The Origins of the

Cold War
1945-55
 Ideological differences between the USA and USSR. Yalta Conference, February 1945
During World War Two the USSR and USA were allies. To a large The leaders of Britain (Churchill), America (Roosevelt) & USSR
extent this was not a strong alliance. They were only allies because (Stalin) met at Yalta in early 1945 to discuss what was going to
they had a common enemy-Nazi Germany. happen to Germany and the rest of Europe after WW2.

Towards the end of the war, suspicions between the USA and The Germans were near to defeat.
USSR began to grown mainly because they had different
ideologies and the alliance began to fall apart. At Yalta the leaders agreed:

The USA was capitalist and the USSR was communist. Both the  Germany would be divided into four zones: US, British,
Americans and the Soviets believed their way of life was better and Soviet & French.
feared the other way of life.  Berlin (which was in the Soviet zone) would be divided into
four sectors.
Ideological differences were important in the development of  Hunt down the Nazi war criminals.
the Cold War because:  Allow free elections in the liberated countries of Europe,
including Poland.
 The USA believed the USSR wanted to make the world
 Eastern Europe was to be a Soviet „sphere of influence‟.
communist and so it was suspicious of anything the USSR
 The United Nations would be set up
did.
 The Soviet Union would enter war against Japan once
 The USSR believed the USA wanted to destroy
Germany was defeated.
communism and spread capitalism and so it was
suspicious of anything the USA did. The Yalta Conference was important in the development of the
 For example, at the end of WW2, the Soviet Union took Cold War because:
control of countries in Eastern Europe. The Americans and
the West believed this was because Stalin wanted world It revealed tensions over Germany & Europe:
communism and that they needed to stop the spread of
 Stalin wanted to secure the Soviet Union from a further
communism.
invasion
However, the Soviets argued all they wanted to do was
 However, western powers (especially Churchill) feared the
protect the Soviet Union from a future invasion. The USSR
Soviet Union wanted to dominate Europe and spread
had been twice invaded by Germany and Stalin wanted to
communism.
build a buffer zone of friendly states around the USSR to
 Western powers also feared the Soviet Union wanted a
protect it.
Soviet controlled govt. in Poland.
 Potsdam Conference, July 1945 The Iron Curtain
(Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe)
By the time of the Potsdam Conference:
The Soviet Union saw a „buffer zone‟ as essential to the security of the
 Germany had been defeated; Soviet troops had liberated
countries in Eastern Europe but had not removed troops. Soviet Union to prevent a future invasion.
 Stalin had set up a communist government in Poland
At the end of the war it was clear that Europe was divided between the
(ignoring Yalta).
democratic west and countries occupied by the Soviet Union in the
 Roosevelt had died and was replaced by Truman who was
more suspicious of Stalin. East.
 America had successfully tested the atomic bomb but had
Churchill called this division an iron curtain.
not told Stalin about it until later.
Between 1945 -1948 the Soviets went about taking over countries in
At Potsdam the leaders agreed to:
Eastern Europe (Poland, Romania, Hungary and Czechoslovakia).
 Divide Germany and Berlin (as agreed at Yalta)
The Red Army had remained in these countries when they liberated
 Demilitarise Germany them from the Nazis. They then helped a communist takeover, by
 Re-establish democracy in Germany arresting opposition and fixing elections so that the communists
 De-nazify Germany. won.
 Make all decisions about the future of Germany together.
They were known as satellite states because although countries like
The Potsdam Conference was important because: Poland appeared to be independent they were actually controlled by
the Soviet Union.
 It revealed differences over Germany & Europe: Stalin
wanted to keep Germany weak, the west wanted to make Although Yugoslavia became communist, it was not controlled by the
Germany strong. Soviet Union.
 It further developed tension as Truman wanted free
elections in E.Europe but Stalin refused. The expansion of the Soviet Union was important because:
 It convinced Truman that Stalin wanted to take over the
 Major differences began to develop.
whole of Europe and made Truman determined to stand up
 The Soviet takeover of E.Europe was seen by the West as just
to Stalin. He said he was going to „get tough‟ with Stalin.
the beginning of Soviet expansion and the spread of
 It revealed a lack of trust between the USSR and USA;
communism.
Potsdam saw both sides take an aggressive stance
 It led to the development of an „Iron Curtain‟
especially as the USA had not told Stalin about the atomic
 It led to the US policy of containment which was first expressed
bomb.
in The Truman Doctrine.
 Truman Doctrine, March 1947 Marshall Plan, June 1947
This was a policy of containment.  Announced by US Secretary of State, George Marshall.
 Officially called the European Recovery Plan.
Truman announced the US would support countries needing
 Supported the Truman Doctrine by providing economic aid to
protection from threats inside/outside their border. He basically
countries in Europe
meant the US would protect countries threatened by communism.
 Aid was in the form of cash, machinery, food, technology.
The Truman Doctrine was announced because:
The Marshall Plan was introduced because:
 Britain was unable to continue to support the Greek
 The US wanted to stop the spread of communism.
government in a civil war against communist rebels. If the
 Truman believed communism generally thrived in poor
USA did not step in, Greece was at risk of turning
areas where there high unemployment & poverty.
communist.
 The plan also boosted the US economy by providing them
 The US wanted to stop the spread of communism.
with markets to sell their products to.
 The US was concerned about Soviet expansion in Europe
because they saw communism as a threat. The Marshall Plan was important in the development of the
Cold War because:
The Truman Doctrine was important in the development of the
Cold war because:  It increased tension between the USA and USSR. Stalin
accused the USA of using the plan for their own selfish
 It marked a turning point in US foreign policy by
interests. He believed the USA wanted to dominate
committing the USA to a policy of containment.
Europe, promote capitalism & boost the US economy.
 It showed that America was willing to use force to stop the
Stalin called the Marshall Plan dollar imperialism.
spread of communism.
 It strengthened the division in Europe as Stalin prevented
 It increased tension as Truman publicly stated that the world
European countries like Czechoslovakia and Poland from
was divided between two ways of life: Free and un-free.
becoming involved.
 It led to the introduction of the Marshall Plan.
 It contributed to the first major crisis of the Cold War, The
 It made Stalin suspicious of the USA as he saw this as a
Berlin Crisis of ‟48-49 when West Berlin started receiving
declaration of war against communism.
Marshall Aid.
 As a consequence Stalin formed Cominform to tighten his
 Led to Comecon (The Molotov Plan).
control over Eastern Europe.
 Cominform & Comecon Berlin Blockade & Airlift 1948-49

