Section 1 – The Growth of the USA and USSR |
1. What three factors allowed the Americans to build an ‘extraordinary powerful state’? Ingenious Constitution, isolation from potential rivals, great use of their resources
2. How did Lenin and Stalin turn Russia into ‘the most authoritarian state anywhere on Earth’? Made Russia a heavily industrialized nation with no liberty at all 3. Why did the USA and UK suffer relatively few deaths in WW2? Because they chose where and when to fight, and they also emerged with their economy thriving 4. How did the USA benefit economically from war? USA's growth domestic product doubled after the war 5. How was the USSR affected by World War Two? Its cities were ruined and their industries destroyed 6. In what ways was the USSR in a powerful position after WW2? It was part of Europe so its soldiers didn't have to leave and also the USSR played a major role in defeating Hitler 7. How did the leadership of the USA and UK change in 1945? Harry S. Truman became the US president and he was ill-informed and Clement Atlee became the British prime Minister |
Section 2 – Stalin’s post-war Goals |
8. How is Stalin’s personality described? Ambitious, love of power, jealous, cruel and sly
9. What were Stalin’s post-war goals? No internal challenges would endanger his personal rule, no external threats would place his country at risk 10. What challenges did Stalin face in achieving those goals? Loses in the war caused Stalin to face disproportionate postwar gains 11. Why did Stalin believe he would soon face war against the ‘capitalists’? He believed that the capitalist countries would fight against each other until self-destruction, then the USSR would take power 12. Why did Stalin believe that Capitalist countries would go to war with each other? Because the capitalist countries were too greedy 13. What was Stalin’s ultimate goal in post-war Europe? To control the whole of Europe |
Section 3 – USA’s and UK’s post-war Goals |
14. What dilemma did the USA face after WW2? The US was isolated from the world and yet it was a model for other countries
15. Why did the USA feel secure for most of its history? Because they were so far away from the rest of the world, it could not be attacked 16. Why did the USA break with its policy of isolationism during WW1? Because they wanted to keep their allies so they didn't want Germany to defeat the UK 17. Why did Wilson’s plans for a new world order fail after WW1? His plan was to extreme for the Americans 18. What events in WW2 caused the USA to end its policy of isolationism once and for all? Three things ended the policy of isolationism: the defeat of France, the Battle of Britain and the attack on Pearl Harbor. 19. What was Roosevelt’s priorities during WW2? To keep his allies, UK, USSR, China and make a global economic system 20. What was the UK’s objectives during WW2? As Winston Churchill said "To survive at all cost" |
Section 4 – Long-term Causes of the Cold War |
21. According to paragraph 28, what was the purpose of the wartime Grand Alliance? To work together and defeat their common enemy and to agree on post-war issues
22. How and why did the USA and UK help the USSR during WW2? They needed the Russians to help them defeat Hitler, they helped by sending supplies 23. Why was Stalin suspicious about UK/USA policy during WW2? When the US and UK delayed the second front he thought they did this to make the USSR weaker 24. Why was the creation of a ‘second-front’ important to the USA/UK? It would be part of the surrender 25. What deals did the UK/USA and USSR make in 1944-45 and why did it lead to a lack of trust between them? US/UK began negotiating for the surrender of German armies in northern Italy 26. Why did Stalin want a ‘sphere of influence’ in post-war Europe? So that Russia's borders were protected by "friendly" nations 27. Why was Stalin undeterred by the promise of free elections in Eastern Europe? He disagreed with the idea of free elections in east-Europe 28. Why was Poland hostile to Soviet intentions? The Russians massacred 4000 polish officers and 11,000 were unaccounted for. Also Stalin wanted one third of Poland's territory after the war. 29. Why did the USSR feel cheated by the division of Germany? France received two-thirds of Germany 30. Despite his opposition, why was Stalin willing to accept the division of Germany? He thought that Marxism would attract Germans to his side 31. What two problems did Stalin face in his attempt to dominate Germany? The Russian was to ruthless, and the Germans were frightened of what Stalin would do 32. What was Stalin promised for his help in attacking Japan? He was promised the Kurile Islands 33. Why did the USA become unwilling to accept the division of Japan with the USSR? Now the US had the atomic bomb so they no longer needed the help of the Soviet union 34. Why did the development of the Atomic Bomb lead to distrust between the Allies? Because the US didn't tell Stalin about the bombs 35. How did the Atomic Bomb alter the balance of power in the world? The US had created a weapon that didn't need soldiers on the ground 36. How did the Atomic Bomb change the attitude of the USSR? Stalin was worried that the US would bomb the USSR. He formed a programme so that Russian scientists would start creating an atomic bomb of their own |