Cold War Key Facts, Dates and People
Tehran Conference
(Nov) 1943: the Big Three agree to open 2nd front in Western Europe, Poland to gain land from Germany but lose land to USSR.
Yalta Conference
(Feb) 1945: to hunt down and try Nazi war criminals, the division of Germany into 4 zones, USSR to help US in the Pacific with Japan, UN being established.
Potsdam Conference
(Jul-Aug) 1945, Germany is defated and USA announce they have the atomic bomb. Berlin divided into 4 zones and new leaders in Truman and Attlee. Stalin chose to militarily occupy liberated regions whereas the West demilitarised. Stalin opposed the idea of free elections advocated by Truman.
Long + Novikov Telegram (1946)
Kennan labelled the USSR aggressive and expansionist and that communism had to be contained.
Novikov stated the US wants world domination and had no intention of remaining allies.
Soviet Expansion (1940-48)
USSR takes over:
Baltic States in 1940
East Ger + Romania in 1945
Bulgaria in 1946
Poland in 1947
Czechoslovakia + Hungary in 1948
Stalin set up one-party communist government in these Eastern European countries, most by rigged elections (e.g. Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia)
Churchill accepted this informally in the Percentages Deal in Oct 1944, then spoke in March 1946, the infamous "Iron Curtain" speech.
Truman Doctrine (1947)
President Harry S Truman's foreign policy to contain the expansion of the Soviet Union and communism.
The US uses their economic and military strength to influence non-communist countries e.g. funding the Royalists in Greek Civil War and Turkish government to defeat communist rebels.
Marshall Plan (proposed 1947 enacted 1948)
USA sends financial aid and resources to rebuild Western Europe, influencing them to adopt capitalism instead of communism. Stalin called this, "dollar imperialism."
$13 billion was sent to European countries by 1953.
Cominform (1947)
Stalin's response to the Truman Doctrine, which ensured the satellite states followed Soviet foreign and internal policies.
Allowed Stalin to direct and control the Eastern Bloc governments, as well as expel disobedient members i.e. Tito's Yugoslavia.
Comecon (1949)
Stalin's response to the Marshall Plan: the integration of the Eastern Bloc's economies into the USSR's.
Collectivisation and specialisation of industry e.g. East Germany engines, Czechoslovakia steel.
Berlin Blockade (1948-49)
Trizonia established in 1948 to form West Germany / West Berlin, both accepting Marshall Aid, and the reform of a new currency to replace the Deutschmark made it apparent to East Germans / Berliners that life under communism was not bettee than life under capitalism.
Stalin blocks access routes from East to West Berlin, blockading West Berlin from the rest of West Germany. Stalin hoped the West would abondon Berlin.
Instead Truman responded with the Berlin Airlift, where thousands of tonnes of supplies were flown into West Berlin every day. This peaceful solution made Stalin look very aggressive, so Stalin ended the blockade in 12 May 1949.
As a result, Europe was firmly divided (1) and new military alliance were formed (2) - NATO (1949) and the Warsaw Pact (1955)
Arms Race
1952: USA denotates first Hydrogen bomb (1000x more destructive than Atomic)
1953: USSR have their own H-bomb
1957: ICBMs introduced
1962: Follwing Cuban Missile Crisis, MAD theory was accepted.
Hungarian Uprising (1956)
Hungarian citizens were deprived of adequate food and other basic material goods since the raw materials porduced by Hungarian industry were exported to Russia by Comecon. Starvations made people resentful and desperate.
People were unhappy with Rakosi's brutalist rule, terrified of the Secret Police and purges. Demonstrations began in October 1956, and Imre Nagy was reinstated as prime minister.
3 Nov 1956: Nagy announced he wants to reform by increasing freedom of the press, introducing a multi-party system, developping trading links to the West and leaving the Warsaw Pact. This alarmed Khrushchev, who feared Eastern Bloc will follow suit.
4 Nov 1956: 200000 Soviet troops and 6000 tanks invaded Hungary, causing 2500 deaths and across the next few years 200000 Hungarians fled the country.
Imre Nagy is imprisoned and executed two years later. Khrushchev says this is a message to all Socialist governments, to which the US condmns but did not intervene.
Berlin Crisis + Wall (1958-61)
Khrushchev's ultimatum in Oct 1958 demaned the Allies to leave Berlin in 6 months, suggesting Berlin should be neutral zone.
Geneva and Camp David Summits of 1959 improved relatons between Eisenhower and Khrushchev but no agreements made.
Paris Summit of May 1960 broke down when an American U-2 spy plane was shot down in Russian airspace, and Khrushchev stormed out the meeting when Eisenhower refused to apologise and end spying.
Vienna Summit 1961: Kennedy reinstates the Truman Doctrine and Khrsuhchev reinstates the ultimatum. Bad relations
Due to the refugee crisis, in which 2.7 millions East Germans defected to the West via West Berlin, the East suffered from a 'brain drain', in which there is a gap in the highly skilled working popoulation.
