Presidents USA Order
Franklin D Roosevelt → 4 March 1933 – 12 April 1945
Harry S Truman → 12 April 1945 – 20 January 1953
Dwight D Eisenhower→ 20 January 1953 – 20 January 1961
John F Kennedy (JFK) → 20 January 1961 – 22 November 1963
Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ) → 2 November 1963 – 20 January 1969
Richard M Nixon → 20 January 1969 – 9 August 1974
Gerald R Ford → 9 August 1974 – 20 January 1977
James (Jimmy) Carter → 20 January 1977 – 20 January 1981
Ronald Reagen → 20 January 1981 – 20 January 1989
George H W Bush → 20 January 1989 – 20 January 1993
Leaders of the USSR Order
Stalin → 21 January 1924 – 5 March 1953
Malenkov → 5 March 1953 – 7 September 1953
Khruschev → 7 September 1953 – 14 October 1964
Brezhnev → 14 October 1964 – 10 November 1982
Andropov → 10 November 1982 – 9 Feburary 1984
Chernenko → 9 Feburary 1984 – 10 March 1985
Gorbachev → 10 March 1985 – 25 December 1991
Origins
Long term causes of CW
What was the cold war?
- A state of prolonged hostility between ussr and west 1945-1991, stopped short of
direct war
- Characterised by threats/ propaganda/ proxy wars/ military, economic competition.
Causes of the cold war
- RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
- Some historians trace this to 1917, leading to the first socialist state being
established.
- The West viewed with fear seemed to represent threat to capitalism, liberal
democracy, freedom.
- RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR, 1918-21
- Russian perception of western hostility was seemingly confirmed by west
support for ‘whites’, who sought to topple the new state.
- West upset by lenin's decision to pull russia out of ww1 1917
- Bolsehcivks won the war but harboured distrust to the west.
-
, - WAR DEBTS
- Tensions between west/ soviet union - the latter refused to pay back ww1
debt , viewed event as an imperialist war
- Imperialism- ideology they directly opposed.
- THE COMINTERN
- established 1919 to facilitate contact between communist groups to spread
global revolution- goal of marxism-leninism
- Though starlin scrapped this in favour of communism in one country 1943
- The West still feared the USSR's aim to undermine capitalism/ spread
revolution.
- THE RED SCARE 1919
- No significant left-wing or trade union movement in the US.
- When the American Communist Society founded 1919- a red scare swept
states. Jan 1920, 6000 suspected communists arrested and imprisoned.
Many were deported.
- THE NAZI SOVIET PACT 1939
- Aug 1939 Stalin signed a pact with hitler that guaranteed neither would
invade.
- Other European countries followed appeasement.
- Usa saw the nazi-soviet pact as the work of two similar dictators.
Conflicting ideologies
- Fundamental to cw differences in ideology
- COMMUNISM
- One party state, elections are contested between members of communist
party (only legal party)
- Freedoms are restricted; censorship, secret police, state atheism, and
controls on rights of citizens to express themselves.
- State-controlled (planned) economy; production must follow government
plans and is sold at fixed prices.
- WESTERN CAPITALISM/LIBERAL DEMOCRACY
- Multi-party free elections
- Freedom; including press, freedom of speech, freedom of worship, individual
rights.
- Characterised by private enterprise, competition, and business owned by
individuals. The government has minimal interference. Free market
determines the quantity/ cost of goods.
US, British, USSR relation 1945
- The alliance between britain, us, ussr was a marriage of convenience
- Churchill respected not trusted stalin.
- Roosevelt was a realist who was more concerned with winning the war against hitler.
- Cracks between allies emerged during conferences that took place during war.
Tehran 1943/ Moscow 1944
- Post war spheres of influence were discussed at these meetings
, - At the Moscow conference, churchill/Starlin carved up eastern europe informally
(post it) agreed Britain would station troops in greece.
- Usa opposed agreement - explains y starlin sight more forceful ways of protecting
borders.
