Leaders & Ideologies
This US President replaced Roosevelt and was known for his dislike of Stalin and communism.
Who was Harry Truman?
The 'Big Three' met here in February 1945 to discuss post-war plans, including the UN and German reparations.
What was the Yalta Conference?
Churchill used this term in a 1946 speech to describe the division descending across Europe.
What is the 'Iron Curtain'?
After WWII, Germany was divided into four zones controlled by the US, UK, France, and this nation.
What is the Soviet Union?
Formed in September 1947, this bureau coordinated communist parties under Soviet direction.
What is Cominform (Communist Information Bureau)?
This historical viewpoint blames the Soviet Union's attempt to impose its ideology for starting the Cold War.
What is the Traditionalist view?
This British Prime Minister, who replaced Churchill, remained skeptical but did not confront Stalin.
Who was Clement Attlee?
A key outcome of Yalta was the agreement to divide this country into four occupation zones.
What is Germany?
This US policy stated financial aid would be given to countries threatened by Communist expansion, prompted partly by issues in Greece and Turkey.
What was the Truman Doctrine?
Though located within the Soviet zone, this capital city was also divided into four sectors.
What is Berlin?
This mutual defense alliance was formed in April 1949 by the US, Canada, and Western European nations.
What is NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)?
This viewpoint blames America, citing actions like Truman's use of atomic bombs without informing Stalin.
What is the Revisionist view?
This economic ideology promotes private ownership and free markets.
What is Capitalism?
This conference in July/August 1945 saw Truman demanding free elections in Eastern Europe, which Stalin opposed.
What was the Potsdam Conference?
This European Recovery Program offered billions in US aid to rebuild war-torn European economies.
What was the Marshall Plan?
In response to the Western allies merging their zones, the Soviets imposed this action, cutting off access to West Berlin.
What was the Berlin Blockade?
The core principle of NATO was that an attack on one member would be considered an attack on all.
What is collective defense (or mutual assistance)?
This view suggests the Cold War resulted from mutual misunderstandings and inability to see the other side's perspective.
What is the Post-Revisionist view?
This ideology emphasizes conflict between social classes, equality, and state ownership of production.
What is Communism?
A point of conflict at Potsdam was how much the USSR could take in this form from Germany.
What are reparations?
Advocated by George Kennan, this policy aimed to limit the aggressive moves and influence of the Soviet Union.
What is Containment?
The Western Allies overcame the blockade by flying supplies into West Berlin for 323 days.
What was the Berlin Airlift?
Formed in 1955 in response to West Germany joining NATO, this was the Soviet-led military alliance.
What was the Warsaw Pact?
Unsurprisingly, historians from this country typically blamed the United States.
What is the Soviet Union?
He was the Soviet leader who wanted to exert influence over Eastern Europe and disagreed with free elections there.
Who was Joseph Stalin?
At Potsdam, Truman kept the successful testing of this weapon a secret from Stalin.
What was the atomic bomb?
Stalin forbade satellite countries from accepting US aid and created this council for economic cooperation among Eastern bloc nations.
What is COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance)?
This barrier, built starting in 1961, physically divided East and West Berlin to stop migration.
What was the Berlin Wall?
This country, though communist under Tito, established a state independent from Soviet control and strayed from Stalinism.
What is Yugoslavia?
Modern attitudes often view the Cold War as a clash between these two opposing systems, noting Soviet leaders may have wanted to avoid conflict.
What are Capitalism and Communism?