Cold War

What was the Cold War?

The Cold War was a state of hostility that existed between the USSR and the USA in the second half of the 20th century.

What is the definition of a cold war?

A cold war is a conflict in which there is no direct fighting between the two sides. It is fought through economic and political actions.

When was the Cold War?

The Cold War lasted from 1945 to 1991.

Who was involved in the Cold War?

The Cold War was between the USA and its allies, and the Soviet Union, its satellite states and its allies.

What were the long-term causes of the Cold War?

There are 7 main reasons the Cold War happened:

• ❖ In October 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia. By 1921 they had created the first communist state. They were anti-capitalism and wanted to spread the communist revolution across the world.
• ❖ America and Britain did not trust the USSR as Russia had withdrawn from the First World War in 1917, despite being a member of the Triple Entente with Britain and France.
• ❖ The USSR did not trust the USA, France and Britain because they sent troops to fight against the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War.
• ❖ In the 1920s, the USA suffered from the First Red Scare and was hostile towards the USSR.
• ❖ The USSR was angry it was not recognised as a country by the USA until 1933.
• ❖ The relationship between the USSR and the West deteriorated before the Second World War. The Soviet Union was angry at not being invited to the Munich Conference in 1938.
• ❖ When the USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939, Britain and France were horrified.

How was the Cold War fought?

The Cold War was fought in 7 key ways:

• ❖ Propaganda.
• ❖ Spying or espionage, such as using spy planes to take photographs.
• ❖ An arms race to have the most developed weapons, particularly nuclear missiles.
• ❖ A space race competing for success in space, such as being the first nation to put a man on the moon.
• ❖ Financial aid or loans to other countries to gain their support.
• ❖ Proxy wars, where the USA and the USSR became involved in conflicts in other countries. An example is the Korean War of 1950-53.
• ❖ Threats made by either side.

What created tension between the Soviet Union and the USA at the beginning of the Cold War?

The ideological differences between the superpowers created tension between them. The Soviet Union supported communism, whereas the USA and Britain were capitalist countries.

What were the different ideologies in the Cold War?

The Cold War was a result of ideological differences between the two sides:

• ❖ The USSR was communist. Communism is a system where there is no private ownership of land, property or business. The aim is to achieve economic equality for the benefit of the people through central control of the state economy.
• ❖ The USA was capitalist. Capitalism is a system where individuals are free to own land, property and businesses to create wealth and accept there will be economic inequality as a result.

Why were the USA and the USSR considered superpowers during the Cold War?

The USSR and the USA were considered to be superpowers because they possessed 3 key things:

• ❖ Massive military might, including nuclear weapons.
• ❖ Economic might.
• ❖ The ability to dominate other countries.

Why was Stalin distrustful of Truman at the beginning at the Cold War?

Joseph Stalin was distrustful of Harry S Truman for 3 key reasons:

• ❖ Truman was anti-communist.
• ❖ He tried to control the Potsdam meeting.
• ❖ He successfully tested the atomic bomb without consulting Stalin and used it in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings in the days after Potsdam.

Why did Britain ally closely with the USA at the beginning at the Cold War?

Britain was concerned about communism spreading. The nation's economy was severely impacted after the Second World War so it couldn't act against the Soviet Union alone.