Bretton Woods
- At the conference Stalin agreed to join the IMF (international monetary fund) and
World bank- promise of a loan.
- Usa imposed conditions such as opening up the eastern european and ussr markets
to usa—- ussr refused this, seen as giving USA power to determine diplomatic
internal politics in those countries through economic levers.
Yalta conference 1945
- Tensions at meeting despite which agreements were reached
- The division of Germany into 2 zones of occupation and the trial of nazi war
criminals, the USSR keen that Germany should not be allowed to re-emerge as a
military threat.
- Pledged to hold free elections in poland. Churchill was keen to have the Polish
government in exile in London take power (lublin). Starlin sight influence over poland
as russia had been invaded via there 3x in 20th century
- Ussr would join the war against japan and join the UN.
Potsdam 1945
- Agreements from yalta reaffirmed
- Agreed that ussr could extract reparations from germany that new borders between
poland and germany were to be drawn up. However, there are further tensions.
- Americans wanted an entirely new government in Poland as they felt the elections
had not been free, despite Stalin's offer to include more london poles in the lublin
based government.
- Americans unhappy with the spread of red army across eastern europe and influence
this afforded stalin over governments there.
- Roosevelt died, successor truman- inclined to get tough with ussr.
- Churchill lost elections 1945, replaced by labour party atlee- lacked some of
diplomatic experience of churchill
- Soon after the conference Americans dropped bombs on Hiroshima, 6 aug 1945 and
nagasaki three days later– Stalin's help was unnecessary. Starlin felt insulted by
Truman's failure to inform about the bomb.
Other causes of tension
- Discovery of a mass grave in Katyn Forest containing 10,000 Polish officers caused
tension with western allies- soviets denied involvement.
- Soviets accused of allowing the crushing of poles by nazis during warsaw uprising
1944- alarmed west
- Delay in opening the second front caused tensions between allies. Ussr felt had been
left to take the brunt of war.
, Developing tensions; soviet occupation/cotnrol E/S Europe
- Stalin's aim after the war was to create a buffer zone against a hostile capitalist
encirclement.
- The west and some scholars view the expansion as a pursuit of global communism
and an aggressive threat to western capitalism,, despite the scrapping of the
comintern 1943
Methods used to establish/ maintain control
- Capitalising on some popular support for communist parties who advocated reform
and were key in resisting nazis
- Using the influence of the red army to help spread communism== western
perspective. BUT much of red army demilitarised by 1945- only 500 troops in
Czechoslovakia 1948
- Salami tactics→ communists formed coalitions with other political parties, gradually
assumed key positions in government/ removed opposition.
- Establishment of the cominform 1947- sight to coordinate communist parties across
europe. Countries expected to embrace soviet economics/ foreign policy.
- —> leaders who disagreed with moscow PURGED.
- In yugoslavia popular communist movement under Tito not stopped and led to them
being expelled from cominform 1948
- Establishment of the comecon in 1949 for economic control
- The Warsaw pact in 1955 as a way of asserting military control over eastern europe.
Summary of events in E europe
HUNGARY
- After a period of coalition, the leaders of the independent smallholders party were
accused of offences against the red army and their party was dissolved in 1947.
- Communists assumed key positions in government/ abolished all political parties
BULGARIA
- The communists set up a coalition with the peasants party after which the leader,
petkov was hanged in 1947 for allegedly plotting a coup
POLAND
- In 1945 a coalition government of national unity took power but Stalin arrested
non-comm leaders.
- By 1947 the london exiles allowed into the lublin coalition by S at yalta were removed
from office and comm abolished all other parties.
ROMANIA
- Communist party won 372/414 seats in elections in 1946→ some results were forged
- In 1947 all opposition parties were destroyed and the king abdicated.
EAST GERMANY
- In eastern zone S instructed the comm to merge with the socialist party to form the
socialist unity party.
