A World Divided: Superpower Relations, 1943-72
Overview
In 1943 the United States and the Soviet Union were allies fighting the same enemy. Within four years they were describing each other as the principal threat to civilisation, and within twenty they came closer to nuclear war than at any other point in history. No shot was ever fired directly between them, which is why the period is called a cold war, but millions died in the conflicts it produced elsewhere.
This note takes you from the wartime conferences through the division of Europe, the Berlin Blockade, Korea, Hungary, the three crises of Berlin, Cuba and Czechoslovakia, and on to the arms control agreements of detente. It also gives you the tools to argue about the question historians have never settled: who was responsible?
Objectives
- Reasons for the Cold War: long-term rivalry, ideological differences, tensions during the Second World War, conferences at Tehran, Yalta and Potsdam, the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, the attitudes of Truman and Stalin
- Early developments in the Cold War, 1945-49: Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe, the iron curtain, the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, Cominform and Comecon, disagreements over Germany, the Berlin Crisis, NATO and the creation of two Germanys
- The Cold War in the 1950s: the Korean War, the Warsaw Pact, Khrushchev and peaceful co-existence, Soviet rule on Hungary, the Soviet invasion of Hungary, the nuclear arms race
- Three crises: Berlin, Cuba and Czechoslovakia: the U2 incident, the Berlin Wall, the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and the Brezhnev Doctrine
- The Thaw and moves towards Detente, 1963-72: the Hotline, Test Ban Treaty, Outer Space Treaty, Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, reasons for Detente, SALT talks and treaty
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Flashcards
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Lesson Note
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Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on A World Divided: Superpower Relations, 1943-72. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.
You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
- At which wartime conference did the leaders agree to divide Germany into four occupation zones and promise free elections in liberated Europe? A) Tehran B) Yalta C) Potsdam D) Fulton Answer: B
- What was the policy of containment? A) Removing communist governments wherever they existed B) Preventing the further spread of communism C) Withdrawing American forces from Europe D) Sharing nuclear technology with allies Answer: B
- How did the Western allies respond to the Berlin Blockade of 1948? A) They withdrew from Berlin B) They forced a convoy through by land C) They supplied West Berlin by air for eleven months D) They referred the dispute to the International Court Answer: C
- Which of these was part of the settlement of the Cuban Missile Crisis? A) The Soviet Union kept its missiles under UN inspection B) The United States secretly agreed to remove its missiles from Turkey C) Cuba joined the Warsaw Pact D) The United States invaded Cuba Answer: B
- What did SALT I, signed in May 1972, actually do? A) Abolished nuclear weapons in Europe B) Capped numbers of missile launchers and limited anti-ballistic missile systems C) Banned all nuclear testing D) Reunified Germany Answer: B
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