Yalta
When did the Yalta conference take place?
February 1945
When did the Potsdam Conference take place?
July–August 1945.
Which ideology did the USA support?
capitalism
What was the American policy designed to stop the spread of communism called?
containment
In which year did the Berlin Blockade begin?
1948
Who were the three leaders at the Yalta Conference?
Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill.
Which three leaders attended the Potsdam Conference?
Stalin, Truman and Attlee.
which ideology did the USSR support?
communism
Who was the US president who introduced the Truman Doctrine?
Harry truman
Who ordered the Berlin Blockade?
Joseph Stalin
What was one major decision made at Yalta about Germany?
Germany would be divided into occupation zones after the war.
Why had relations between the USA and USSR worsened by Potsdam?
They disagreed over Eastern Europe and Germany, and Truman was more suspicious of Soviet intentions.
Give one difference between capitalism and communism.
Capitalism allows private ownership and competition, while communism supports collective ownership and state control of the economy.
What did the Truman Doctrine promise?
US support for countries threatened by communism.
Why did Stalin blockade West Berlin?
He wanted to force the Western Allies out of West Berlin, partly in response to Western plans for economic reform in their occupation zones.
What did Stalin promise to do regarding Eastern Europe?
He promised to allow free elections in the liberated countries.
What was one major disagreement about Germany at Potsdam?
How Germany should be governed and how much reparations it should pay.
Why did the USA fear the spread of communism?
It feared that communist governments would limit political freedoms and threaten capitalist economies.
Why did the USA believe that economic recovery in Europe was important for containing communism?
Economic hardship could make people more likely to support communist parties, so rebuilding European economies would help reduce communist influence.
Why did the introduction of a new currency in the Western occupation zones contribute to the Berlin Blockade?
Stalin saw the currency reform as a threat to Soviet influence and feared that the Western zones were moving towards the creation of a separate West German state.
Why did disagreements at Yalta contribute to tensions between the USA and USSR?
They disagreed about the future of Eastern Europe, especially Soviet influence and free elections.
Give two reasons why Potsdam was more tense than Yalta.
Roosevelt had been replaced by Truman, Churchill was replaced by Attlee during the conference, and disagreements over Eastern Europe and reparations had increased.
Why did the USSR want communist governments in Eastern Europe?
Stalin wanted a buffer zone against future invasions and greater Soviet security and influence.
How did the Truman Doctrine represent a change in US foreign policy after World War II?
it marked a shift towards actively supporting countries threatened by communism, rather than following a more isolationist approach.
Why was the Berlin Airlift considered a significant Western victory, despite not ending the division of Berlin?
The Western Allies kept West Berlin supplied until Stalin lifted the blockade in May 1949, demonstrating that the USSR had failed to force them out without starting a direct military conflict.