- Comm then began a purge of new coalition partners and assumed power.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Franklin D Roosevelt → 4 March 1933 – 12 April 1945
Harry S Truman → 12 April 1945 – 20 January 1953
Dwight D Eisenhower→ 20 January 1953 – 20 January 1961
John F Kennedy (JFK) → 20 January 1961 – 22 November 1963
Lyndon B Johnson (LBJ) → 2 November 1963 – 20 January 1969
Richard M Nixon → 20 January 1969 – 9 August 1974
Gerald R Ford → 9 August 1974 – 20 January 1977
James (Jimmy) Carter → 20 January 1977 – 20 January 1981
Ronald Reagen → 20 January 1981 – 20 January 1989
George H W Bush → 20 January 1989 – 20 January 1993
Leaders of the USSR Order
Stalin → 21 January 1924 – 5 March 1953
Malenkov → 5 March 1953 – 7 September 1953
Khruschev → 7 September 1953 – 14 October 1964
Brezhnev → 14 October 1964 – 10 November 1982
Andropov → 10 November 1982 – 9 Feburary 1984
Chernenko → 9 Feburary 1984 – 10 March 1985
Gorbachev → 10 March 1985 – 25 December 1991
Origins
Long term causes of CW
What was the cold war?
- A state of prolonged hostility between ussr and west 1945-1991, stopped short of
direct war
- Characterised by threats/ propaganda/ proxy wars/ military, economic competition.
Causes of the cold war
- RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
- Some historians trace this to 1917, leading to the first socialist state being
established.
- The West viewed with fear seemed to represent threat to capitalism, liberal
democracy, freedom.
- RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR, 1918-21
- Russian perception of western hostility was seemingly confirmed by west
support for ‘whites’, who sought to topple the new state.
- West upset by lenin's decision to pull russia out of ww1 1917
- Bolsehcivks won the war but harboured distrust to the west.
-
, - WAR DEBTS
- Tensions between west/ soviet union - the latter refused to pay back ww1
debt , viewed event as an imperialist war
- Imperialism- ideology they directly opposed.
- THE COMINTERN
- established 1919 to facilitate contact between communist groups to spread
global revolution- goal of marxism-leninism
- Though starlin scrapped this in favour of communism in one country 1943
- The West still feared the USSR's aim to undermine capitalism/ spread
revolution.
- THE RED SCARE 1919
- No significant left-wing or trade union movement in the US.
- When the American Communist Society founded 1919- a red scare swept
states. Jan 1920, 6000 suspected communists arrested and imprisoned.
Many were deported.
- THE NAZI SOVIET PACT 1939
- Aug 1939 Stalin signed a pact with hitler that guaranteed neither would
invade.
- Other European countries followed appeasement.
- Usa saw the nazi-soviet pact as the work of two similar dictators.
Conflicting ideologies
- Fundamental to cw differences in ideology
- COMMUNISM
- One party state, elections are contested between members of communist
party (only legal party)
- Freedoms are restricted; censorship, secret police, state atheism, and
controls on rights of citizens to express themselves.
- State-controlled (planned) economy; production must follow government
plans and is sold at fixed prices.
- WESTERN CAPITALISM/LIBERAL DEMOCRACY
- Multi-party free elections
- Freedom; including press, freedom of speech, freedom of worship, individual
rights.
- Characterised by private enterprise, competition, and business owned by
individuals. The government has minimal interference. Free market
determines the quantity/ cost of goods.
US, British, USSR relation 1945
- The alliance between britain, us, ussr was a marriage of convenience
- Churchill respected not trusted stalin.
- Roosevelt was a realist who was more concerned with winning the war against hitler.
- Cracks between allies emerged during conferences that took place during war.
Tehran 1943/ Moscow 1944
- Post war spheres of influence were discussed at these meetings
, - At the Moscow conference, churchill/Starlin carved up eastern europe informally
(post it) agreed Britain would station troops in greece.
- Usa opposed agreement - explains y starlin sight more forceful ways of protecting
borders.
