Finished History Notes

8/2/2019 Finished History Notes

1/29

Yalta

A conference held in February 1945 that the Allies attended. Josef

Stalin, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt were all present at

this meeting. The conference was held to decide the fate of Eastern

Europe after the Second World War.

Penny Points

Germany was to be divided into four zones, and Britain,France, USA and the USSR would each occupy a zone.

Berlin was also to be divided into four zones as it was thecapital despite it being in the USSRs zone.

Eastern Europe would be allowed to choose their owngovernment despite the USSRs slight influence. (Especially

Poland)

Germany would be made to pay reparations.Results of the Yalta Conference

The division of Germany eventually led to the BerlinBlockade.

By Russia demanding reparations from Germany it madethem seem cruel and uncaring.

Stalin broke the promise about not taking over Poland lossof trust between the Allies.


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Potsdam

Another conference held between the Allies in July 1945. Stalin was

the only attendee that was also at Yalta. Truman and Attlee had

now replaced Churchill and Roosevelt.

Penny Points

The newly appointed leaders of Britain and the USA werenow determined to be firmer with Stalin.

Stalin had promised free elections in Poland at Yalta andhe had broken this promise.

Truman now feared the spread of Communism and Stalincould no longer be trusted.

The USA had tested the A-bomb without telling Stalin.Results of the Potsdam Conference

New leaders caused more animosity between the leaders.

Increasing hostility as neither side no longer needed to beAllies as their common enemy had been defeated.

Both had different ideas for Germany America wanted itto be strong to trade with, however USSR wanted it kept

weak so it would become Communism. Differences in

ideology enforced the fact they were different and caused

further tension.


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The dropping of the A Bomb Hiroshima and

Nagasaki.

America had developed the Atomic bomb a horrific bomb that

could kill thousands instantly and destroy cities. They wanted to

test this bomb, and as Japan refused to surrender, they took the

opportunity to use the bomb to scare them into surrendering.

Penny Points

Was dropped from aircrafts called Enola Gay and Fat Man.Enola Gays pilot was called Paul Tibbetts and Fat Mans pilot

was called Charles Sweeney.

A total of 78,000 people were killed in Hiroshima outright. 74,000 people were killed in Nagasaki. The atom bombs had killed around 220,000 people by the end

of 1945 due to instant death or illnesses from the radiation

killed people slowly.

Results of the Dropping of the Atomic Bomb

The USSR feared the USA would drop an A bomb on them theystarted development on their own A bomb. This was the start of

the Arms Race.

Didnt tell the Soviet Union. This resulted in loss of trust. Russia had spies, only way they found out before Nagasaki and

Hiroshima. Proves lack of trust.

Reinforced the idea of MAD. Both countries feared this. America was the top superpower for a while due to this. There was a growth in nuclear pacifism, with groups such as

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) calling for the

destruction of all nuclear weapons.


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Soviet Expansion into Eastern Europe

The USSR feared Western invasion so it began spreading Communism throughout

Eastern Europe to create a buffer zone to protect itself. The Soviet Red Army freed the

countries of Eastern Europe from Nazi Rule and then stayed there.

Penny Points

USSR took power in Bulgaria, Albania and Poland in 1945, Hungary and Romaniain 1947 and Czechoslovakia in 1948.

The Red Army took over radio stations, police force and they rigged elections. The takeovers of the Communist Red Army were violent with opposition leaders

being captured and murdered, eg. Jan Masaryks mysterious death from falling

out of a window.

Iron Curtain speech the phrase invented by Winston Churchill in March 1946 todescribe the division of Europe into the Western Allies and the USSR and their

allies. It was not a real division but a political and economic one.

Results of the Soviet Expansion into Eastern Europe.

This caused tension because the Western Allies thought Communism wastaking over the World.

They had democracies and hated the kind of Communist dictatorships werebeing set up there.

The West was so worried that when it looked like Turkey and Greece mightturn Communist, President Truman announced the Truman Doctrine tocontain the spread of Communism.

This in turn led to the USA offering Marshall Aid to war-torn Europe in 1947to help them to resist Communism,

Stalin saw these policies as an attempt by the USA to takeover Europe andreduce Soviet influence and power over the Communist states of EasternEurope, so suspicion grew and more tension was created.

Creates a division in Europe even more prominent as it has now beenaddressed to and nicknamed.

Examples:

Bulgaria. In 1945, a left-wing government which included a mix of Communists and

non-Communists took power. The Communists EXECUTED leaders of the non-

Communist parties and took power.

Czechoslovakia. In 1946, a mix of political groupings were elected freely to form a

coalition government. By 1948, the Communists had banned all other parties and

imprisoned their leaders. Masaryk, the last remaining non-Communist in the

government was found dead after falling from his window. He had clearly beenmurdered.


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Truman Doctrine

The Truman Doctrine was a promise that Harry Truman made to help any

countries who had a possibility of falling into Communism and make sure it

spread no further.

Penny Points

Congress announced $400 million of aid to Greece and Turkey. They focused on Greece and Turkey in particular as communists

were threatening to take control in both countries.

Americans also installed ballistic missile sites on the Turkish borderwith the USSR.

Results of Truman Doctrine.

Led to the Marshall Plan. Some years later it leads to NATO. Speeds up the Arms Race development due to Soviets fears with the

missiles being installed and they dont have nuclear weapons yet.

