3rd Year
History
Higher Level
Kieran Roche
European History
©The Dublin School of Grinds
1
Kieran Roche
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DSOG Easter 2017 8pg A4 FINAL PRINT.indd 2
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20/02/2017 13:25
Timetable
An extensive range of course options are
available over a two-week period to cater for
students’ timetable needs. Courses are held over
the following weeks:
»» Monday 10th – Friday 14th April 2017
»» Monday 17th – Friday 21st April 2017
All Easter Revision Courses take place in The Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan
(formerly known as The Stillorgan Park Hotel).
6th Year Easter Revision Courses
DATES
5th Year Easter Revision Courses
SUBJECT
LEVEL
TIME
SUBJECT
LEVEL
Accounting
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
DATES
TIME
English
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Agricultural Science
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
10:00am - 11:30am
Maths
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
10:00am - 11:30am
Applied Maths
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
8:00am - 9:30am
Art History
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Note: 4th Year students are welcome to attend any of the 5th Year courses
listed above.
Biology Course A*
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
8:00am - 9:30am
Biology Course A*
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
10:00am - 11:30am
Biology Course B*
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
10:00am - 11:30am
Biology Course B*
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
Business
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
Business
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
Chemistry Course A*
H
Chemistry Course B*
3rd Year Easter Revision Courses
SUBJECT
LEVEL
8:00am - 9:30am
Business
Studies
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
2:00pm - 3:30pm
12:00pm - 1:30pm
English
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
10:00am - 11:30am
8:00am - 9:30am
English
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
8:00am - 9:30am
French
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
10:00am - 11:30am
Geography
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
8:00am - 9:30am
Classical Studies
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
2:00pm - 3:30pm
German
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Economics
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
8:00am - 9:30am
History
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
8:00am - 9:30am
Economics
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
10:00am - 11:30am
Irish
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
English Paper 1*
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
8:00am - 9:30am
Maths
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
8:00am - 9:30am
English Paper 2*
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
8:00am - 9:30am
Maths
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
10:00am - 11:30am
English Paper 2*
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
10:00am - 11:30am
Maths
O
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
2:00pm - 3:30pm
French
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
10:00am - 11:30am
Science
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
French
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
8:00am - 9:30am
Science
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
8:00am - 9:30am
Geography
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
8:00am - 9:30am
Spanish
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Geography
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
2:00pm - 3:30pm
German
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Note: 2nd Year students are welcome to attend any of the 3rd Year courses
above.
History (Europe)*
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
2:00pm - 3:30pm
History (Ireland)*
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Home Economics
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Irish
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
10:00am - 11:30am
Irish
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Maths Paper 1*
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
8:00am - 9:30am
Maths Paper 1*
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Maths Paper 1*
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
8:00am - 9:30am
Maths Paper 2*
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
10:00am - 11:30am
SUBJECT
Maths Paper 2*
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
10:00am - 11:30am
French
H
Sunday 12th March
9:00am - 1:00pm
Maths Paper 2*
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
German
H
Saturday 11th March
9:00am - 1:00pm
Maths
O
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
10:00am - 11:30am
Irish
H
Sunday 19th March
9:00am - 1:00pm
Maths
O
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Spanish
H
Saturday 11th March
2:00pm - 6:00pm
Physics
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
10:00am - 11:30am
Spanish
H
Monday 10th - Friday 14th April
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Spanish
H
Monday 17th - Friday 21st April
10:00am - 11:30am
Note: 5th Year students are welcome to attend any of the 6th Year courses
above.
* Due to large course content, these subjects have
been divided into two courses. For a full list of topics
covered in these courses, please see 3 pages ahead.
To book, call us on 01 442 4442 or book
online at www.dublinschoolofgrinds.ie
DSOG Easter 2017 8pg A4 FINAL PRINT.indd 3
DATES
TIME
6th Year Oral Preparation Courses
With the Oral marking component worth up to 40%, it is of paramount
importance that students are fully prepared for these examinations. These
courses will show students how to lead the Examiner towards topics they
are prepared for. This will equip students with the information they need to
maximise their performance in the State Examinations.