Cominform was created in 1947 by Stalin to spread  June 1948 Stalin blockaded all routes by road, rail and canal to West
communism protect communist states from US aggression. Berlin to try and force the Allies out of Berlin.
 12th May ‟49 Stalin called off the blockade because the allies got round
It was a response to the Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan. the blockade by carrying out the airlift, dropping supplies over Berlin.
It gave orders to the communist parties of other countries.
 Berlin was in the heart of the Soviet zone and Stalin wanted the Allies
In 1948 Yugoslavia was expelled from Cominform because out:
its leader, Tito, would not follow Stalin‟s wishes. This  Western powers could observe the Soviets.
suggested to the West that Stalin wanted complete control  Stalin didn‟t want capitalist way of life on show.
of the communist world and increased suspicion that he just  West Berlin was receiving Marshall Aid.
wanted to increase Soviet control.  The trigger for the Berlin Blockade was the introduction of the
Deutschmark.
 The Soviet Union was annoyed at the formation of Bizonia and the
In 1949 the USSR introduced Comecon (Council for Mutual Western powers plans to create a West German State.
Economic Assistance). It was also known as The Molotov
Plan. The Berlin Blockade was important in the development of the Cold War
because:
Comecon was the Soviet response to the Marshall Plan and
provided countries with economic aid from the USSR.  It massively increased tension as it showed how divided the USA and
USSR were over Germany (Strong V weak)
Comecon and Cominform were important in the  It led to the Berlin Airlift which showed Truman was determined to
development of the Cold War because: stand up to the Soviet Union and was serious about containment.
Truman wanted Berlin to be a symbol of freedom behind the Iron
 The USA saw Cominform & Comecon as serious
Curtain.
threats as they strengthened the Soviet‟s control
 It made Stalin even more determined to get the atomic bomb. Stalin had
over communist countries and also suggested that the
not dared shoot down the planes in the airlift as he could not risk a war
Soviet Union wanted to spread communism.
because the USA had the atomic bomb.
 They also strengthened the division of Europe
 It led to the official division of Germany: GDR (East Germany) and
between those in Cominform, controlled by the Soviet
FGR (West Germany).
Union and those that were free.
 It convinced the allies that the Soviet Union was a threat and led to the
creation of NATO in 1949 which turned the Cold War from an
ideological conflict to one involving military alliances.
 NATO, 1949 The Arms Race
The Cold War and Superpower rivalry increased in the years after the When America dropped the atom bombs on Japan in 1945 a nuclear
Berlin Crisis of 1948-49 as rival alliance systems were formed. arms race started between the two superpowers.

