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German Question
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Dollar Diplomacy
The USSR continuously asked from US financial aid in which they immediately imposed confitions in particular the opening of Eastern European market to US manufactured products. -
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Cold War Events
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Sovietisation
On many instances, the US misinterpreted Stalin to be deliberately spreading Soviet ideology across Eastern Europe when actually there was no master plan by Stalin to ensure Moscow’s total control of all countries of Eastern Europe through a massive crackdown on ideological enemies. responsibility of the Soviets can be lessened in this context, as his actions can be justified by the tacit agreement (Percentages Agreement of 1944) on the part of the West. -
Yalta Conference
Stalin signed the Declaration of Liberated Europe which pledged free In the end, free elections were not carried out and only 2 London Poles were elections and democratic institutions. However, Stalin regarded the declaration to be for public relations purposes only and saw it as “algebra” as compared to the practical arithmetic put forward by the Percentages Agreement of 1944. -
End of Yalta Conference
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Lend Lease terminated
USSR need for financial aid was made more desperate when the US terminated the lend lease in May 1945 -
Soviet Aggression - Trieste and Greece
US feared Soviet involvement especially with the Greek civil war and the Greek communists (KKE). Tito’s control of Yugoslavia and the presence of Soviet occupation armies in the Balkan states increased this fear as the US equated Tito’s intervention with Soviet expansionism. However, it is with accordance to the Percentages Agreement which meant that the US misinterpreted this as Soviet aggression. -
Atomic Diplomacy
The use of atomic diplomacy was another method that the US used to try to gain an upperhand in the post-war world.
This ultimately had the result of accelerating the start of the nuclear arms race that would characterize the Cold War. It also helped to further deepen the cracks in the Grand Alliance. -
Another loan made by Soviets
Another loan request was made by the USSR which was lost by the US senate department in August 1945 -
Soviet Aggression- Korea
• In August 1945, Soviet troops moved across the Russian border into North Korea to take over from the Japanese. The US was worried about the Soviet intentions in Korea and quickly sent troops to occupy South Korea. Stalin did not object, which proves that he was not indiscriminately expanding and was still willing to cooperate with the US. -
Soviet Aggression - Manchuria
• Also, the Soviets recognised the KMT as the legitimate government but handed Japanese weapons to the CCP and allowed them to establish foothold in Manchuria and northern China, in hopes that the CCP would prove to be a useful ally in the event of breakdown in US-Soviet relations. As a result, 50000 US Marines were sent to north China to secure key communications centres, roads, rail routes and helped transport KMT armies to the area in September 1945. Even though it was an act of covert expans -
Refusal to join the IMF and World Bank
US unwillingness to aid the Soviets in their economic recovery led to the Soviets not joining the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in December 1945 which opened up a possibility for two separate economic blocs. This marked the breakdown in the relations between the Soviets and US in the aspect of the economic relations. -
Kennan's Long Telegramme
This shows the responsibility of the US in instigating the conflict and breakdown of cooperation by changing their policies based on assumptions. -
Soviet Aggression - Iran
March to May 1946
The US saw this as an attempt by Stalin to create a sphere of influence on the USSR’s southern perimeter. However, the Soviets were actually more concerned with finding a warm water port to ease trade rather than spreading their ideology. Nevertheless, the US and Britain were determined to exclude the USSR from Iran (supposed to withdraw by March 1946) and took the issue to the United Nations, forcing the Soviets to evacuate by May 1946. -
End of all negotiations
All negotiations for loans effectively ended in June 1946 which cemented the inability for Soviets and Americans to cooperate economically. -
Truman Doctrine
Although it was not the direct cause of the start of the Cold war it was still important in forming the background of the eventual fallout between the superpowers -
Czech coup
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Marshall Plan
was used as an economic tool to bind subscribers politically to eh American alliance system. Although the real function of it was to contain communism, economic motives were also important. This was an event that marked the start of the Cold war with its implications of the breakdown of cooperation as well as the divisions in Europe. -
Berlin Blockade
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North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
