History: The Cold War 1945-62 Part 2/10

Why was Cominform established?

In order to extend his control, Stalin established Cominform in 1947.

What was the reaction to the Marshall plan?

Many European countries were keen to receive Marshall Aid. However, representatives from the USSR walked out of the conference claiming that the Americans were trying to split Europe into "two camps". They argued that Marshall aid was the first step in creating a military alliance that would wage war on the Soviet Union. 16 countries including France and Britain welcomed the offer, seeing it as a way of rebuilding their economies and defeating Communism in their own countries.

Why did Stalin set up Satellite states?

Stalin described the Marshall plan as "dollar imperialism": he believed that the Americans were trying to buy influence over Europe, as any country that accepted Marshall aid would effectively become an American ally. To prevent this, Stalin extended his control over Eastern Europe, creating a series of satellite states.

How did Stalin keep control of his satellite states?

The USSR kept control by: making sure the Communist party in each state had leaders that would obey Moscow; creating an atmosphere of fear and mistrust so that it was difficult for people who wanted to oppose Soviet rule to trust each other enough to work together; ruthlessly using the police and the army in these states to stamp on any kind of opposition; and arranging the economies of these countries so that they were dependent on the USSR by 'rationalising' industries to stop the satellites being self-sufficient.

When was the Marshall Plan?

1947

What is a satellite state?

A satellite state that is officially independent, but is in reality controlled by another country.

How did Cominform ensure the loyalty of Eastern European governments?

Cominform did this by investigating government ministers and employees, and removing those who were not loyal to Stalin. This process was often violent.

What was Cominform?

Cominform was an international organisation that represented Communist Parties across Europe and brought them under the direction of the USSR.

Why did America begin the Marshall plan?

To those suffering economic hardship following the second world war, the promise of sharing resources equally under Communism had great appeal. If people were wealthy, however, the idea of sharing resources would have less appeal. In order to qualify for American money, European countries had to agree to trade freely with America. In this way, the Marshall Plan also helped the American economy.

What was the Marshall plan?

Truman described the containment of the Marshall plan as "two halves of the same walnut". By this he meant that America had a dual strategy for dealing with Communism. Containment aimed to beat Communism through military force. The Marshall plan of 1947 committed $13 billion of American money to rebuild the shattered economies of Europe. By encouraging prosperity, the Marshall Plan would weaken the attraction of Communism.

Which countries were satellite states>

Yugoslavia; Albania; The Baltic States; East Germany; Bulgaria; Poland; Romania and Czechoslovakia.

What did Cominform do in response to the Marshall plan?

The first Cominform conference rejected the Marshall plan. Consequently, Eastern European governments refused to accept Marshall Aid and Communist parties in Western Europe were encouraged to organise strikes and demonstrations against the American plan.

How did Stalin take control of his satellite states?

This emerged from the 'spheres of influence' discussed at the conferences. At Yalta and Potsdam, the USSR agreed to free elections in these countries. The USSR pushed for new 'free' elections that they fixed as much as they could. Once in power, they got rid of opposition parties and made each country a single-party state.