Origins of the Cold War: Ideological Differences

Origins of the Cold War

Ideological Differences

• The Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917 resulted in a civil war between the "reds" and "whites."
• The new government's decision to seek peace with Germany caused alienation with Great Britain, the USA, and France.
• Russia was inspired by Marx.
• Marx believed more advanced industrial countries would experience revolution and the collapse of capitalism
• The state had full control, creating a threat to democracy in the West.
• Western Powers continued to see Russia as an enemy.
• The murder of Tsar and his family and the promotion of Comintern were reasons for this sentiment.

Second Front

• Germany attacked Stalingrad in 1942.
• Great Britain and the U.S. looked to an invasion of Northern France for relief.
• This second front would threaten Hitler with war on two fronts and relieve pressure on the USSR.
• It was not created until June 1944, with the D-Day landings.
• The USSR was suspicious that the West wanted dictatorships to fight each other to a standstill.

Post War Europe

• Tensions over Poland were prevalent at Yalta.
• Stalin viewed the pro-Soviet Lublin Committee as the true representatives of Poland.
• Churchill feared that these Stalinists would exclude democratic representatives in London.
• They agreed to hold free elections, but there was little guarantee.
• Stalin wanted to take German machinery, food, and goods.
• Great Britain and the USA disagreed because they doubted the wisdom of having millions of poor and starving people in Europe.
• Germany was to be divided.

Opposing Views at Potsdam

• Truman was suspicious of Stalin.
• The Land-Lease scheme was cut off in May and restored in September after USSR protests.
• Attlee lacked rapport with Stalin, and Bevin was hostile to communism.
• Soviets insisted on complete control of their zone in Germany.
• There was little overall government.
• Reparations were agreed regarding policies in each zone.
• An agreement of 15% of reparations would go to the Russian zone in return for food and raw materials but didn't work.

Soviet Expansionism/Future of the East

• Stalin was determined to create a buffer zone of friendly, pro-Soviet states in Eastern Europe to prevent future threats.
• His purposes was to control key territories bordering the USSR including Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and later East Germany.
• In 1944, the Warsaw Uprising saw the Polish Home Army (loyal to the London-based Polish government-in-exile) rise against the Germans.
• The Soviets deliberately halted their advance, allowing the Nazis to crush the resistance to ensure only pro-Soviet forces were left in post-war Poland.
• Stalin backed the Lublin Committee (a pro-Soviet Polish government), rather than the London-based Polish government-in-exile.
• This upset Britain and the USA because they saw it as a betrayal of agreements for Polish self-determination.
• There were four zones of occupation.
• Churchill insisted France have a zone because he feared the USA would withdraw and leave Great Britain alone.
• Initially, the US refused, but soon agreed.

Liberation in the West

• Italy: The removal of Mussolini in 1943 helped the Allies see them as an ally rather than an enemy.
• Italian opponents of fascism assisted the advance.
• Allied forces in France, the Low Countries, and Denmark were seen as liberators.
• They brought much-needed supplies to areas short of food, without annexing territory or imposing ideology.
• Great Britain supported the royalists in a civil war in Greece from 1944 to prevent a communist state.

Liberation in the East

• The Red Army moved into Eastern Europe to impose Russian domination and take revenge on enemies.
• They were motivated by the brutalism of the regime and the pursuit of restoring spheres of influence and ensuring future security.
• Territory in Poland, Finland, the Baltic states etc was annexed.
• 470,000 km² of land, home to 24 million people, was regained.
• A coup in Romania was supported in 1945.
• This forced the king to appoint a communist government, arrested 47,000 anti-communist Poles in 1944-45, and installed a coalition in Hungary which included communists to take over.