Leads to the Molotov Plan, Comincon and Cominform. It was the start of the US policy of containment. Communism must

be contained within its existing boundaries and shouldnt be

allowed to spread.

As well as being regarded by the USSR as a threat to the Communistworld, the Truman Doctrine IS MOST SIGNIFICANT because of the

things the promise of US help led to. Eg. NATO, Marshall Aid, US

Involvement in events of Berlin etc.


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Marshall Plan & Aid

The Marshall Plan originated from the Truman Doctrines plan of

containment for Communism. The Americans feared that an impoverished

Western Europe would be more vulnerable to turn to Communism. TheMarshall Plan helped provide economic aid where it was needed.

Penny Points

The Marshall Plan set up a fund of $15 billion for Europe. Aid often arrived in the form of products, such as machinery and

fertilisers.

Between 1948 and 1950, industrial production had increased by 25per cent.

16 nations asked the USA for help. They needed Europe recovered so that they could trade with them

again helping US economy.

The US Congress was persuaded to give Marshall Aid due to thetakeover of Czechoslovakian government and the violent death of Jan

Masaryk.

Results of the Marshall Plan & Aid.

Stalin described Marshall Aid as dollar imperialism an attempt towin allies in Europe by controlling the industry and trade of Europe.

As an effect of this, he created the Molotov Plan the USSRs versionof Marshall Aid. It promised to help any Communist countries.

This established the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance orComecon as it is more widely known. The Soviet Union however

lacked the necessary resources so it was never effective. Stalin saw Marshall Plan as a crude attempt to dominate Europe . His

fear and suspicion intensified the Cold War and further increased the

divisions within Europe.


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Berlin Blockade/ Airlift.

This was when Stalin closed all roads, canals and railways into West Berlin,

preventing the Western Allies having access to their zones of Berlin in June

1948. The Allies responded by airlifting supplies of food and fuel into WestBerlin.Penny Points

Stalin wanted to force the West to give up West Berlin by starving thetwo million inhabitants, who only had enough food and fuel to last for

six weeks.

The Allies used the airlifts established in 1945 to carry over food, fueland other supplies. 4000 tonnes was needed a day.

By September 1948 aircraft were landing in Berlin every threeminutes, day and night, and by the spring of 1949, 8000 tonnes a day

was being flown in.

Stalin could not shoot down the planes as this would be an act of war.However, Soviet planes did track supply planes in case they moved

out of the permitted air corridor, but did not shoot them down.

Stalin called the Berlin Blockade off in May 1949.

Results of the Berlin Blockade and Airlift.

Dashed the hopes for a United Germany and showed the divisionbetween West & East Germany.

Caused the building of the Berlin Wall. Stalin couldnt afford to start war, it made him seem weak. Was seen as a victory in the West and led to the creation of NATO.

Stalin saw NATO as a direct threat to the USSR and the Warsaw Pactwas set up in response.

First major crisis of Cold War and it set the pattern for the rest:Threats not war.


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NATO

NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and it was created to

safeguard the freedom of its members and block Soviet expansion into

Europe.

Penny Points

12 countries originally signed the treaty. They were : USA, Canada,GB, Belgium, Netherlands, Iceland, Luxembourg, Italy, Norway,

Portugal and France. Greece and Turkey joined in 1952, and West

Germany in 1955.

NATO was democratic; The USA was important but it didnt have theoverall say, all members were included in the decision making.

All NATO members agreed to go to war if any one of them wasattacked.

NATO was voluntary no-one was forced to join. NATO was a defensive alliance against the USSR, not an offensive one.

Results of NATO.

Combined with the USA having the A-bomb, Stalin felt that theAmericans now had a huge advantage over them. So Stalin speededup plans for the Soviet development of nuclear weapons.

Stalin retaliated with the Warsaw Pact in 1955, the Soviet version ofNATO.

The division of Europe into Capitalist and Communist states was nowmarked with rival alliances. Any wars would involve all the countries

of NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

The Korean War America may not have gotten involved with theKorean War without the creation of NATO.

Stalin was angered by NATO, pushed Stalin to work with China.


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Warsaw Pact

The Soviet response to NATO. It was a defensive alliance designed to

protect against Western attack.

Penny Points

Members were: USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania,Bulgaria and Albania.

Had territory on one large part of land which made it easier totransport horses and weapons.

The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance and was dictated by Stalin.This was between the Communist countries.

The Warsaw Pact was clearly controlled by Moscow.Results of Warsaw Pact.

Led to an escalation in the Arms Race as both sides felt threatened byeach other.

US suspicions of USSR takeover attempts were confirmed, the USSRused the Warsaw Pact to increase control over Eastern Europe.

The division of Europe into Capitalist and Communist states wasnow marked by two RIVAL ALLIANCES.

If there was to be a war, it would involve all the countries of NATOand the Warsaw Pact.


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Korean WarThe Korean War was a civil war that happened in June 1950. The Communist NorthKorean Peoples Army (NKPA) invaded non-Communist South Korea in a bid to unitethe divided country under the Communist leadership of Kim Il Sung.

Penny Points

At the end of WW2, Korea had been divided into 2 separate countries along the38th parallel. This was only intended as a temporary division.

South Korea was led by the anti-Communist military government of SyngmanRhee.

