Cold War Summary, quotes and revision notes.

The Cold War 1945 - 1991 ) Origins of the Cold War 1945 - 1953 - 1945 Conferences and the emergence of the superpowers The origins of the Cold War * Disputes between the US & USSR centred around two major issues - Eastern Europe (US planned for free elections - Stalin was determined to create a secure zone of friendly communist governments - Stalin prevailed) and Germany (disagreed over the treatment of the defeated Germany - US favoured lenient treatment, USSR favoured harsh treatment) * Divisions were acknowledged by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in a speech in March 1946 when he used the phrase "the iron curtain" 945 Conferences Name: Yalta Conference Date: 4-11th February 1945 People: US president Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Soviet Leader Joseph Stalin Discussed: German reparations, Polish government, United Nations, Japan Resolved: * Agreement that the three nations (as well as France) would control post-war Germany * Soviet's demanded that Germany pay heavy reparations to help compensate for WWII losses, US & Britain were hesitant as such restrictions could hamper economic recovery for Europe. Reparations were agreed to but the actual figure not decided. * The Lublin committee - Provisional Polish Government set up under Soviet support and consisting of communists - would be broadened to include others -

  • Word count: 15680
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
Access this essay

Cold War Short Essays - Questions and Answers.

Transfer-Encoding: chunked Section 4 – How did the Cold War develop? Describe one decision made by the Allies about the war against Germany at the Tehran Conference in 1943 (2 marks) The allies agreed that in the aftermath of the war, the USSR could have a soviet sphere of influence amongst the other countries in Eastern Europe. Describe one reason why there was tension between the superpowers at the Tehran Conference in 1943 (2 marks) There was tension between USSR and USA and GBR because Stalin wanted to weaken Germany by forcing them to pay large sums of reparations - this would mean that they would be too weak to attempt another war. However, Churchill and Roosevelt wanted to rebuild Germany because they wanted to stop history from repeating itself, as it did with World War I. Describe one reason why the Allies met at Yalta in February 1945 (2 marks) The allies met to discuss what would happen to Germany know that they had full control over them. They wanted to equally share out the land and resources and thus they decided to divide Berlin into four sections, and Germany into four sections as well – one for each country. Describe one reason why the Marshall Plan was drawn up in 1947 (2 marks) The Marshall Plan was drawn up because the USA wanted to contain the spread of communism. The USA was committed to an economic recovery of the west and believed that

  • Word count: 12921
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
Access this essay

Edexcel Cold War 1943-1991 Revision (Detailed)

The origins of the Cold War During 1939-45 the alliance of the three superpowers (USA, Britain and SU) was due to necessity. Once Germany had been defeated, differences began to emerge between Stalin and the Soviet Union. This is, largely, where the capitalist vs communism shebang comes into place. The cold war is a conflict in which actual fighting takes place by ever means short of war itself. The only time the war seemed to get hot was during Korea in 1950-53 ad Vietnam (60s) Its main features, and what made it so prominent throughout the world, was: . Spying 2. Propaganda 3. Arms Race 4. Space Race 5. Loans and Aid Pre-1941 Rivalry Superpower rivalry was not new. The differences go back to the 1918-21 revolution where America defended Russia against the Bolshevik uprising. Differences intensified after 1933 when Hitler became leader of Germany. Stalin, who became leader of the Soviet Union in 1928, was very suspicious of an attack from the west and encouraged Hitler to invade. Task 1a) What message is the cartoonist trying to put across in Source B? Source B shows three fat, greedy and typically selfish old men in suits looking down at a pile of bodies. These three men, each wearing a different hat with the flag of France, America and Great Britain on them have totally no remorse and are simply smoking cigarettes. The source tells us that such people were

  • Word count: 6779
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
Access this essay

How Far Was Gorbachev Responsible For The End Of Soviet Union?