By the mid 50s the Superpowers were members of two rival alliance Until 1949 the Americans had the advantage: the USSR would not
systems, NATO and the Warsaw Pact. risk a war against the USA.

NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation In 1949 the USSR exploded its first atomic bomb (A-bomb)

 The Berlin Crisis triggered the formation of NATO as the Berlin In 1952 the USA developed the hydrogen bomb (H-bomb).
Blockade highlighted the Soviet threat to Western Europe.
In 1953 the USSR developed their own H-Bomb.
 It showed that western European states even joined together were
no match for the Soviet Union and showed they needed the formal
support of the USA.
 In carrying out the Berlin Airlift, Truman confirmed he wanted to The arms race was important in the development of the Cold
contain communism. War because:
 In April 1949 NATO was formed. It was a defensive alliance  The arms race increased the climate of fear between the
meaning if one member was attacked all other members would two superpowers.
defend it. However its main purpose was to prevent Soviet
 It created the possibility of a nuclear war when the two
expansion.
powers disagreed.
NATO was important in the development of the Cold War because:  Each side was afraid that the other might try to win a „hot war‟
by launching a pre-emptive strike.
 It increased the chances of an actual war as it meant that the  Although some historians argue the nuclear arms race
USA could build air bases in Western Europe where planes made war less likely as both sides realised declaring war
equipped with nuclear bombs could be stationed ready for use. on the other could results in them destroying each other
 The Soviet Union saw it as an aggressive move as NATO was (MAD theory).
formed as an alliance against the Soviet Union.
 It led to the formation of the Warsaw Pact, a Soviet military
alliance, which resulted in Europe being divided into two armed
camps.
 The Korean War 1950-53
Between 1950 and 1953 there was a war between North Korea and South Korea.

Background to the war:

 After WW2 Korea was divided into two along the 38th parallel.
 The North was communist and the South was anti-communist.
 Both the leaders of North and South claimed to be the rightful government of all Korea and there were frequent clashes along the
border.
 Before 1950, America did not see Korea as in its „sphere of interest‟.
 However after China became communist in 1949, the USA became determined to contain communism in Asia. They believed
that if they didn‟t communism would spread and countries would fall to communism like dominoes (domino theory).
 In 1950 the leader of North Korea, Kim II Sung got Stalin‟s permission to invade South Korea. The Soviet Union provided North Korea
with military equipment.

The war:
 In June 1950 the North Korean People‟s Army (NKPA) invaded South Korea and gained control of all of South Korea apart from
the Pusan Pocket.
 South Korea asked the United Nations for help and a UN force led by America forced back the North Koreans.
 UN troops advanced towards China and China warned UN troops not to move further north.
 General MacArthur ignored China and China sent in troops to help push the UN troops back beyond the 38th parallel.
 The Americans deployed more men & drove the Chinese back to the 38th parallel.
 There was a stalemate and in 1953 a cease-fire was agreed.

The Korean War was important in the development of the Cold War because:

 It intensified the Cold War because it spread the conflict to Asia.

 It led to the formation of SEATO (South East Asian Treaty Organisation) in 1954 which increased tension between the USA and
USSR as it showed the USA were committed to containing communism in Asia.
 It led America to believe that they could contain communism and made them consider moving to a policy of „roll-back‟.
 It showed China was not scared of the West and brought China closer to the USSR.
 The Warsaw Pact, 1955 Death of Stalin, Khrushchev & the „thaw‟ in relations
The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance for mutual defence which Stalin died in 1953. After Stalin‟s death there was an
the USSR signed along with Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, improvement in relations. This became known as a „thaw‟ in the
Bulgaria, Romania, East Germany and Albania. Cold War.

All the forces of the pact countries were placed under the leadership There was also an improvement in relations because Khrushchev
of the Soviet Union and Soviet troops were stationed in the countries was in power. Khrushchev criticised Stalin and spoke of peaceful
of the pact. coexistence.