Bretton Woods
- At the conference Stalin agreed to join the IMF (international monetary fund) and
World bank- promise of a loan.
- Usa imposed conditions such as opening up the eastern european and ussr markets
to usa—- ussr refused this, seen as giving USA power to determine diplomatic
internal politics in those countries through economic levers.
Yalta conference 1945
- Tensions at meeting despite which agreements were reached
- The division of Germany into 2 zones of occupation and the trial of nazi war
criminals, the USSR keen that Germany should not be allowed to re-emerge as a
military threat.
- Pledged to hold free elections in poland. Churchill was keen to have the Polish
government in exile in London take power (lublin). Starlin sight influence over poland
as russia had been invaded via there 3x in 20th century
- Ussr would join the war against japan and join the UN.
Potsdam 1945
- Agreements from yalta reaffirmed
- Agreed that ussr could extract reparations from germany that new borders between
poland and germany were to be drawn up. However, there are further tensions.
- Americans wanted an entirely new government in Poland as they felt the elections
had not been free, despite Stalin's offer to include more london poles in the lublin
based government.
- Americans unhappy with the spread of red army across eastern europe and influence
this afforded stalin over governments there.
- Roosevelt died, successor truman- inclined to get tough with ussr.
- Churchill lost elections 1945, replaced by labour party atlee- lacked some of
diplomatic experience of churchill
- Soon after the conference Americans dropped bombs on Hiroshima, 6 aug 1945 and
nagasaki three days later– Stalin's help was unnecessary. Starlin felt insulted by
Truman's failure to inform about the bomb.
Other causes of tension
- Discovery of a mass grave in Katyn Forest containing 10,000 Polish officers caused
tension with western allies- soviets denied involvement.
- Soviets accused of allowing the crushing of poles by nazis during warsaw uprising
1944- alarmed west
- Delay in opening the second front caused tensions between allies. Ussr felt had been
left to take the brunt of war.
, Developing tensions; soviet occupation/cotnrol E/S Europe
- Stalin's aim after the war was to create a buffer zone against a hostile capitalist
encirclement.
- The west and some scholars view the expansion as a pursuit of global communism
and an aggressive threat to western capitalism,, despite the scrapping of the
comintern 1943
Methods used to establish/ maintain control
- Capitalising on some popular support for communist parties who advocated reform
and were key in resisting nazis
- Using the influence of the red army to help spread communism== western
perspective. BUT much of red army demilitarised by 1945- only 500 troops in
Czechoslovakia 1948
- Salami tactics→ communists formed coalitions with other political parties, gradually
assumed key positions in government/ removed opposition.
- Establishment of the cominform 1947- sight to coordinate communist parties across
europe. Countries expected to embrace soviet economics/ foreign policy.
- —> leaders who disagreed with moscow PURGED.
- In yugoslavia popular communist movement under Tito not stopped and led to them
being expelled from cominform 1948
- Establishment of the comecon in 1949 for economic control
- The Warsaw pact in 1955 as a way of asserting military control over eastern europe.
Summary of events in E europe
HUNGARY
- After a period of coalition, the leaders of the independent smallholders party were
accused of offences against the red army and their party was dissolved in 1947.
- Communists assumed key positions in government/ abolished all political parties
BULGARIA
- The communists set up a coalition with the peasants party after which the leader,
petkov was hanged in 1947 for allegedly plotting a coup
POLAND
- In 1945 a coalition government of national unity took power but Stalin arrested
non-comm leaders.
- By 1947 the london exiles allowed into the lublin coalition by S at yalta were removed
from office and comm abolished all other parties.
ROMANIA
- Communist party won 372/414 seats in elections in 1946→ some results were forged
- In 1947 all opposition parties were destroyed and the king abdicated.
EAST GERMANY
- In eastern zone S instructed the comm to merge with the socialist party to form the
socialist unity party.
- Comm then began a purge of new coalition partners and assumed power.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