Development of the Cold War 1946-1955

Truman Doctrine/Marshall Aid

• On March 12, 1947, Truman requested Congress to strengthen non-communist forces in vulnerable areas.
• They approved $400 million, with $250 million to Greece and $150 million to Turkey.
• This Doctrine increased military preparedness as a precautionary measure.
• The National Security Act led to the CIA.
• In June 1947, an aid package was made to Europe.
• This ensured a long-term commitment to aid: after 1951, $7 billion a year went to Europe under the Marshall Plan.
• This was seen as a policy of containment which strengthened hostility in the communist bloc, "dollar diplomacy," and led to Cominform

Development in Germany

• On June 20, 1948, a currency reform without consulting the SU was introduced in Western zones.
• They introduced the Deutschmark (breaking Potsdam).
• The Soviets responded with the Ostmark: two separate German states.
• The creation of East and West Germany prompted the West German constitution.
• In spring 1949, it was approved by the Western occupying powers.
• Elections took place for a new parliament in August.
• Adenauer became the first West German chancellor.
• Stalin realized no alternative was there to forming the GDR.
• The division ensured Berlin remained a divided city within a divided state on a divided continent.

NATO/Warsaw Pact

• The North Atlantic Treaty was signed on April 4, 1949, for an initial period of 20 years.
• It included Brussels Pact Powers, USA, Italy, and Denmark.
• There was to be 'continuous and effective' mutual aid to support countries' defensive capacities.
• The formation of NATO confirmed the divide of Europe into two armed blocs.
• The USA committed itself to containing communism, a new phase of hostility began.
• On May 14, 1955, the USSR and Eastern European states signed the Warsaw Pact, a response to the FRG's entry into NATO.
• Members committed to consult on issues of mutual interest and give all necessary assistance in the event of an attack on any one of them in Europe.

Atomic Bomb/H-Bomb

• The USA successfully tested an atomic weapon on July 16, 1945, and destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August.
• The USA and Great Britain had not shared atomic secrets with Stalin, so the USSR was more vulnerable to pressure.
• Russia succeeded in testing its own atomic weapon in September 1949.
• The USA developed the H-Bomb in 1954: it had the capacity for an explosion equivalent to 10 million tons of TNT high explosive.
• Russia had a weapon equivalent to the USA by 1955.

Berlin Blockade

• In retaliation for the Deutschmark, Stalin imposed a blockade on road and rail links to West Berlin on June 23, 1948.
• The Allies supplied the city by air with 2000 tons daily, increased to 8000 tons by February 1949.
• The blockade and airlift ended in May 1949.
• The USSR looked like an aggressor in the eyes of most Berliners and this was detrimental.

Comecon/Cominform

• Poland: Soviet forces set up a new Provisional Government in June 1945.
• Polish communists dominated the government, despite little public support.
• joining with the Polish government in exile in London meant there would be no free elections.
• Non-communist Peasant Party representatives resigned in protest.
• Romania- A new government was imposed on the king in December 1945.
• Stalin created a new communist-dominated National Democratic Front in 1946.
• Amid violence and pressure, they won 80% of the vote in November 1946 elections.
• By December 1947, the king was forced to abdicate and a Communist People's Republic was formed in April 1948.
• Bulgaria (later expanded to include more socialist states).
• Focused on preventing member states from trading with the West.
• They encouraged trade between socialist countries for the USSR.
• Raw materials and goods flowed to the SU to support recovery and industrialization.
• Cominform was Established in September 1947.
• It controled the communist parties of EE.
• Members were the same as Comecon but also included Yugoslavia, France, and Italy.
• It served as propaganda to prevent any communist party being lured by US "dollar diplomacy."
• It promoted Stalinist policies and strengthened control over Eastern Bloc countries.
• Aimed to provide info to 'the anti-imperialist and democratic camp.'

Opposition

• Poland (1956): Strikes over pay began in summer 1956.

• Wider political reforms were called for.

• The Polish government sent in tanks to suppress the strikers.

• 74 workers were killed and 300 injured, largely in Poznan.

• Gomulka, recently released from prison, promised a move away from Stalinist policies after being appointed General Secretary in October 1956.

• Khrushchev threatened to use Soviet troops to restore control.

• Gomulka insisted that the Polish army would resist armed intervention.

• Some anti-Soviet demonstrations followed.

• Gomulka promised that the Communist party would remain the government and a loyal Warsaw Pact member.

