| A | B |
|---|
| When and where was the Potsdam Conference held? | July, 1945; Potsdam, Germany |
| Who were the 3 Allied leaders at the Potsdam Conference? | USA (Harry Truman), Britain (Winston Churchill), USSR (Joseph Stalin) |
| What were some of the purposes of the meeting? | Restructuring of Germany, Postwar boundaries, Defeat of Japan, Securing lasting peace |
| What was Truman and Churchill primarily concerned with? | Political freedom in post-war Europe (creation of liberal - and capitalist! - democracies), Halting spread of communism |
| What was Stalin primarily concerned with? | Spread of communism, Create "buffer" zone (for protection) by expanding Soviet influence to surrounding countries. |
| When did the ideas of communism and liberal democracy first come into conflict? | During WWI, esp. after Russian Revolution of 1917. |
| What happened to the Russian's experiment with democracy following February 1917 Revolution, under Kerensky? | Failed, perceived as too weak. |
| Marx said: "We declare openly that our ends can only be achieved by the forcible overthrow of all social conditions." Why would supporters of liberal democracy fear this statement? | Supports revolution, liberals prefer gradual change within system. |
| Lenin said: "They imagine that serious political conditions are decided by voting. As a matter of fact, they are decided by class war." Why would supporters of liberal democracy be opposed to this statement? | Liberals support democratic elections; opposed to violence to achieve goal. |
| Identify some of the actions Lenin took following the Bolshevik Revolutin of October, 1917. | Collectivize farms, seize industry |
| How did U.S. President Woodrow Wilson go against his stated principle of "self-determination" with regards to Russia in 1919? | Sent soliders to fight with White Army against communist Red Army during Russian Cold War. |
| Future British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said: " We must strangle the infant bolshevism in the cradle." What is the inference? How does Stalin react? | Violence is permitted to stop communism. Stalin: don't trust the West! |
| What did President Truman demand of Stalin? | Withdraw troops from eastern Europe; Allow eastern European countries to hold democratic elections |
| Why did Stalin refuse? | Wanted a "buffer zone" to protect Russia from attack by the West. |
| Why did Truman conduct the first test of the atomic bomb during the first of the Potsdam Conference? | To intimidate Stalin; show of force to convince him to pull from eastern Europe. |
| Why did Truman order the atomic bomb to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? | To convince Japan to surrender (another show of force to Stalin?) |
| What was Stalin's concern, as expressed to his scientists? | "We have lost the balance of power"; need to produce our own atomic weapons quickly. |
| Who coined the term "The Iron Curtain"? What did the Iron Curtain separate? | Winston Churchill; Soviet "sphere of influence" and Western "sphere of influence" |
| Which eastern European countries came under the influence of the Soviet Union? | Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria |
| What 3 actions of Stalin further antagonized the West? | Stalin said war with the West was 'inevitable'; Stalin eliminated opposition parties, creating one-party states, Stalin forcibly deported millions of Eastern European citizens to Russia |
| What does the policy of "containment" mean? | Stop the spread of communism through trade and military alliances. |
| What was the Truman Doctrine? | President Truman's policy of providing economic and military aid to any country threatened by communism or totalitarian idealogy. |
| What was the Marshall Plan? | A United States program of economic aid for the reconstruction of Europe (1948-1952) |
| At the Potsdam Conference, what decision was made regarding Germany? | Partition Germany into four zones, each administered by Soviet Union, USA, France, Britain |
| What event triggered the Berlin Blockade? | West introducing the "deutchmark" currency into West Germany |
| What was Stalin's goal in blockading Berlin? | Unite West and East Berlin under Communist rule |
| What was the Berlin airlift? | USA and Britain sent planes delivering supplies to West Germany |
| How did this crisis come to an end? | After 15 months, Stalin called it off. |
| What is NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)? | Military alliance of Western countries, led by USA |
| What was the Warsaw Pact? | Military alliance of Eastern European countries, led by Russia |
| What major event in 1949 created even greater fear of Communism in the West? | Communist revolution in China, led by Mao Zedong. |