It was formed when West Germany joined NATO in 1955 as the The death of Stalin was important in the development of the
Soviet Union was concerned about the re-emergence of a strong Cold War because:
Germany.
 It improved relations as the West saw Stalin as a main
The Warsaw Pact was important in the development of the Cold cause of the Cold War and were more willing to work with
War because: the Soviet Union following his death.
 It led to Khrushchev coming to power and Khrushchev‟s
 It meant that Europe was now divided into two rival
policies were not seen as aggressive by the West.
alliances and if there was a war all the countries in NATO
Khrushchev changed Soviet foreign policy from one of
and the Warsaw Pact would be involved. It made it look like
confrontation to peaceful coexistence. Khrushchev argued
the Cold War was going to be a permanent state.
that the USSR had to live in peace with the USA. The USA
believed this new approach could end the Cold War.
 It increased the Soviet Union‟s power over its satellite
 Khrushchev also pulled the Red Army out of the Soviet
states as it placed Soviet troops in those countries.
occupied zone of Austria. (Austria had been divided like
Germany at the end of the war). Khrushchev seemed to be a
 It showed that even though there was a thaw in relations man that did not want to dominate the world.
(following Stalin‟s death) Khrushchev was committed to
 Khrushchev also criticised Stalin in his secret speech in
maintaining the security of the communist states that
1956 and began a policy of destalinisation, reversing some
surrounded the Soviet Union and the Soviet Union itself.
of Stalin‟s measures. This made him popular with the West.
Crises of the Cold
War
1955-70
 Khrushchev‟s Policies Hungarian Uprising, 1956
Khrushchev became leader of the Soviet Union in 1955. When  Hungary was a satellite state of the Soviet Union and many
Khrushchev came to power he criticised Stalin and began a Hungarians wanted independence from the Soviet Union
process of destalinisation and began to reform the Soviet Union. because they wanted their living conditions to improve.
There was less repression.
 They hated their leader, Rakosi because he was a cruel and
Khrushchev also spoke about Peaceful Coexistence saying that brutal leader. People wanted the more moderate Nagy as their
the USSR had to live in peace with the USA. leader.
Some in the West believed peaceful coexistence meant that the  Hungarians were encouraged by Khrushchev‟s
Cold War was coming to an end, however Khrushchev believed that destalinisation and the fact that he allowed reforms in Poland.
communism was a better system and still wanted to compete with (Khrushchev allowed Gomulka, who had been imprisoned by
the USA. Stalin, to become leader of Poland)
The space race and arms race continued and the two powers  In October 1956, riots broke out in Budapest, the capital of
competed on a world stage at the Olympics. Hungary. Stalin‟s statue was pulled down and dragged through
Peaceful coexistence did not mean Khrushchev would allow the the streets.
security of the Soviet Union to be threatened. To protect the  Rakosi was forced to resign and Nagy became Prime Minister.
security of the Soviet Union, Khrushchev:  Nagy began to make reforms, such as an end to the secret
police and even free elections. .
 Crushed the Hungarian Uprising in 1956.  At first, Khrushchev accepted Nagy‟s reforms, but when Nagy
 Continued the arms race & space race. asked if Hungary could withdraw from the Warsaw Pact,
 Challenged the USA over the U2 Crisis in 1960. Khrushchev sent in the Red Army.
 Built the Berlin Wall in 1961.  Over 1,000 tanks moved into the city to crush the rising. Nagy
 Challenged the security of the USA in the Cuban Missile appealed to the West for help, but none came. The Soviets
Crisis in 1962. claimed they were forced to intervene to defend the Soviet
Union.
In 1964 Khrushchev was forced to resign and Brezhnev became
 Nagy was arrested and executed and between 2,500 and
leader of the Soviet Union.
30,000 Hungarians were killed.
 A new hard- line, pro-Soviet government, under Kadar, was
set up and all of Nagy‟s reforms were abolished.
 The Importance of the Hungarian Uprising The Space Race
The Hungarian Uprising was a threat to the Soviet Union because: When Khrushchev came to power he wanted to increase Russian
power.
 Nagy was considering leaving the Warsaw Pact and Khrushchev
needed to keep the Warsaw Pact intact for the security of the One of the ways he did this was to begin a space race with
Soviet Union. America.

Winning the space race was about proving who was better: the USA
 If Hungary was allowed to challenge the authority of the Soviet
or the USSR.
Union other satellite states may have joined in. By crushing the
uprisng, Khrushchev set an example to the rest of Eastern Europe. The Space Race began in 1957 when the Soviets launched
Sputnik, the first satellite. Later that year they launched a dog into
space.
The Hungarian Uprising was important in the development of the
Cold War because: The Space Race was important in the development of the Cold
War because:
 It strengthened the position of the USSR as other satellite states
did not dare challenge the authority of the Soviet Union in the  America became determined to win the space race and
years after the Hungarian Uprising. became increasingly suspicious of the Soviet Union.
 It showed that peaceful co-existence had its limits. Khrushchev  American suspicion of the USSR led to the USA spying on the
was not prepared to risk the security of the Soviet Union. USSR. This triggered the U2 Crisis of 1960.
 It marked a stalemate in the Cold War as the West showed they  The launch of Sputnik increased the fear of a missile attack
would not interfere with Soviet activities in Eastern Europe, even from space.
though Hungarians had appealed to the UN and Eisenhower for  It became a symbol of the tension between the two countries
help during the uprising. and competition increased:
In 1961a Soviet, Yuri Gagarin, became the first astronaut to orbit
the earth.