USA supported South Korea as they were Anti-Communist. China had fallen toCommunism in 1949 and the USA feared the Domino Theory. They provided

troops for UN forces who fought against the Communist North in the Korean

War.

USSR supported the Communist in North Korea and provided them witheconomic and military aid, but the Soviet army was never directly involved.

Dates.

June to Sept 1950 - North Korea successfully attach the South, and most ofSouth Korea, except the Pusan Pocket, falls to Communist troops.

Sept to Oct 1950 US General MacArthur launches a successful naval landing atInchon. The North Koreans are pushed back.

Nov 1950 UN troops in North Korea approaches Communist China whichwarns them not to cross the Yalu River and China sends 200,000 troops to help

North Koreans. UN forces are pushed back.

July 1951 With the help of more US troops, Chinese are pushed back to the 38thparallel.

1953 The rest of the war is a stalemate. Both sides agree a ceasefire.Results

Extended the Cold War into the Far East.

Led to the creation of SEATO (South East Asian Treaty Organisation). Asianversion of NATO.

Showed the UN could be successful against aggression. Showed China was becoming strong and was prepared to stand up to the West. Korea was left destroyed. 1 in 10 Koreans died. The US viewed the Korean War as a success as it showed that they were keeping

the Truman Doctrine promise.

The experience of the Korean War showed that the superpowers did notwant ahot war Soviets refusal to participate directly & Trumans refusal to support

General Mac Arthurs plan of invading China and using nuclear weaponry. Could have led to a World War perhaps a nuclear war.


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Arms Race (up to 1955)

The Arms Race describes the race between the Soviets and the

Americans to have the most and better developed weapons. It was

started by the Atomic bomb hitting Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Penny Points Dates

1948 USA has 50 B-29 bombers. 1949 USA only had the Atomic bomb. 1950 Soviets also had developed Atomic bomb. 1952 USA had developed the hydrogen bomb.

1953- USSR had also developed the hydrogen bomb and has 50Atomic bombs.

1953 USA has more than 1000 B-29 bombers. 1955 America had 2000 nuclear warheads. Soviets will not catch up with the amount of nuclear weaponry until

1978, however the USSR did have a huge conventional army of

soldiers, tanks, artillery, and so on.

Results of the Arms Race

M.A.D (Mutually Assured Destruction) became more serious as thehorrors of nuclear war were realised.

The Arms Race helped prevent an actual was as both superpowersknew the damage the nuclear weapons could do, and knew if one

attacked, both would be obliterated.

Arms were kept as protection if the opposite side made a pre-emptive strike.

The cost of participating in the Arms Race meant that by the 1980s,the USSR was spending 25% of GNP on military projects. This in turn

helped to cause the collapse of the USSR and Communism in Eastern

Europe as Gorbachev decided to cut-back on the Soviet Unions global

commitments.


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Khrushchevs New Policies

After Stalin died, Nikita Khrushchev came into power. He denounced Stalin

as a cruel tyrant, and began to relax the Stalinist system.

Penny Points

In his time of reign, Stalin had the secret police everywhere andanyone who opposed him was arrested. Khrushchev disliked this

system and knew people would turn against Communism if it

continued on in this Stalinist system.

Khrushchev began to relax the Stalinist system. Stalin statues werepulled down, cities were renamed and the secret police were less

active. More consumer goods were made. It was very popular among

the Soviet people and as the people gained more freedom, popular

with the West also.

The West also liked Khrushchevs change in policy towards them. Hewanted to create a new policy of peaceful co-existance recogniing

the western powers right to exist. For a while this reduced Cold War

tensions and became known as the thaw.

However, now satellite states were demanding concessions becauseof this newly felt thaw. Khrushchev could not grant wipespread

concessions because it could lead to the end of communism, so when

revolts began, they were ruthlessly suppressed by the Soviet Union,

making 1953-1960 the most tense part of the Cold War so far.

Results of Khrushchevs new policies

Increased tension even more than before when the revolts started, asthe new policies were snatched away as soon as it didnt suit them.

Some could argue that the relaxing of the Stalinist system contributedto the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union people didnt fear

the government as much and werent as terrified to make sure they

met targets, leaving the Soviet economy in ruins.


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Hungarian Rising

Many Hungarians hoped their country would be de-Stalinised. They hated

Soviet control, and when their Stalinist leader fell from power, they

revolted against the government and the revolts were crushed by the RedArmy.

Penny Points

Hungarians hated the lack of freedom, no censorship, the ban onreligion and the secret police in the Stalinist system.

In 1956the Stalinist leader fell from power, and in a matter ofmonths, people began to attack the secret police and the Soviet

soldiers.

Imre Nagy was then put into power and he was a Westerniser. Herequested thatSoviet force be removed from Hungary, and

Khrushchev agreed. He then introduced freedom in Hungary,

introducing democracy, freedom of speech and religious freedom.

Nagy announced he was leaving the Warsaw Pact, and this

angered Khrushchev.

The Red Army then crushed the rising; killing thousands andmaking people flee to Austria. A government under Kadar was set up

and all Nagys reforms were abolished. Meanwhile Nagy was

expelled. NATO did nothing to roll back communism.

Results of the Hungarian Rising

Made the USSR look strong, but looked cruel and violent. Makes thesatellite states terrified to challenge Soviet control after the

Hungarian Rising. Makes Communism look bad if people are willing to revolt against it

and die fighting it.