On 13 Aug, 1961, Khrushchev begins construction of the Berlin Wall, a 106km concrete wall manned by guard and traps to prevent people escaping. Displaced families and hundreds of people died trying to escape.
Standoff at Checkpoint Charlie: climax in tensions as US tanks found themselves facing Soviet ones.
Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
Context: Bastita was the leader of Cuba in the 1950s, a brutal dictator who protected the interests of American business owners rather than helping the people living in poor conditions.
Cuban Revolution of 1959 saw Bastita ousted for Castro, who promised to improve life for ordinary Cubans. He began to nationalise the economy and improve social services, much to the anger of American private business owners. America stopped buy cane sugar, Cuba's main export, to hurt their income.
Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961 ended in huge failure for the CIA and Kennedy, who sent 'La Brigada' a force of 1500 exiles with no air support against a Castro's army of 20000.
Castro gained popularity due to the enemy of USA, and Castro, orginally a nationlist, was pushed towards socialism to receive Soviet aid. Khrushchev sent weapons like 12 ICBMs, 40 jet bombers, and 20,000 troops to Cuba.
October Crisis: U-2 spy plane spots ICBMs launch pads in Cuba, Kennedy launches Naval Blockade (Quarantine) and Khrushchev agrees to remove ICBMs in public if Kennedy does the same in Turkey/Italy in secret.
Consequences: Start of Détente, the cooling of tensions due to the fear of Mutually Assured Destruction. Both nations agree to slow nuclear arms race. Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963) and Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968) signed.
Prague Spring (1968)
Czechoslovakian population unhappy rule communist rule under Novotny, due to a failing economy, the secret police, and shortages of homes, food and fuel.
In 1968, Alexander Dubcek took over, who reformed by making,"Socialism with a human face." He introduced a multi-party system, free elections, increased freedom of press, and even allowed Western tourists and trade.
Led to the 'Prague Spring' - the period of Apr-Aug 1968, where people enjoyed reading anti-communist texts, debating and critising communism in public.
Brezhnew Doctrine established in Aug 1968, granting Brezhnev the right to invade any country who refused to conform to Soviet communism. Up to 500,000 troops entered Czechoslovakia, and was met with non-violent protestors. Dubcek imprisoned and replaced with Husak.
Consequences: other communist groups in Yugoslovia, Romania and China distanced themselves from USSR. USA too busy with Vietnam so do not intervene.
Détente (1970s)
USSR suffering economically and facing strains in relations with China, likewise USA suffering politically with the humilition caused by embarassing defeats in Vietnam. Both fear MAD, Nixon and Brezhnev decided to reduce tensions.
SALT I (72) limited nuclear weapon use, notably ICBMs and SLBMs were frozen. But SALT II never ratified
Helsinki Agreements saw both superpower collaborating in space race and agreeing on human rights, notably the freedom of expression.
Ended in Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, showing Soviet renewed intentions of expansion, violating the previous terms of "peaceful co-existence." As a result the Carter Docrine was established in 1980, to control Soviet expansion into the Middle East and Reagan took it a step further by funding the Mujahadeen, officially starting the Second Cold War.
Second Cold War (1980-91)
Ronald Reagan's election reflected America's intention to be more staunchly and firmly against communist; to "roll-back" than to "contain". Reagan increased military spending by 13% and invested in new technologies like the Neutron Bomb and SDI, reignitng the arms race with the Soviets.
Reagan's 'Evil Empire' speech and assistance to Polish party Solidarity worsened tensions.
Mikhail Gorbachev's election (1985) brought a "New Thinking" - Gorbachev allowed 'glasnost', less cencornship, corruption and freedom of expression eased political tension whilst 'perestroika' restructured the declining economy, introducing a free market economy and modernising outdated production methods and equipment.
Gorbachev dropped the Brezhnev Doctrine and pulled out of Afghanistan to rebuild the Soviet economy. (This led to the rise of Al-Qaeda) Gorbachev's liberal policies made Reagan accept more collaborations with USSR in a series of summits:
Geneva 1985 reduced arms spending
Reykjavik 1986 improved relations but USA didn't give up SDI
Washington 1987 signed INF, which abolished all short to medium range missiles.
Sinatra Doctrine: Gorbachev allows satellite states to have more autonomy over how government should be run.
Solidarity takes power in Poland, 1989
Hungary opens borders with Austria and holds free elections in 1989
Non-violent 'Velvet revolution' in 1989 in Czechoslovakia, non-communist lesder elected in 1990
Romanian revolution saw 1000s die and Nicolae Ceausescu executed, free elections in 1990
BERLIN WALL IS TOPPLED IN 9 NOVEMBER 1989, MARKING THE END OF THE IRON CURTAIN, AND GERMANY REUNIFIED IN OCT 1990.
Baltic states began demanding for indepedence in 1990. August coup of 1991 further weakened Gorbachev's authority, where he could do nothing to stop the Domino Effect on Moscow itself. USSR accepted Baltic states' declaration of independence in 1991 and on 25 December 1991, the USSR was dissolved into 15 states.