The USA launched their first satellite in 1958. They sent a

chimpanzee into space in 1961.

When Kennedy became President he set NASA scientists the

challenge of putting a man on the moon before the end of the
decade. In 1969, the American, Neil Armstrong became the first
man on the moon.
 The Arms Race The U2 Crisis
The arms race, which began in 1945 (when the Americans The USA and USSR were due to meet at a summit in Paris in May 1960 to
dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan) continued in the discuss the future of Berlin and nuclear weapons. The year started off positively
late 1950s and early 60s. and relations seemed to be improving.

By 1953 the USA and USSR both had the hydrogen However, the U2 Crisis in May 1960, massively increased tension and threatened
bomb. the peace.

By 1960 both countries had Inter-Continental Ballistic The crisis:

Missiles (ICBMs). These were land-based strategic
missiles which could strike targets up to 6400 km away. On 1st May 1960, 2 weeks before the Paris Summit, an American U2 spy plane
was shot down over the Soviet Union.
Both sides tried to put ICBMs in friendly countries close
to enemy borders. The USA placed missiles in Turkey in The American pilot, Gary Powers, was captured by the Soviets and admitted to
1959 and the USSR tried to place them in Cuba in 1962. spying.

The arms race moved on in 1960 when the Americans The Americans did not know about Powers confession and tried to cover up by
fired a new Polaris missile from a submarine. This meant saying that the U2 plane had been studying weather conditions and had got lost!
that a missile could be fired from the sea close to the They didn‟t want to ruin the Paris Summit.
USSR and therefore be more accurate. Khrushchev then announced that they had Powers and that they knew the
The arms race was important in development of the Americans were spying on them. He offered to attend the Paris Summit if
Cold War because it threatened the peace: Eisenhower apologised.

By 1960 both sides had enough nuclear weapons to Eisenhower refused to apologise because he argued he had a duty to protect
destroy every living thing on earth. This became known as America from a surprise attack. U2 flights were part of US defence strategy.
Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). Khrushchev then refused to attend the summit talks.
Although some argue the arms race deterred the USA and The U2 Crisis developed the Cold War and threatened world peace because:
USSR from attacking each other, the arms race resulted in
the two countries coming to the brink of war in 1962 during It ended the Paris Summit and the progress towards a solution to the Cold War.
the Cuban Missile Crisis.
It increased the mistrust between the two superpowers and placed American
The threat of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis forces on alert, expecting some form of retaliation by the USSR.
led to an attempt at disarmament following the crisis.
It ended the cooperation that had been associated with peaceful coexistence.
 The Berlin Crisis, 1961

The Berlin Wall

Do not confuse the Berlin Wall Crisis of 1961 with the Berlin Blockade of 1948-49.

The Berlin Wall was built because Khrushchev wanted the Western powers out of Berlin.

West Berlin (which was capitalist) was in the Soviet zone of Germany. As a result of the Marshall Plan living standards were better than in East
Berlin so West Berlin was like an advert for capitalism.

Between 1945 and 1961, 2 million East Berliners crossed the border to live in West Berlin. Many of those were skilled or educated people
whom the East needed.

In 1961 at the Vienna summit, Khrushchev demanded Kennedy (the new President of America) give up Berlin, Kennedy refused.

On 13th August 1961, Khrushchev then decided to make it impossible for East Berliners to travel to West Berlin by placing barbed wire
between East and West Berlin; this was protected with machine guns.

The wire was then replaced with a wall. This wall remained until 1989.

The wall separated friends and family. Anyone trying to cross the wall was shot. More than 40 Germans were shot trying to cross into West
Berlin in the first year.

Khrushchev argued that by building the wall he was protecting the security of the Soviet Union.

The Berlin Crisis threatened world peace because:

 It was a propaganda victory for the USA but there was pressure on Kennedy to react by taking direct action. Kennedy did not want
to go to war over Berlin, but he was concerned that he did not want to be seen as weak. This may have encouraged his reaction in the
Cuban Missile Crisis.
 In 1963 Kennedy visited Berlin and declared “Ich bin ein Berliner” promising to defend Berlin against the Soviets. This made the
Soviets angry.
 It showed the USA that Khrushchev could be just as cruel and brutal system as Stalin.
 However in some ways it removed an area of conflict between the superpowers as the USA no longer feared a repeat of the Berlin
Blockade (1948-49) and the USSR showed it was no longer committed to removing the West from Berlin. It also reduced the number of
defectors
 The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
The Cuban Missile Crisis began in October 1962 when American a U2 spy plane photographed Soviet missile sites in Cuba.