Makes America looks weak, and the phrase No Action Talk Onlywas coined in the West regarding NATO.

It deepened Cold War divisions, people in the West were horrifiedand it made the Western countries more determined to contain

Communism.


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U2 Crisis

The USA had developed a plane that could fly so high that it could hardly

be detected by radars, and so used this plane to spy on the USSRs

military bases. The plane was captured by the USSR.

Penny Points

The USA had developed a lightweight spy plane that could fly at75,000 feet. The plane was so high that even if it was detected, it

was too high to intercept.

Two days before the Paris Peace Summit, a U2 plane piloted byGary Powers set off from a US base in Pakistan to take photos

deep inside the Soviet Union.

However, a Soviet missile then hit the plane, and Powers ejectedfrom the plane and parachuted to the ground but was captured by

Soviet forces. The plane was recovered by scientists.

When America found out the plane has crashed they began tocover up, and claimed that it was a weather plane that had been

lost over Turkey. They didnt know the Soviets had the pilot and

the plane and Powers had admitted to spying. Khrushchev announced he had Powers and the plane, and they

had recovered the photos, it was obvious. The Americans were

caught.

Khrushchev demanded a full apology from the USA, but theyrefused. So Khrushchev went home and the Paris Peace Summit

was cancelled.

Results of the U2 Crisis.

As the Paris Peace Summit didnt happen, vital issues were notdiscussed which ultimately led to the Berlin Wall and the Cuban

Missile Crisis.

Increased mistrust between the two superpowers. Embarrassing for America as they were seen as liars, and also made

them look cruel and heartless as they expected Gary Powers to take

the suicide pills they provided him with, and they left him imprisoned

for about 16 months.


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The Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was a wall that separated West Berlin from East Berlin. The USSR

built it in 1961 to separate the Communist part of the city from the Capitalist.

Penny Points

West Berlin was a huge embarrassment for the USSR as it was ashowpiece for Capitalism. Nicknamed a window to the west, East

Berliners could easily see how appealing and good Capitalism was

compared to the in decline Communism.

East Berlin was poor as the USSR wanted to keep Germany poor so itcouldnt become a threat to them. They rebelled in 1953, but were

suppressed.Around 2,000 people a day were crossing the border tolive in West Berlin. Most of these were skilled workers that were vital for

the economy.

In the Vienna summit Khrushchev demanded US leave West Berlin in 6months, but Kennedy refused and promised West Berlins freedom.

The USSR erected a barrier of machine guns and barbed wire betweenEast and West Berlin. Three days later, a wall had started to be

constructed. The Soviets made it clear thatanybody who tried to cross

the border would be shot. People still tried, and were indeed shot.

The USSR blamed it on the spies in West Berlin making it into East Berlin. Kennedy made the famous comment Democracy may not be perfect

but we never had to put up walls to keep our people in.

Results of the Berlin Wall

Divides Germany stops confrontation so decreases tension. Checkpoint Charlie made the Americans look weak for giving in first. Warmed the West Berliners to Kennedy after his speech of I am a

Berliner.

Makes the USSR look cruel letting people die. Eg. Peter Fechter was left onthe barbed wire for an hour while he bled to death and despite his

screams, they just left him.

America did nothing again reinforces the No Action Talk Only idea thatthe Western inhabitants had about NATO.


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The Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis was the changing of governments in Cuba and an alliance with the

USSR after America boycotted trade in Cuba, leading to a naval blockade.

Penny Points

Before 1959, Cuba was controlled by a corrupt right wing dictatorship by Batista. Therewere riots against him led by Fidel Castro who seized power in 1959. A large

percentage of trade was from the Americans. The Americans refused to trade with

Cuba as they believed Castro was a Marxist.

Castro took over possession of all land that the Americans owned and made an alliancewith the USSR. The USSR would buy sugar from Cuba and they would export oil from

the USSR.The USA now had a neighbour allied to her greatest rival.

Kennedy then came into power in 1961. He wanted to remove Castro from power.The CIA convinced Kennedy to join forces with the Batista supporter rebels andoverthrow Castro in an attack. The rebels received no support when they landed

and were defeated in a few days. This was hugely embarrassing for Kennedy, and

Castro now regarded the USA as an enemy and relied on the USSR more for

support.

In June 1962 Cuba received huge shipments of arms from the USSR; Cuba claimed itwas for protection only. However, on 14 October 1962, an American U2 spy plane took

pictures of offensive nuclear launch pads being set up in Cuba capable of attacking

any major US city.

Kennedy went public and demanded the weapons to be dismantled. He decided to do anaval blockade around Cuba to stop Soviet ships delivering the missiles. If theUSSR ignored the blockade, it would be an act of war. The ships stopped and turned

back to the USSR. Khrushchev sent a letter suggesting if the USA promise not to invade

Cuba the missiles would be dismantled, and a second letter demanded the missiles to be

taken off Turkey. Kennedy accepted the first letter and ignored the second.

On 28th October, USSR took the weapons out of Cuba and the USA assured theweapons would be taken out of Turkey, but not immediately.

