Jakub Basista, PhD, DLitt
Institute of History
Jagiellonian University
COLD WAR 2015/2016
Meeting 4 Lecture Notes
The Prelude to the Cold War – not Allies any more? Europe/the
world after World War II. War in Greece; Truman Doctrine;
Two Camp Policy; Berlin Blockade.
Synopsis
The end of the war, along with the conference in Potsdam revealed numerous differences
between the WW II Allies. The issue of Germany (its division and reconstruction), the
question of elections in countries under Soviet domination, but also elections in West
European countries (which showed a tendency to vote left) created tension.
On top of that a military silent rivalry between a dominant Soviet traditional force and the
American nuclear power led to mutual distrust.
Lack of cooperation; discovery of Soviet spy network (Igor Gouzenko) and finally George
Kennan’s analysis of Stalin’s vision of the world led the two sides further and further apart.
Winston Churchill spoke of “The Iron Courtain”, while others defined “Cold War”.
Seeking to unify and strengthen the west USA developed the Marshall Plan for European
recovery Program. This was followed by huge financial aid for Greece and Turkey, being the
first visible element of the Truman Doctrine, or the doctrine for the “containment of
Communism”.
Stalin’s attempt to force Western Allies to retreat ended in the famous Berlin blockade and
eventually the forming of NATO. The Cold War was in full swing. Would it become hot?
1945
April
Forming of Austrian Provisional Government under Karl Renner in the Soviet
Zone meets with distrust of western Allies
27 April
Austrian government declares Anschluss void
July
Allies agree on division of zones in Austria; forming of Allied Council with
veto power of every occupying power
20 October Renner’s government recognized by Allies in effect of agreement to hold
elections and incorporate members of other zones into government
25 November Elections in Austria: Austrian Peoples’ Party – over 50%; Socialist Party of
Austria – 45%; Communist Party of Austria – 5%
1946
9 February
Stalin’s speech on the “Controversies between Capitalism and Communism”
22 February George F. Kennan’s long telegram from Moscow (8,000 word cable
describing the world from the Soviet perspective)
5 March
Winston Churchill’s speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri (The
Iron Curtain speech) given after he had received a honorary degree
14 March
Stalin’s reply to Churchill’s speech in a press interview
31 March
Elections in Greece Communists abstain
15 April-16 May; 15 June-12 July Paris –2nd conference of the Council of Foreign
Ministers to realize Potsdam agreement fails.
26 May
Elections in Czechoslovakia are won by Communists with their allies,
but result in a coalition government (about 45% of seats fall to Communists who acquired just
over 38% votes)
May
USA and Great Britain stop paying USSR reparations from their zones (they
took over 20 bln dollars to pass 12.5 mln).
7 August
Russia demands control over Straits (Bosphorus and Dardanelles) and change
of borders.
5 September USA and Great Britain sign an agreement concerning the economic unification
of their occupation zones.
September
German Socialist Party wins elections in the Soviet occupation zone.
September
Christian Democrats, Social Democrats and Liberals win elections in the
British and American zones
September
A plebiscite in Greece reintroduces monarchy
October
Civil war breaks out in Greece (ends with expulsion of Communists in August
1949)
4-12 December
New York – 3rd conference of the Council of Foreign Ministers
decides to solve the German question in Moscow.
1946
Communists/Socialists score exceedingly well in Italy (18.93%/20.68%)
1946
Communists/Socialists score electoral victories in France
1947
1 January
Creation of Bizonia.
19 February Rigged elections in Poland result in the Democratic Electoral Block securing
safe 80% against the opposition Polish Peasant Party receiving barely 10%
21 February Britain informs USA about stopping its assistance to Greece
10 March – 24 April – Moscow – 4th conference of the Council of Foreign Ministers does not
reach agreement due to ongoing processes in both parts of Germany as well as CE.
12 March
Harry Truman announces an address to a joint session of Congress, what
becomes known as the Truman Doctrine for the containment of Communism and struggle
against “world revolution”. Accepted by Senate (22 April) and House of Rep. (10 May) this
doctrine was applied in Greece and Turkey.
April
Bernard Baruch calls the new policy “cold war”: a policy to stop Soviet
expansion from the position of force.
30 May
Communist coup in Hungary
July
George F. Kennan publishes an article: The Source of Soviet Conduct, in
Foreign Affairs signed by X. The article, together with the earlier long telegram speak of the
policy of “containment” of Communism. Kennan was deemed to be a principal architect of
America's Cold War strategy. Kennan died in 2005.
5-6 June
Announcing of the Marshall Plan (George C. Marshall, US Secretary of
State announces a Project of European Reconstruction)
June
realization of economic Bizone
12-15 June Paris conference on the Marshall Plan (Western powers decide to include
Germany)
5 July
Soviet representatives reject the plan forcing Central East European countries
to act alike
12 July – 22 September – Paris conference on the Marshall plan with 16 Western states
•
Bernard Baruch, a wealthy financier and adviser to President Harry S. Truman, uttered
the words, "Let us not be deceived—today we are in the midst of a cold war," in 1947
during a congressional debate. That same year, journalist Walter Lippmann wrote a
series of articles titled "The Cold War" that was first published in the New York
Herald Tribune. Both men are credited with popularizing the term "cold war," but
neither could have known the tremendous impact the Cold War would have on the
world over the second half of the 20th century.
1 September The forming of Cominform during a meeting in Szklarska Poręba in Poland
22 September
Establishing of Organization for European Economic Co-operation
for the distribution of E.R.P. (European Recovery Program) money - $ 13-14 billion
November
GB, USA and France decide on the future unification of Germany
1948
February
West German lands included in the Marshall Plan
25 February Communist coup in Czechoslovakia
20 March
Soviets withdraw from the Four-Power Allied Control Council after Western
powers decide to introduce new currency in their zones
18/20 June
monetary reform in West Germany
24 June
Beginning of the Berlin blockade (initiated by gen. Lucius Clay, the airlift
supplied West Berlin with all items necessary to live and survive).
Beginning of an airlift to supply Berlin to its three airfields, Tegel, Gatow, and
Templehof: initially Dacotas were used, but later they were replaced by C-54s, carrying
1, 400 tons growing to 5,500 tons per day.
278,118 flights were carried out transporting over 2,3 million tons of supplies. Up to 927
flights daily transported up to 6,393 tons of goods.
Crashes and accidents cost the lives of 70 aircrew (31 Americans and 39 British) as well
as 7 Germans.
Communist/Socialists score well again in Italian elections 30.98%.
1949
January
establishing of Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
4 April
establishing of NATO (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy,
Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, UK, USA; in 1952 Turkey and Greece
join NATO)
5 May
Treaty of London establishes the Council of Europe
8 April
creation of Trizonia
12 May
Berlin blockade levied (Soviets acknowledge the failure of the blockade
reopening Berlin)
23 May
Federal Republic of Germany formed
29 August
USSR explodes an atomic bomb; the first Soviet atomic test was
internally code-named First Lightning (Первая молния, or Pervaya
Molniya)
30 September Last flight of the operation Berlin Blockade takes place
7 October
German Democratic Republic formed