Cuba was a problem for the USA because:

 It was led by Fidel Castro. Castro had overthrown the pro- American government in Cuba and had announced he was a communist in
1961 following the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion by Cuban exiles .
 Castro was allies with the USSR and had appealed to the USSR for help following the Bay of Pigs Invasion. (The Bay of Pigs was an
attempt by Cuban exiles, supported by the USA, to overthrow Castro).
 Khrushchev began to provide Cuba with weapons and missiles that could be used if America invaded.
 Cuba was only 90 miles off the coast of America and having missiles on Cuba threatened American security. Long-range missiles
launched from Cuba could reach major American cities.

The Cuban Missile Crisis:

 Began on 14th October 1962 when an American U2 plane photographed Soviet missile sites in Cuba,
 In response, Kennedy considered a number of options, including launching a nuclear attack on Cuba.
 In fact Kennedy decided to put in place a naval blockade around Cuba to stop Soviet missiles reaching the island. At the same time,
America prepared to invade Cuba if the Soviet ships did not turn back.
 Khrushchev ordered the ships to turn back but the crisis did not end because Kennedy demanded the Soviets dismantle the missile
sites in Cuba.
 Khrushchev sent Kennedy two letters, the first offered to remove the missile sites if Kennedy ended the blockade. The second
demanded the USA removes missiles from Turkey (which threatened the USSR).
 Kennedy publicly responded to the first and privately agreed to remove American missiles from Turkey (only if it was not made public).

The Cuban Missile Crisis threatened world peace because:

The way Kennedy responded to the crisis caused tension. When Soviet ships continued to sail towards Cuba after Kennedy imposed a naval
blockade, the world watched expecting war.

It brought the superpowers to the brink of nuclear war. Kennedy had considered a nuclear attack as an option when responding to the photos
of missile sites in Cuba.

During the crisis, there were moments when the possibility of war was high- once when Cubans shot down a U2 plane and once when
Americans stopped and boarded a Soviet ship containing nuclear bombs.

However the crisis actually resulted in an attempt to reduce tension & limit the arms race because they had got so close to war.
 Czechoslovakia 1968
In 1968 Dubcek became leader of Czechoslovakia and tried to make communism more Democratic. He called it „socialism with a human
face‟ and his changes were referred to as the „Prague Spring‟. Brezhnev responded to these changes by invading Czechoslovakia and
removing Dubcek from power.

Before World War Two Czechoslovakia was a democracy. During WW2 the Nazis took over Czechoslovakia and later the Red Army liberated them
from Nazi rule. However in 1948 the communists forced their way to power and Czechoslovakia became a satellite state of the Soviet Union.
Living conditions in Czechoslovakia were poor and in the 1960s protests and demands for change grew.

Dubcek came to power promising to improve life. He wanted to increase the standard of living, trade with the West and have more freedom,
including free elections and allowing opposition parties. However, Dubcek promised Brezhnev (the Soviet leader) that he would not leave the
Warsaw Pact.

Brezhnev believed the reforms, known as the Prague Spring, still threatened the security of the Soviet Union because they would lead to
demands for change in other satellite states and possible demands to leave the Warsaw Pact.

Brezhnev also felt that if Czechoslovakia increased trade with the West, Czechoslovakia may be closer to the USA than the USSR thus creating a
gap in the Iron Curtain.

On 20th August 1968, 500 000 troops from the Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia to remove Dubcek and crush demands for change. The
Czechoslovakian radio told people not to fight back and only protest peacefully to avoid a repeat of the violence that had occurred in Hungary in
1956.

Dubcek was removed from power and replaced by Husak who withdrew the reforms of the Prague Spring.

As a result of the Prague Spring, Brezhnev issued the Brezhnev Doctrine which stated the Soviet Union would not let any communist country
abandon communism and would use force to keep them communist.

The USA had welcomed Dubcek‟s reforms but did not intervene to help because they did not want to interfere and risk war with the Soviet Union.

The Prague Spring threatened the Soviet Union because:

If Brezhnev allowed Dubcek to introduce democratic reforms in Czechoslovakia other satellite states may also want reforms and this would
weaken the Soviet Union‟s control over them.

Soviet security was dependent on maintaining tight control over its satellite states.