How Far Was Gorbachev Responsible For The End Of Soviet Union? Many factors influenced the end of the USSR and it is far too simplistic to say that a certain factor was wholly Gorbachev's fault or was wholly free of Gorbachev's ideas. For example, the ideas of perestroika, glasnost, and his actions were generally caused by Gorbachev. However, elements of nationalism, the economy and unpopularity only contain a few examples of Gorbachev not being directly responsible. Some factors to do with the end of the Soviet Union had nothing to do with Gorbachev. There are also cases where Gorbachev is shown to be trying to keep the USSR intact. Another element to consider is that various factors affected the stability of the Soviet Union to varying degrees. It is only by debating these topics can we come to a judgement on how far he was or was not responsible for the end of the Soviet Union. There are examples of Gorbachev weakening the Soviet Union. Zubok in particular argues that Gorbachev's personality helped to destabilize the USSR. This is a valid argument because the strength of a nation to prosper is dependent on the strength of character of its leader, for example Stalin was a leader of strong personality (for all his flaws) and his country did prosper for a short time. There is the belief that Gorbachev was of "weak character" (ZA P62). This quote is particularly useful

  • Word count: 5382
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
Access this essay

The Cuban Missile Crisis: Was President Kennedy the Saviour of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The Cuban Missile Crisis: Was President Kennedy the Saviour of the Cuban Missile Crisis? The Cold War started in 1917 and it was fought without violence because retaliation would involve nuclear weapons from both countries and it'll be M.A.D. However on Sunday 14th October, 1962, this all changed. In 1962, the Soviet Union was desperately behind the United States in the arms race. Soviet missiles were only powerful enough to be launched against Europe but U.S missiles were capable of striking the entire Soviet Union. In late April 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev concieved the idea of placing intermediate-range missiles in Cuba. An American U-2 spy plane was flown over Cuba and it spotted the nuclear missile basis placed there by Khruschev. America was furious. What made it worst was that this nuclear missile basis was just 90 miles off the coast from Florida, facing America.Source B2 shows the strike range of the Soviet missiles installed on Cuba. The closest the world has come to nuclear war was the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. U.S. armed forces were at their highest state of readiness. Soviet field commanders in Cuba were authorized to use tactical nuclear weapons if invaded by the U.S. The fate of millions literally hinged upon the ability of two men, President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev to reach a compromise. From 1952 until 1958

  • Word count: 5118
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
Access this essay

The Duvalier regime compared to other dictatorships on Haiti during the middle of the 20th century

Extended Essay History By Geir Espen Aas May 2003 The Duvalier regime compared to other dictatorships on Haiti during the middle of the 20th century 3874 words Abstract This essay tells the history of Haiti from its independence in 1804 to the end of the Duvalier regime in 1986 with special focuse on the regimes of Francois Duvalier and his son Jean-Claude Duvalier who ruled Haiti from September 22nd 1957 to February 6th 1986. This is quite a feat considering that the average ruling time of a Haitian presidentwas less than 3 years up to then. Francois Duvalier and Jean-Claude Duvalier are compared to other Haitian rulers in the 20th century to determine the causes of their success. The conclusion is that Francois Duvalier's secret police, his creation of a new elite, his manipulation through religion and his control over the Haitian army were decisive factors for the Duvalier regime. Context Page * The history of Haiti * Duamarsais Estimé's regime * Paul Magloire's regime * The Duvalier election * Papa Doc's regime * The Domestic policy * The Voodoo policy * The foreign policy * Assassination attempts * Economic situation * Baby Doc's regime * Baby Doc's policy * The end of the Duvalier regime * Conclusion The Duvalier regime compared to other dictatorships on Haiti in the 20th century During its time as an independent nation from January 1 1804 to

  • Word count: 4635
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
Access this essay

In February 1943, the German army surrendered at Stalingrad. Was Hitler's interference the main reason for this defeat? Explain your answer.

In February 1943, the German army surrendered at Stalingrad. Was Hitler's interference the main reason for this defeat? Explain your answer. The defeat at Stalingrad was down to an assortment of factors; no one factor was wholly responsible for the defeat, as is the complexity of history. A number of these factors were, however, down to Hitler either directly or indirectly. One factor was the fact that Hitler was very vague in his directions to the generals; this was problematic as it caused confusion and co-ordination problems between the generals. They had to decide for themselves where to attack, and were given three simple steps to follow: attacking armies, capturing resources and then capturing cities. The idea behind this was to prevent the armies getting bogged down in cities too early. Hitler's vague directions were a relatively minor factor, although led to the generals' battle plans not collaborating efficiently with each other. Other factors stemming from Hitler include overconfidence; due to victories in 1941, Hitler, and the rest of Germany, became all but complacent. When the Russians had retreated, the Germans assumed that this meant they were defeated, which was far from the truth. Hitler, instead of telling his troops to stay wary, as the Russians were still a dangerous foe, encouraged complacency; he boasted about the Wehrmacht's triumph over the Red Army,

  • Word count: 3402
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
Access this essay

The basic idea of my project is to demonstrate that Colombia's global reputation, drugs and terrorism, has been decaying during the past decade (1990-2000).