• Khrushchev backed down from confrontation and allowed Poles to pursue their own path.

• Hungary (1956): the continued supremacy of Communist control was now threatened.

• Hungary wanted to become neutral and severe its ties with the SU.

• Soviets troops were withdrawing.

• There were multi-party elections and freedom of speech and press.

• Nagy assured Soviet leaders, the situation could be controlled.

• Khrushchev agreed to withdraw troops from Budapest.

• Soon announced was a withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact.

• There was the abolition of the AVO and moves towards multi-property elections.

• Khrushchev ordered 15 divisions and 4000 tanks into Hungary and surrounded the capital.

• The revolt was crushed, with 3000 Hungarians killed alongside 700 Soviet troops, and leaders of revolt and Nagy was executed.

• Czechoslovakia (1968): Dubcek began a series of reforms, "socialism with a human face."

• He promised freedom of speech, the press, and progress towards multi-party democracy.

• His promise was to stay in the Warsaw Pact

• Communisty still retain its ‘leading role.'

• In July, the Warsaw Letter was issued.

• It argued a challenge to socialism was a threat in one country.

• The entire socialist movement would not be tolerated.

• Soviet was soon exhausted, thus Soviet troops from Warsaw Pact countries invaded Czechoslovakia.

• Czech armed forces were immediately rounded,

• Dubcek replaced the following year by Gustav Husak who reversed the reforms.

• 70 civilians killed and 70,000 fled.

• This led to the Brezhnev Doctrine which stated the USSR could intervene in the affairs in EE.

• This would only be if communism was threatened.

The Cold War 1956-1984

Development in the years 1956-1984

Arms Race

• The Soviets gained the upper hand in 1957 when they could launch the first ICBM.
• Eisenhower then ordered the US military, developing their own ICBMs, and resulting in the Polaris system. This could then be launched from submarines.

Space Race

• The USSR dominated an advantage in the early stages when in Oct 1957, they launched Sputnik.
• It was the first satellite to orbit
• The USSR enjoyed an advantage when Laika in November boarded Sputnik.
• U.S. Congress authorised $1 billion to NASA
• Yuri Gagarin’s space flight was huge propaganda USSR.

Espionage

• Understanding motives was key.
• There were many secret missions from either sides.
• The Cambridge Five was a great loss to the British Secret Service. They passed on detailed info to Soviet secret service in 1950s and 60s.

Deterrence by 1979

• Ostpolitik: Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, WG aligned with West.
• They joined NATO in 1955 and refused to recognise EG.
• The 1970 election of Brandt had a huge impact.
• The USA had to negotiate
• Salt was put into place
• Helsinki Accords 1975
• This led to a range of nuclear weaponry agreements across Europe.

Actions of Reagan

• Reagan increased the pressure on the Soviet system.
• He helped speed up the end of the cold war.
• He did this by describing the system as corrupt
• He pressured the USSR at every single stage with intense economic and nuclear pressure.
• This led to an increase in satellite states

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

• The Soviet invasion turned out wrong.
• It involved Islamic republics in the north of the SU.
• The invasion had many huge impacts, especially military spending and pressure from a NATO countries.

Solidarity, Poland

• Poland, across the 1980s saw an intense civil war and the fall of civil society.
• Pope John Paul II supported.
• It soon became a massive force.

The End of the Cold War 1984-1995

Why did the Cold War come to an end?

• Invasion of Afghanistan; Was draining to resources.
• Glasnost; State censorship went down.
• The economy and social issues of the USSR brought it down.
• The Actions of reformist leaders.
• 1991 coup

Consequences after collapse of Soviet power

• Political consequences
  • Germany back to one
• Economic Consequences
• Humanitarian Issues
• War between Croatia and Serbia
• War in bosnia.

Explore the ideological rifts between the USSR and the West post-Bolshevik Revolution. Understand the alienation caused by Russia's peace with Germany and the threat posed to Western democracies by Soviet state control. Examine the delayed Second Front and its impact on USSR-Western relations.