If the USA had intervened the USSR may have declared war on the USA.
Failure of Détente
& the collapse of
communism
1970-1991
 Détente The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
Détente refers to a period of lessening tension In the 1970s a Soviet-backed communist group was in power in Afghanistan. They
between the USA and USSR. It occurred after the introduced reforms that went against the Muslim culture of Afghanistan.
Cuban Missile Crisis and ended following the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The government became increasingly unpopular, opposition, led by the Mujahidin,
developed and civil war broke out.
During détente the USA and USSR tried to lessen
tension by: The Mujahidin, who were Muslim fundamentalists, were being financed by the USA
and a rich Saudi, Osama Bin Laden.
 Setting up a Hotline in 1963 between the White
The communist Afghan government asked the USSR for help and On Christmas Day
House and Kremlin.
1979, 80 000 Soviet troops entered Afghanistan.
 Limiting the Arms Race (Test Ban Treaty, Non-
Proliferation Treaty & SALT). Afghanistan was important to the USSR because it linked it to the oil-rich Middle East.
 Recognising the borders of Europe
 Trading with each other. The USSR also wanted to prevent a Muslim government forming in Afghanistan
because there were 30 million Muslims living in the USSR who could be encouraged
to rebel if a Muslim government was set up in Afghanistan.

However détente came to an end for a number of The USSR also argued they were fighting against the secret involvement of the
reasons: USA in Afghanistan.

 The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan America argued the Soviets invaded Afghanistan because they wanted to expand
 Ronald Reagan their influence in Asia and gain control of the oil supply.
 Solidarity in Poland.
The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan contributed to the collapse of detente
because:

 America saw the Soviet Union‟s invasion as an aggressive move and a threat to
world peace.
 American President Carter stopped exporting grain and technology equipment
to the USSR, did not ratify SALT II (a treaty limiting the arms race) and the USA
boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980.
 America continued to support the Mujahidin and said they would resist any
attempt to control the Persian Gulf.
 Ronald Reagan Solidarity in Poland
Ronald Reagan became President of the USA in 1981, determined In 1980 the first free trade union in the whole Soviet system was
to be tough on communism. formed.

He called the Soviet Union the „evil empire‟ and believed the Soviet It was formed to improve the living and working conditions in
Union had deceived America during detente. He believed the USSR Poland. Poland, like other Soviet satellite states, had poor living
still wanted to spread communism and Reagan was determined to conditions and in the 1980s protest movements formed.
stand up to the USSR.
Solidarity began when workers at the Gdansk Shipyard went on strike.
Reagan started a „New Cold War‟ by pouring billions of dollars The strikers were led by an electrician, Lech Walesa.
into defence, including the SDI (Strategic Defence Initiative)
known as Star Wars in 1983 and the neutron bomb. Walesa then formed Solidarity.

The Soviet leaders were convinced Regan was preparing to launch Strikes spread across Poland and the membership of Solidarity
a nuclear attack on the USSR. increased to nine million.

Although arms reduction talks did take place in 1982 (START- The Polish government declared Solidarity to be an illegal organisation
Strategic Arms Reduction Talks) Reagan made massive demands and members of Solidarity, including Walesa, were arrested.
on the Soviet Union, demanding they make huge cuts to their Even though Walesa was put in prison, Solidarity continued as an
nuclear arms. The Soviet Union was forced to pull out of the talks. underground organisation.
Reagan also gave financial support to Solidarity, a protest President Reagan of America and the Pope (who was himself Polish)
movement that formed in Poland in 1980, and in doing so showed he gave Solidarity support and they discussed how to destroy
was willing to get involved in the Soviet sphere of influence. communism in Poland.
Ronald Reagan contributed to the collapse of detente because: In 1982 Walesa was released from prison and in 1983 he was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize.
 He started a “New Cold War” and increased defence
spending. The formation of Solidarity in Poland contributed to the collapse of
 He was openly critical of the Soviet Union calling it an „evil détente because:
empire‟.
 He got involved in Soviet satellite states  The USA was seen to be aggressive by the Soviet Union
 The Soviet Union believed he was preparing to launch a providing support for Solidarity.
nuclear attack on the USSR.  The USA had not interfered in the satellite states of the Soviet
Union before.
 The Collapse of The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
Communism
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan contributed to the collapse of communism because:
The Cold War officially ended in
 It was costing the Soviet Union too much money. The Mujahidin were difficult to beat and by the
December 1989.
mid-80s it was clear that the Soviet Union could not win.
The USSR formally ended in  By the 1980s the Soviet Union was spending 25% of its GNP (Gross National Product) on the
December 1991. military and defence. America was spending 7% of its GNP on the military and defence.
 It put an extra strain on an already weak Soviet economy.
There were many factors that
contributed to the end of the
Cold War and the collapse of Ronald Reagan
communism:
Reagan contributed to the collapse of communism because:
 The Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan.  He started the New Cold War and the Soviet Union could not compete. By pouring billions of
 Ronald Reagan dollars into defence, Reagan put pressure on the Soviet Union and forced them into a position
 The emergence of where they could not compete. America won the arms race.
Solidarity in Poland.  The Soviet Union was already spending 25% of its GNP on the military and defence. It could not
 The policies of Mikhail afford to spend any more.
Gorbachev.  The renewed Cold War led to Gorbachev (when he came to power in 1985) seeking disarmament.
 Protests in Eastern
Europe.  He gave support to Solidarity in Poland , which started the collapse of communism in Poland and
contributed to the eventual collapse of communism in other Eastern European countries.