Semiotics Project Thesis: Damage to the global reputation of non-USA cultures by Hollywood. Subject: English Presented to: Robert O'Rourke By: Alejandro Holguin Trimester 2 2002-01-29 RATIONALE The basic idea of my project is to demonstrate that Colombia's global reputation, drugs and terrorism, has been decaying during the past decade (1990-2000). My research will be based on getting enough information including specific facts and quotes, which will show how and why is the U.S government and its film industry is responsible for all the damage done to our country's worldwide image. Within the following report, I intend to prove through films, newspaper reports, magazines, and Internet articles, that the U.S´s interest in Colombia is extremely harmful for our image. And that in a non-direct way they are trying to make the world believe that what Colombia needs is military intervention. What I want is to demonstrate the permanent harm that the U.S government is causing to our country. Through out my report Ill show direct facts that prove that Colombia is not the world's most violent country. Even though we produce high amounts of different drugs. There are many drug cartels around Latin America that produce much higher amounts of drugs than the Colombian ones. Colombia has to deal with the worst part of the problem because our drugs are proved to

  • Word count: 3304
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
Access this essay

Was Ernesto Guevara Deserved Of His Iconic Status?

Was Ernesto Guevara Deserved Of His Iconic Status? Aged twenty-four, Ernesto Guevara pens a regular letter home to Rosario, Argentina from his flat in Mexico. It concludes: "Things are moving with tremendous speed and no one can know, or predict, where or for what reason one will be next year"1. This, perhaps, is one indication of the mans legendary appeal - not as a hero of socialism or political ideologist, but as a free-spirited and non-fictitious adventurer. After all, how many of us could end our letters with the same thrilling poignancy, at any age? Further still, how many of us manage to more then dream of exploring the sprawling sceneries of our home-land as Guevara did in 1951 (from Buenos Aires to Venezuela)? Those of us outside Cuba who accept the commercialization of Guevara's legacy, in purchasing any of the posters, t-shirts or "Revolucion" Swatch watches his dashing image adorns, are unlikely to be linked by communist sympathy, revolutionary intention or anti-American sentiment. More likely, it will be a fondness for the broader ideals his face has came to encapsulate - equality, strength, moral perfection and endless self-improvement. It is no doubt that today, thirty-six years after his death, Che Guevara has became half political legend, half pop-culture commodity and a complete, world-wide icon. Yet Jean-Paul Sartre's comment - that 'his (Guevara's)

  • Word count: 3225
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
Access this essay

Was the Cuban Missile Crisis a turning point in Relations between the Superpowers?

Mahdi Zarringhalam History Coursework: The Cuban Missile Crisis Was the Cuban Missile Crisis a turning point in Relations between the Superpowers? The Cuban Missile crisis is recognised by the entire world to have been one of the most dangerously fragile points in the history of conflicts between the United States of America and the Soviet Union. Surely after it was over, after the US and USSR had realized they had nearly thrown the world into nuclear war, after an event that could ultimately have spelt the planets doom, changes were bound to be made in order to stop anything like the missile crisis from happening again in both the near and far future. So, what steps were taken by the superpowers that would ensure the worlds safety from then on? And more importantly, can the events that took place during October of 1962 on Cuba, be considered a turning point in relations between the US and USSR, and if yes how and to what extent? There are a number of points that can be analysed in this topic that will show evidence of progress and in some cases contradictory evidence to the improvement in the superpowers' relations after the Cuban Missile crisis. In the days just after the crisis one of J.F Kennedy's advisers said to the press, "Having come so close to the edge, we must make it our business not to pass this way again". Though this was easier said than done. Kennedy

  • Word count: 3203
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: History
Access this essay