Results of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Both sides considered the CMC as a success; Kennedy didnt back down so his reputationsoared. Khrushchev saw it as a success as the weapons in Turkey were removed and he

was pictured as the peacemaker. Also Cuba wasnt to be invaded.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the main causes of the era of Dtente as it scaredboth the superpowers so much that they began to talk about nuclear weapon limitations

in SALT, tried to reduce tension, Hotline was created etc.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world ever came to nuclear war. Americanbombers took off with a nuclear bomb and the mission was aborted just in time. The

doomsday clock was seconds away from the end of the world.

Caused the test ban treaty of 1963 to ban testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere shows how scared both superpowers were.


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Czechoslovakia 1968 Prague Spring.

Czechoslovakia had been a Soviet satellite state since 1948, but the Czechoslovakian

people felt bitter about the loss of the political and economic independence.

Penny Points

Protests began in the 1960s and in January 1968Alexander Dubcek tookover as the new leader. He saw a need for some reforms in the system. This

period became known as the Prague Spring because there was a thaw in the

harsh system of communism.

He promised the people socialism with a human face. Some of Dubceks reformsincludedfree elections, opposition parties allowed, less state control,

encouraged competition, powers of secret police curbed, no press

censorship, increased standard of living, freedom to travel abroad,provision of basic human rights and plans to increase trade with the West.

Dubcek reassured Brezhnev that his changes would not threaten the SovietUnion and that Czechoslovakia would not leave the Warsaw Pact, but Brezhnev

remained unconvinced. To allow reform in Czechoslovakia would weaken

Communism and encourage growth in the West. Also, these changes would be

demanded elsewhere in Eastern Europe.

The other Warsaw Pact members also disapproved and asked Dubcek to stop.They were concerned thatthe dominant position of the Communist Party

was being weakenedand could turn Czechoslovakia against its Communistneighbours. However Dubcek reacted by promising more reforms in regards to

free elections and opposition parties. The Soviet Union saw this as pure defiance

and on 20 August 1968, 500,000 troops from the Warsaw Pact invaded

Czechoslovakia.

Results of the Prague Spring 1968.

Showed that there were threats to Soviet control in Eastern Europe, but USSRwere not going to allow reforms that could lessen their influence over Eastern

Europe. It showed how terrified the USSR was of the break-up of the Communist bloc and

the Warsaw Pact.

Led to Brezhnev Doctrine a vow that the USSR would intervene if any countryseemed to be turning away from Communism.

Showed USSRs power mania wouldnt allow limited reforms even from withinthe Communist party.

The West did nothing as relations with the USSR had been improved since Cubaand they were not willing to intervene over Czechoslovakia.

Sent a message that the West were not willing to interfere with events behindthe Iron Curtain where the safety of the USA and NATO were not threatened.


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The Space Race

The Space Race describes the race between the USSR and the USA to make

developments in space the quickest.

Timeline

1957 Russia launches Sputnik 1 into space, first satellite. 1959 Luna 2 space probe crashes into moon (Russian). 1961 Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in

space, and he orbited the Earth.

1963- First woman in space is Russian cosmonaut ValentinaTereshkova.

1963 American President Kennedy promises the USA will have aman on the moon before the end of the decade.

20th July 1969 Neil Armstrong becomes first man on the moon.Results of Space Race.

It was too expensive for both sides and effected both economiesgreatly.

Led to the collapse of Communism as it was a factor of its failingeconomy.

Contributed to the Arms Race. It was a war between ideology when it came down to it both

superpowers wanted to win so their ideology looked superior.

Controversy about the landing of the moon staged or not? Couldhave led to peoples mistrust in the American government.

America came out looking superior after Neil Armstrong landed onthe moon.


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Arms Race of 1950s to 1960s.

The race of development of arms between the two superpowers during the 1950s and

1960s.

Timeline

Up until 1957, America had always been ahead in the arms race. 1957 Launch of Sputnik 2 meant the USSR had developed rockets that could

carry nuclear warheads and hit the USA.

1957 America develops its own Inter Continental Ballistic Missiles and by 1959they could be stored underground and made ready for use in 30 seconds.

1960 US fire a missile from a boat which means they can fire from sea andcloser to the USSR.

ICBMs were placed close to the enemy. America placed them on Turkey in 1959,and USSR tried to place them on Cuba in 1962.

1962- Disarmament Conference held in Geneva, partly successful. August 1963 Test Ban Treaty signed in Moscow, means cant nuclear weapons

under water or in the air.

17 October 1963 UN Resolution stopped nuclear missiles being placed inspace.

1968 The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was signed by 187 countries. Itlimited nuclear weapons to the 5 existing superpowers. (USSR, USA, GB, China

and France.) However, the amount of nuclear weapons increased rapidly. By 1970, USA

had 3900 nuclear warheads and the Soviet Union had 1800 warheads. The

development of the Space Race also gave the superpowers the possibility to

put nuclear weapons in space.

By the end of the 1960s, each side had enough nuclear weapons to destroy thewhole world. The idea of Mutually Assured Destruction may have prevented war,

but the Arms Race was extremely expensive for both sides.

Results

Contributed to the collapse of communism expensive arms lowered theSoviets economy which was one of the main reasons Communism collapsed.

Helped cause Dtente, both sides couldnt afford to keep up the armsexpenditure.

Led to campaigns for Nuclear Disarmament in the West. Could lead to nuclear destruction. Lead to treaties of arms SALT 1, START. Space Race development led to Reagans Star Wars.