Solidarity in Poland
The emergence of Solidarity in Poland contributed to the collapse of communism because:

 It showed that the authority of Soviet Union could now be challenged.

 It showed how unpopular communism was and encouraged other satellite states to push for
change.
 It contributed to the collapse of communism in Poland.
 .The fact that the Soviet Union did not invade Poland to put down the protests showed how weak
the Soviet Union had become by the 1980s.
 The Gorbachev Factor
In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the USSR. He came to power wanting to reform communism because:

 The Soviet Union was not winning the war in Afghanistan.

 They were spending too much money on the arms race.
 The economy was inefficient.
 The standard of living was poor
 The Communist Party was corrupt and people had lost faith in the system.

Gorbachev introduced two main reforms:

Glasnost: This involved allowing more openness and disagreement with government policies. For example, non-communists were allowed to
stand for election and there was free speech.

Perestroika: This involved changing Russia‟s economy to allow competition. For example, businesses could respond to demand and make
profit.

He also decided to:

 Withdraw Soviet troops from Afghanistan: The last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in 1989.
 Reduce arms: In 1987 the USA and USSR signed the INF Treaty.
 Reduce control over satellite states: In March 1989 Gorbachev said he would not use force to put down protests.

Gorbachev contributed to the collapse of communism because:

He led the reform of the Soviet Union and ended the Cold War in 1989.

Perestroika led to more people losing faith in communism because the economic reforms were benefitting them more than communism.

Glasnost led to large spread anti-communism in the satellite states of Eastern Europe, especially after Gorbachev said in March 1989 that
he would not use force to put down protests. This led to revolutions across Eastern Europe in 1989.

His policy of Glasnost made communist hard-liners think he was weak which led to the failed coup of August 1991 and the collapse of
communism in the USSR.
 Events in Eastern Europe The Collapse of the Soviet Union
The satellite states of the Soviet Union had become increasingly unhappy about being Gorbachev‟s policy of Glasnost meant that
controlled by the Soviet Union. criticism became public and this increased
demands for change culminating in the collapse
In March 1989 Gorbachev told the communist leaders of Eastern Europe that the Soviet of communism in Eastern Europe.
Red Army would no longer protect them.
Hard-line communists believed Gorbachev had
Glasnost encouraged people within the satellite states to protests against communism not done enough to prevent the collapse of
and push for reform. communism in Eastern Europe.
Non-communists were allowed to stand for election in Poland and in 1989 Solidarity They also argued that the economic reforms had
was legalised. Solidarity went on to form the first non-communist government in the not solved food shortages and rising prices.
Soviet Bloc.
In August 1991 hard line communists tried to
In Hungary reformers came to power and brought greater freedom to Hungary. In May overthrow Gorbachev in a coup. They kept
1989 Hungary opened its border with Austria, creating a hole in the Iron Curtain. Gorbachev prisoner in his home. People feared
In Czechoslovakia the communist government collapsed and reformers, including that old-style communism was making a return.
Dubcek, came to power. However, Yeltsin, the President of Russia, led a
The East German leader, Honecker, refused to implement Gorbachev‟s refused but demonstration against the coup. He said reform
increasing protests led to him stepping down from power. On 9th November 1989 the had to continue.
Berlin Wall came down and the border between East and West Germany was opened. Gorbachev returned to power but his position
In 1990 Germany was united again. was weakened. On 25th December 1991
Gorbachev resigned and the USSR was
Eastern Europe was important in the collapse of communism because: formally disbanded the next day.

 They showed how unpopular communism was. Glasnost let people express Yeltsin became the President of the Russian
their hatred. Federation, which replaced the USSR.
 The quick disintegration of communism in Eastern Europe led to criticism of
Gorbachev in the USSR which led to the attempted coup in August 1991.
 They led to the Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia (non-satellite states)
breaking away from the USSR.