IB HISTORY EXAM—Cold War Origins and beginning (1945-1954)

nazi invasion of Poland

1 September 1939 Began the declarations of war. The "Fake war" starts. War has been declared by all parties but no one is fighting yet.

FDR dies

12 April 1945 Truman becomes president. Stalin had respect for FDR, but had little respect for Truman.

Warsaw Pact

15 may 1955 The communist countries of Europe signed a treaty of mutual defense and military aid that bound the signatories to come to the aid of the others if any of them were victim to foreign aggression. The Soviets intended that the pact be a military deterrent to the NATO nations and any plans they might have on attacking the SU or its allies

COMECON

1949 Council for Mutual Economic Assistance An organization to facilitate and coordinate the economic development of Soviet-bloc countries. Used to help the communist nations. They traded goods as low prices so that way they didn't have to trade with non-communist nations

Korean War

1950-1953 North Korea crossed the 38th parallel causing war. Truamn views this conflict as a test case for his containment policy, he took the case to the UN and then American troops were sent in leading to an eventual stalemate along the 38th parallel. US involvement on behalf of containment: globalization of the Cold War. proves UN capabilities. Encouraged nuclear arms race with USSR: Eisenhower backs off limited war because it is clear that it will not work and favors a missive arms buildup as does the USSR in response (mutually assured destruction)

Non aligned movement

1955 Movement of nations against taking sides in the Cold War. Could be used to gain help if the country threatened to take sides.

Operation Barbarossa

22 June 1941 Hitler reallocates troops from Western front to open up Eastern front. Now fighting a multiple front war. Sets of Soviets distrust of Germany which in part led to their later harsh actions against the Germans.

Nazi-Soviet Non Aggression Pact

23 August 1939 made Germany and Russia allies for now. Stalin truly believed Hitler would follow the guidelines and remain an ally. Allowed the soviet to take substation territory in Eastern Europe and is later used as the basis for Soviet claims to Eastern Europe

Stalin dies

5 March 1953 Created the opportunity for a cold war "thaw" that never happened. Power struggle within Kremlin.

Pearl Harbor attacke

7 December 1941 U.S. enters the war in the pacific

Hitler invaded the Rhineland

7 March 1936 Shows the weakness of the league of nations

VE Day

8 May 1945. Ended the War in Europe

NATO is founded

April 1949 An international organization created by the North Atlantic Traty for purposes of collective security. Formed for protection from the Soviet Union and its East European allies. Warsaw pact was formed in response to this. End of US isolationism

Atlantic Charter

August 1941 Wilsonian perspective on post war Europe

Russia develops an atom bomb

August 1949 changed the balance of the Cold War powers and shattered US security that depended on atomic monopoly

Korean War historiography: revisionist

Bruce Cummings Stalin was not responsible. N Korea wanted to attack S Korea and thus should be view as a civil war if not for US involvement

Korean war historiography: orthodox

Chang it was all the Soviet Union's fault

Yalta Conference

February 1945. A meeting among the leaders of the US, Britain, and Soviet Union. Agreed on Soviet entry into the pacific war in return for possessions in Manchuria. Organization of the UN. Disputed the division of political organization in the E. European states to be reestablished after the war. Stalin promised free elections in Europe (Declaration of Liberated Europe) but then lied, led to tension.

Kennan's Long Telegram

February 1946 notified Truman of Soviet ambitions to expand empire and overthrow other political forces

Casablanca Conference

January 1943 Set up the precedent of unconditional surrender

NSC68

January 1950 US agrees to provide more military and financial assistance to countries under communist threat. Intensifies the cold war tensions. May have been impetus for a more aggressive US foreign policy towards containing communism in Korea.

Potsdam Conference

July-August 1945 Decsions on post war Germany (demilitarize, denazify, democratize) and set of Polish boundaries. Discussed reparations and the Soviets were informed of the a-bomb by Truman. No longer the Big 3 (Atlee replaced Churchill and Truman replaced FDR) which led to the deterioration of the grand alliances without a common enemy/ goal

Marshall Plan

June 1947 European Economic recovery plan. aid in military and economic assistance to post war Europe to ensure political stability and therefore defend the spread of communism. Available to German sectors as a way to move Germany back towards self-governance and unification

The Berlin Blockade

June 1948-May 1949 Soviets tried to remove the ALlies from berlin by cutting off access to the city, Stalin cut off supplies to West Berlin in response to the Allies' introduction of a new currency to boost the German economy; Allies planes flew in supplies for almost a year until the blockade ended. Showed the communist world that democracy could still thrive.

Korean War Historiography: post-revisionist

Lynch it's complicate. In the end Stalin did allow the war to start and he did kind of instigate the conflict

Truman's Doctrine

March 1947 policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian ideology. Lead to future US involvement in containing communism.

Tehran Conference

Nov-Dec 1943 outlines post war Europe and Asia under the guise of UN

Battle of Stalingrad

Nov. 1942-2 Feb. 1943 Soviet victory. Axis retreat, Hitler's last hope.

Anti Comintern Pact

November 1936 Set up Germany and Japan against the Soviet Union, isolates the soviet union, leading to mistrust

Mussolini Invaded Ethiopia

October 1935 Displayed the appeasement of the other countries, the weakness of international organization, and the disregard of Afric

Gaddis

Post Revisionist Neither side can bear sole responsibility for the onset of the Cold War

William Applebomb Williams

Revisionist Americans had always been and empire building people even while American leaders denied it and it was all Truman's fault

SEATO

September 1954 South East Asian Treaty Organization Cooperation to prevent the spread of communism to South East Asia. US opposition/sabotage to the Geneva accords.

Post 1991

misperception and miscommunication stress the importance of the "Third World" in the latter half of the Cold War

Thomas A. Bailey

orthodox "the breakdown of postwar peace was the result of Soviet expansionism in the immediate postwar years" Stalin violated promised he made at yalta, imposed Soviet-dominated regimes, and wanted to spread Communism EVERYWHERE US officials were forced to respond to Soviet aggression with the Truman Doctrine, containment, and the Marshall plan