o Truman is unhappy with this
- Future government in Poland

**Iron Curtain between east and west Europe (Churchill speech)

How had the USSR gained control of Eastern Europe by 1948?

Political vacuum, to restore law and order

Poland

- Coalition government: Lublin and London

- Divided between Soviet and German in WW2
- Soviet troops remain after liberation
- Non-communist leaders were exile
- 1947 – election held – communist gain 80% of vote

Romania

- German ally during WW2

- Troops remain after liberation
- Accept coalition government in 1945
- 1947 abolish monarchy
Bulgaria

- German ally
- Soviet troops remain after liberation
- 1945 – coalition government was accepted
- Executed other party leaders
- 1947 total communist control (new constitution drawn)

Hungary

- German ally during war

- Soviet troops remain after liberation
- 1947 – Communist become largest single party
- Persecute opposition leader and attack church
- Communist establish in 1948

Czechoslovakia

- Invaded by Germany in 1939

- Troops left
- Coalition government form – Communist is largest single party
- Banned opponent parties
- Non-communist government official resigned in 1948

East Germany

- Got a sector in WW2

- Controlled by red army
- GDR (German Democratic Republic) created in 1949

Stalin didn’t get everything he wanted

Backed by allies

- Naval Base in Dardanelles 1946 (Turkey)

- Royalist won the civil war against communist on Greece

Yugoslavia

- Marshall Tito become President in 1945

- He applies communism is his own way
- Expelled from Cominform in 1948
How did the United States react to Soviet expansionism?
- They’ve already expected eastern Europe would be Soviet ‘sphere of influence’ but don’t expect a complete
communist domination
- Truman saw this a spread of communism

Development of containment

- Greece (1947)
o There 2 rival group; monarchist and communist
o 1945 British sent troop to help restore law and order, supervised election
o But supported the monarchist instead
o 1946, USSR protest to UN – but no action
o Communist take control by force
o Civil war developed
o British couldn’t afford for cost of war
o 1947 – withdrawn
o Truman stepped
o 400 million dollars is supported according to Truman Doctrine

- Prevent Turkey from falling communist

(Wanted a naval base in Turkey)
- Governments in France and Italy was threatened by communist takeover
(Due to economic hardships and political instability)
- Truman believed communism succeed when people faced poverty and hardship

Truman Doctrine – 1947

- Part of containment policy
- Truman persuaded congress to provide $400 million to support Greece
- USA was prepared to send money, equipment and advice to any country
- To stop spread of communism

Marshall Plan
- To stabilize economies of Europe
- Prevent growth of communism in European democracies
- $17 billion would be needed to rebuild European prosperity
- 1947 put into Congress
- Refuse to grant money
- Congress accepted after Communist takeover in Czechoslovakia 1948

Americans: self-interest; new market for American goods | generous act

Soviet: suspect; refuse soviet bloc states to apply for Marshall Aid
Stalin’s response to Marshall Plan

Effect
- Serious threat to Soviet Union interest
- Undermine his control over eastern Europe
- Act of ideological conflict
- Creation of US-dominated capitalist alliance
- Making countries dependent on dollar

Response

- Cominform (Communist information bureau)

- In 1947
- Tighten his control in Czechoslovakia

What were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade?

Berlin Blockade – 1948
Background

- After the war it’s divided into 4 zone

- Take reparation from own zone
- Soviet get some equipment from industrialized western zone
- Eastern zone based on agriculture
- Western base on industry
- Britain and USA hope for trade but soviet deny
- Need pay for food imports
- American stopped reparation payment to soviet in 1946
- American and British zone are march to single economic unit

Cause of the blockade

- 1945
o USA refuse to give loan to soviet for eastern Germany
o Stalin is using German resource to make Soviet stronger

- 1947
o Allies created single economic unit (Trizonia)
o Stalin felt threaten, 3 power might force him out of Germany
o Secret discussion between allies for political united

- 1948
o The German, especially western zone faced economic chaos
o Stalin fear the recovery of German; wanted to cripple
o USA, Britain and France wanted reconstruction
o 1948 reform the currency; soviet refuse to do it in their zone
o Germany started to recover
The blockade

- USSR wasn’t satisfied with reform of new currency

- June 1948, Blocked all the supplies: road, railway and canals
- West Berlin population face shortage of supplies
- Wanted to drive allies out of Berlin
- If allies go against, act of the war
- Opportunity for Truman to show serious collection about containment

The Berlin airlifts

- Allies air-lift the supplies

- Plane took off from their base at west Germany
- Join by US, UK, Canada, France, Australia and many countries
- Supply with 3perminute constantly for 11 months
- Nearly 300,000 flights
- Coals, foods, clothes and other essential goods are transported
- 1949 → Stalin reopened communications
- Reopen because it’s not effective

The consequences

- Germany was divided in 1949

o British, France and USA zone become Federal Republic of Germany (May)
o Soviet formed German Democratic Republic (October)
o Germany was divided for 41 years
o Berlin wall -> 1962 to 1989

- Powerful symbol of cold war

- Set Pattern for Cold War

o Show how they’re suspicious of each other
o Prove they are not willing to go war against each other

- NATO Pact
o USA leaders accepted idea of defensive alliance with Europe
o Formed at 1949
o 11~ 12 countries joined
o Containment Policy
o Hear of USA foreign policy

- Warsaw Pact
o Form in 1955
o Formed when West Germany was allowed to join NATO
o Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Hungary
o Promise to defend each other
 o Not to interfere internal affairs

Who was the more to blame for starting the Cold War: The United States or the USSR?
Blaming to Soviet

- Communist ideology was expansionism

- Couldn’t co-exist with capitalist
- Stalin didn’t abide agreements in Yalta and Potsdam conference
o Installing communist government in Romania and Poland
o Banned opposition party
o Murder and jail enemy
- Controlling economy of eastern Europe by COMECON 1949
- Frequent Comden toward action of allies

Defending Soviet

- Suspect of Britain and USA

o Intervention in Russia Civil War 1917
o Ineffectiveness of Britain and France in crisis with League (Manchuria, Abyssinia)
o Rearmament, Spanish Civil War and Anschluss
o Appeasement policy toward Germany (Czech)
o Delay opening second front during WW2 (1944)

- Truman adopted anti-communist policies

o Containment policy: Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan

- Post war recovery

o Russia have heavy causalities comparing to USA
o Estimated 20 million civilian death

- Feared the recovery of Germany

o Might launch future attack
o That’s why stabilizing currency in 1947 provoked him

Blaming to USA

- Ending land-lease arrangement with soviet in 1945

- Marshall Aid
o to get market for US goods in Europe
o Preservation of capitalism
- Introducing new currency
o Breach according to Potsdam conference
(The agreement that all powers need to agree on what to do with Germany exist)
Defending to USA

- Truman doctrine was defensive

o (Prevent Communist threat)

- Truman took a time to response Stalin’s policy toward eastern Europe

- Western Europe could decide whether they want help for USA or not.
- Reconstructing German is should to prevent revenges in future