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Detnte Recap of Subject.

The relaxing of tension between the USA and the USSR in the 1970s and 1980s.

Why did the USSR follow this policy?

Breshnev wanted to extend Khrushchevs policy of Peaceful Co-existance. Hewanted the West to accept Soviet control of Eastern Europe.

Spending of Arms Race amounted to 20% of Soviet Government spending. Theyneeded to cut back on military spending and direct money to the unhappy

inhabitants of the Communist bloc who disliked their low standards of living.

The Communist countries of Eastern Europe had very poor industrial efficiencyso they needed to trade with the West.

The USSR had quarrelled with China, so needed better relations with the USA.Why did the USA follow this policy?

The USA was suffering from stagflation- rising prices at a time where theeconomy was not growing. The US economy was crippled by this and the huge

amount of spending in the Vietnam War and the Arms Race.

American failure in Vietnam had dented US confidence, and led to huge peacecampaigns which demanded an end to US military aggression abroad.

The Nuclear Scare created by the Cuban missile crisis also led both sides to look to

reduce tension.

Beginning of Dtente

President Nixon was elected in 1969, and chose Henry Kissinger as his Secretary of

State. They both wanted better relations with the USSR and China. Nixon announced the

Nixon Doctrine which said that the USA would stick to NATO obligations and hold a

nuclear umbrella over the free world but expected its allies to take care of its own

defence in future.

Success of Dtente

First sign of thaw in relations was the SALT talks in 1969 between USA andUSSR.

1971 US allows China to join UN. US table tennis team visits China and theping-pong diplomacy allows meetings between Government officials from

both countries.

1972- Nixon visits China himself. USSR fears that the USA and China will jointogether against them, so USSR is more convinced to improve relations with USA.

1972- Both USA and USSR sign SALT 1 treaty. This froze the number ofsubmarine and land-based missiles for 5 years. Limited the amount of missiles


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each superpower was allowed to have, and they could have spy satellites to

check the opposition kept to this.

1972 East and West Germany agree to recognize each others borders.Removed Germany as important source of tension.

USA and USSR develop trade links. April 1973 - US withdraws troops from Vietnam as its one of the last sources of

tension.

July 1975 3 US Astronauts and 2 Soviet cosmonauts docked spacecrafttogether while orbiting the Earth. Visible sign of Dtente at work.

AUGUST 1975 Helsinki Agreement.Helsinki Agreement

This stated that:

US recognized that Eastern Europe was Communist and it was under Sovietinfluence.

The Soviets agreed to buy US grain, West would buy oil from USSR. Communistcountries could also borrow money from the West.

All countries all agreed to guarantee and improve human rights in their owncountries. (Eg. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of

movement) More protest groups were set up as a result. Most famous were

Charter 77 in Czechoslovakia and the Helsinki Watch Group in Moscow & East

Germany.

Criticisms of Dtente Falling Apart.

The West became frustrated because abuses of human rights continued in theUSSR. Breshnev simply cancelled any attempts at agreements.

In Communist Eastern Europe anyone who disagreed with the Government evenover minor issues were persecuted and suppressed. Members of Charter 77 were

dismissed from their jobs, their children expelled from school and their driving

licenses and citizenship were cancelled. Many were exiled abroad or imprisoned.

There were suspicions that the USSR were breaking the SALT 1 Treaty. In fact,both sides were positioning more missiles against each other.

The SALT 1 agreement ended in 1977, and when Carter tried to link cuts inweapons with improved human rights for SALT 2, Breshnev got annoyed. An

agreement was reached in 1979, but it never came into effect due to the Soviet

invasion of Afghanistan.

When Carter couldnt end a hostage crisis in Iran in 1979, many Americansfeared that USA was becoming weak. Reagan was elected when he promised to

get tough with the USSR. The public were rejecting Dtente


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Dtente

The relaxing of tension between the USA and the USSR in the 1970s and 1980s.

Penny Points

For both the USA and the USSR it made political and economic sense to tryand improve the relations between one another and reduce the cost and

tension of the Arms Race.

The Nixon Doctrine helped dtente to happen as it showed USA waswilling to adapt to try and come to a compromise with the USSR.

Both superpowers signed the SALT 1 Treaty which meant the amount ofarms both superpowers had was frozen and limited.

Both countries also signed the Helsinki Agreement, which meant thatAmerica accepted that East Europe was Communist, the superpowers

would trade and the Communist bloc would be granted more human rights

eg. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion.

Dtente failed as the USSR didnt follow the policies of the HelsinkiAgreement and the American public voted in another President that

promised to be firm with the USSR, they rejected Dtente.

Results of Dtente

Helsinki Agreement led to the formation of groups to campaign for greaterfreedom & during the 1980s, these groups managed to produce

pamphlets and secret radio broadcasts to show their despair at living in

the repressive Communist bloc. This helped lead to the end of

Communism in Eastern Europe.

The Helsinki Agreement also had economic consequences for East Europeas they could borrow money from the West and by the 1980s this led to

huge debts leading to poor standards of living for people in East Europe.

This led to Soviet leaders Gorbachev decision to reduce Red Armycommitments which again led to the collapse of Communism.

