OCR A level History - The Cold War in Europe: Reasons for developments in the Cold War

Cold War: reasons for developments
1. Tensions 1941 – 1945
 Western delay over the second front
 Soviet actions in Poland (Warsaw Uprising, Katyn Forest, arrest of 16 communists)
 The future of Germany (ACC, reparations)
 Annexation of lands by the USSR – expansionism
 Leaders (Truman, Attlee, Stalin)

2. Tensions 1946 - 1949
 Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan
 Creation of NATO
 Germany (Bizonia, Berlin Blockade, FRG & GDR)
 Soviet explosion of atomic bomb
 Spread of Communism in Europe (France & Italy, Prague coup, Greece)

3. Tensions 1949 – 1955
 NATO and Warsaw Pact
 FRG and GDR created
 Developments in the arms race (atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb, Massive Retaliation)

4. Détente
 The Sino-Soviet Split
 Fears of nuclear war
 The expense of the arms race
 Ostpolitik (opened the way for agreements at Helsinki, relaxed tensions between the
two Germanies, made Moscow more amenable to talks)

5. The New Cold War
 Election of Ronald Reagan (hostile rhetoric, stepped up defence spending, restarted
arms race)
 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
 The continuation of the arms race (SS-20 missiles deployed in Europe with multiple
warheads 1978)

6. Reasons Gorbachev sought to improve relations with the West
 Soviet economic difficulties
 The arms race
 The war in Afghanistan (costly for Soviet Union, needed America to stop sending aid)

7. Relaxation of tensions under Gorbachev
 Glasnost and perestroika (showed the West there was reform, elections in the USSR)
 Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan
 Gorbachev’s non-intervention policy (enabled 1989 revolutions)



8. The collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe
 Gorbachev’s non-intervention policy