Dtente did not directly bring about the end of the Cold War however, asfrom the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in Dec.1979, a new Cold War

started, with US president Reagan adopting a tough stance against the

USSR, and increasing defence expenditure massively. This increased

tension massively.

Dtente was important in reducing Cold War tension in some ways in the1970s. This includes the SALT I agreement, US visits to the USSR andChina and the Helsinki Agreements.


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The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan Subject Recap.

Background

Afghanistan was a poor country, yet it was important to both superpowers becauseit was close to oil-rich countries of the Middle East.

The USSR had influence in Afghanistan since the 1950s when it gave aid to buildroads and oil pipelines. In 1973 the monarchy was overthrown and replaced by

a Soviet-backed Communist group, backed by the military.

The new government introduced new Soviet-style reforms that went against theMuslim culture and traditions of people living in Afghanistan they disliked new

laws on marriage and land distribution. By 1979 President Amin had seized power

and his government becoming increasingly more unpopular, hiss army dealing

brutally with any opposition. In 1979 civil war broke out.

The opposition to the Afghan communist government was led by a Muslim groupcalled the Mujahidin. They believed they were fighting a holy war (a jihad) andreceived economic aid from the USA as they supported them as they were against

Communism. They also received funds from a wealthy Saudi called Osama Bin

Laden.

At the end of 1979, the communist government of Afghanistan asked the USSRfor help.

Tanks and weapons were sent at first, then on Christmas Day, around 80,000 Soviettroops invaded Afghanistan. In the next few days, Kabul airport was captured and

350 Soviet aircraft carrying more troops and aircraft arrived. On New Years Day

1980, a new, more pro-Soviet government led by Babrak Karmal was set up afterPresident Amin had been killed.

Breshnev told the world that the USSR had been asked to protect Afghanistan andrestore order and their troops and equipment was needed to do this. Although he

promised that troops would be withdrawn as soon as peace was restored, the USA

and China reacted angrily to the invasion.

Reactions to the Soviet InvasionUSA:

Withdrew their competitors for the Olympic games in Moscow in 1980 as it wasunsuitable to hold it there as it is meant to celebrate peace and goodwill.

Sent US navy taskforce of 1,800 marines to the Arabian Sea to protect oil routes inthe Middle East.

Cut trade between the USA and USSR to inflict economic damage on the SovietUnion. Carter stopped export of computers and machines as well as 17 million tons

of grain.

Described the Soviet Invasion as a threat to world peace. The President advised the Senate not to ratify (confirm) the SALT II Treaty.

China:

Reacted angrily and promised to support the Mujahidin against the USSR.


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The Soviet Invasion Of Afghanistan

The Soviets invaded Afghanistan to ensure Afghanistan remained under

Communist control influenced by the Soviets. This angered the USA and

China.

Penny Points

In 1973, the Afghanistan monarchy was overthrown and replaced bya Soviet backed Communist party. The Afghan people hated the new

reforms and began to fight against it. In 1979 civil war broke out, and

the Afghan government asked the USSR for help.

At first the Soviets sent tanks and weapons, but on Christmas Day1979 Soviet troops arrived in Afghanistan, the Presidents palace was

captured and killed. By New Years Day 1980 Babrak Karmal was the

new President.

President Carter told the Soviets that if they went to Iran or Pakistanit would be an act of war, even nuclear war. The USA boycotted the

Olympic games as a result, stating that Moscow was unsuitable for an

event meant to celebrate peace and goodwill.

America worked with Pakistan and ignored the fact that they wereinvolved in drugs and nuclear weapons. They also sent arms to help

the Mujahidin fight the Communist government.

Results of The Soviet Invasion Of Afghanistan

The Soviet Invasion was a cause of collapse of Dtente, as it createdan issue of conflict and more tension between the two superpowers.

It also contributed to the collapse of Communism as the expensecrippled the Soviet economy leading to hardship back in the USSR.

The failure proved the Red Army werent invincible and could not berelied on to hold the Communist Empire together. It hadnt even

been able to defeat the Afghans, and as a result American confidence

had been increased cause of Reagans new policies and the renewal

of the Cold War, the new Cold War.

The effect on the army and the economy helped contribute to thedefeat on Communism.


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Policies of President Reagan

By early 1980, just as the Afghanistan conflict was beginning, relations

between the USA and the USSR were very bad. Dtente had completely

collapsed. Reagan was elected in January 1981 and had a tough anti-Communist stance. He referred to the Soviet Union as the evil empire.

Penny Points

Reagan increased the USAs defense spending from $178 billion in 1981to $367 billion in 1986. New weapons were developed, such as the

Cruise missiles, and NATO agreed that 464 US Cruise missiles should be

positioned in Western Europe.

In 1981, Reagan announced that America had a new bomb theneutron bomb. It could kill many people without destroying much

property. The Americans were also developing the MX missile, which

could be launched from different underground launch sites.

In 1983, US scientists began work on the Strategic Defense Initiative.This became known as the Star Wars project. It was a satellite anti-

missile system that would orbit the earth and make it impossible for

Soviet missiles to reach US targets by creating a huge laser shield in

space. Arms talks between the USA and the Soviet Union resumed in 1982 at

Geneva in Switzerland. They were called START (Strategic Arms

Reductions Talks) and their main aim was to limit nuclear weapons in

Europe. Reagan knew the USA was vastly superior in nuclear capacity,

but the USA could not continue spending at its current level.

Results of Reagans policies.

The USSR were terrified that the developments would upset thebalance of terror as the USA was now more developed and now the

idea of MAD would not affect them as much, they could attack them.

Increases Soviet fear and made them more willing to talk about

reduction of arms.

The USSR couldnt afford to try and keep up with the spending of armsas the Soviet economy was in ruins after the invasion of Afghanistan.


26/29

Solidarity

Solidarity was the first free trade union in the entire Soviet system. It was

led by Lech Walesa, and this group had protest movements in Poland.

Penny Points

The protest movements of Solidarity were caused by high prices offood and fuel shortages. The shipyard workers in Gdansk went on

strike.

Most Poles were Catholics despite the disapproval of theirCommunist leaders and were encouraged to speak out about their

discontent by Pope John Paul II who was a Pole himself.

Solidarity soon had 9 million members, and Poland feared a Sovietinvasion and takeover, but the Soviets did not invade as they had just

invaded Afghanistan. The Soviet Army was instructed to carry out

training manoeuvres on the Polish border, Soviet invasion was a

real threat.

In 1981 General Jaruzelski took over and imposed martial law.Political opponents to the Communist government were either

arrested (10,000 people) or forced to hide. Solidarity was declared anillegal organisation. However, it survived underground, and Lech

Walesa was seen as a hero. The USA provided secret support for

those in the banned Solidarity movement.

In November 1982 Walesa was released from prison and in 1983 hewas given the Nobel Peace Prize.

Results of Solidarity.

It helped contribute to the collapse of Communism as it showed thatpeople living under communism were unhappy and willing to fight

against it.

Makes the USA and the Capitalism system look superior and inviting. Makes the USSR and Communist system look weak for not invading,

and as if Communism is horrible and failing.

America actually does something and so American pride is strong.


27/29

Policies of Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev made new reforms on the Communist system once he

came into power which were popular with both the inhabitants of the

Communist bloc and the West.

Penny Points .

Gorbachev came into power in 1985 at the age of 54, the youngest man to holdsupreme power in the Soviet Union since Joseph Stalin.

Gorbachev saw that the economy of Soviet Union was on the edge of disaster.Too much money was being spent on arms and the war in Afghanistan. Industry

was being run in the same way it had been under Stalin, but the climate of fear

was no longer there to meet production targets. This with the growing

corruption inside the Communist Party and an increasing problem with

alcoholism meant that both industrial output and quality of goods produced

were falling. There had to be a change.

Perestroika Restructuring changing some economic policies to allowcompetition and more incentive to produce goods. This meant factories were

allowed to produce what they wanted and would be allowed to keep profit.

Glasnost Openness Restoring faith in Government and ending corruption. Thismeant freedom of speech was allowed.

The Breshnev Doctrine was abandoned and the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan.Results of Gorbachevs policies

President Reagan was pleased with the new reforms and felt it safe to have cutsin expenditure on defense.

Reagan and Gorbachev met several times during the 1980s to talk about armsreduction. In November 1985, it was agreed that offensive weaponry were to be

cut by 50%. However, the USA refused to give up its SDI in 1986.

December 1987 they agreed to get rid of all medium- and short-range nuclearweapons. This was called the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).

This was an amazing turn-around.

Cause of the end of the Cold War. No hostility and both leaders were willing toagree on most things.

Cause of the collapse of communism. People had freedom of speech now andwerent afraid to speak out about their hatred of the Communist system.


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Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe.

Hungary In May , the government dismantled the border with

non-communist Austria. There was now a hole in the Iron Curtain.In December, free elections were announced in 1990.

Poland In June, Solidarity won free elections, and by the end of

the year, it had formed the government. In December, Lech

Walesa became president.

East Germany In September, thousands of East Germans

escaped to Austria and West Germany. In November, the BerlinWal was pulled down. Free elections were held in March 1990,

and East and West Germany were reunited in October.

Czechoslovakia In November, mass demonstrations led to the

opening of the border with the West. In December, the

Communist government resigned.

Romania In December, there was a revolution and thecommunist dictator, Ceausescu, and his wife, were executed.

Bulgaria In November, Todor Zhivkov, the communist leader

since 1954, resigned. A non-communist government was elected

in 1990.


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Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union

Many people thought Gorbachev did little to prevent the fall of communism

in Eastern Europe. Many Soviets saw this as weakness.

The reforms had no immediate effect. They still suffered from foodshortages and rising prices. Many wanted to see the collapse of

Communism, not just reforms.

In February 1990, 250,000 people demonstrated in Moscow againstCommunism. In the annual May Day parade in Moscows Red Square,

Gorbachev was booed. He may have been popular in the West, but in

the Soviet Union people disliked him some thought he had gone too

far and some thought not far enough. August 1991, hardline communists led a coup against Gorbachev and

made him a prisoner in his own country home. Yeltsin (the new

President of the Russian Republic) led a demonstration against the

coup, insisting the reform movement had to continue in order to save

Russia. He was seen as a hero to save Russia from the slide of

Communist repression.

Yeltsin went on to disband the Communist Party in Russia, andformally ended the Soviet Union in December 1991. Later in the samemonth, he resigned as Soviet President as there was no longer a

Soviet state for him to preside over. The communist red flag was

lowered for the last time over the Kremlin.

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