FEES: €140
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20/02/2017 13:25
European History: Dictators, WWII and Cold War
In this section of your Third Year Course, you are
required to have a knowledge Europe after World War
I, Fascism in Italy and Germany, Hitler’s Foreign
Policy, Stalin’s Russia, World War II, Cold War events
and Gorbachev.
Any of these topics can be asked in any section of the
state exam paper. As such, it is important that you
familiarise yourself with what the key personalities
looked like and what symbols were used in different
regimes. The bulk of this section will appear in Section
6 of your exam paper.
Europe after World War II
The Great War, 1914-1918 was the most devastating
war ever seen. Trench warfare was used on all fronts
and cost thousands of lives. Only with the
introduction of the first tanks in 1917 and with the
introduction of American troops did the War edge
towards a finale. While Germany did not start the
War, she was nonetheless blamed for it. Countries
that were defeated also included the AustroHungarian empire, Bulgaria and Turkey. After the
surrender in November 1918, these countries would
be dealt at the Peace Conference in Versailles.
1. Treaty of Versailles
This Treaty dealt specifically with Germany. Victorious
powers agreed the terms with no input from the
Germans. It was harsh as it was felt that Germany,
with her strong economy, had the most ability to pay
for war damage.
Woodrow Wilson – USA
David Lloyd George – Britain
Georges Clemenceau – France
Vittorio Orlando – Italy
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Terms
Germany to pay £6 Billion
Germany to lose all foreign colonies
Germany to lose Alsasce-Lorraine territory
German army reduced to 100,000
German land given to Poland so they could
have a coastline
Border between France and Germany, the
Rhineland, a demilitarised zone
©The Dublin School of Grinds
The severity of these terms angered many
Germans. They were even more infuriated
with their politicians who agreed to them.
These terms resulted in the bankruptcy of
Germany, leading many citizens to look to
alternative political parties in the future.
2. The League of Nations
An idea of Wilson’s to create an assembly where
European powers could settle differences through
debate rather than war. It was based in Geneva.
However, the USA did not join it and the League had
no army. These weaknesses eventually led to many
European powers ignoring it in the future. The
headquarters of the League of Nations was in Geneva.
The Rise of Fascism in Europe
Fascism is a right wing, ultra-nationalistic ideology. It
became popular after WWI for the following reasons;
(i)
Rise in unemployment made many
people unhappy with democratic
governments
(ii)
Germany and Italy were dissatisfied with
the Treaty of Versailles
(iii)
Fear of Communism spreading from
Russia
3. Fascism in Italy
Benito Mussolini was originally a socialist and wrote
for Avanti, the widest read socialist newspaper,
before WWI. However, when Italy entered WWI in
1915, he joined the Italian army and became a
committed nationalist. He was disappointed with
Italian defeats during the war and blamed them on
weak democratic governments. After the War, Italy
did not gain new lands that were once promised.
Again, he blamed the democratic government for
this. By 1919, the Italian economy was performing
poorly and unemployment was rife and food prices
were rising. Trade Unions and strikes were growing in
popularity. Mussolini published his own newspaper, Il
Popolo d’Italia, and condemned democratic
governments.
In 1919 Mussolini founded his Italian Fascist Party.
This party was ultra-nationalist; it believed the Italians
were a superior race. It was anti-democratic as it
believed a strong one-party government was required
to solve Italy’s problems.
2
Kieran Roche
Mussolini promised to;
(i)
Restore law and order
(ii)
Protect against communism
(iii)
Employment
(iv)
Restore national pride
Mussolini won support from industrialists and the
Church over his anti-communist views. His promises
were printed in his newspaper and workers were
drawn towards his party. He established his
Blackshirts to break up communist meetings and put
down strikes. Impatient, Mussolini demanded
political power. King Victor Emmanuel, fearing
internal conflict, gave the fascists seats in the
government and made Mussolini Prime Minister. To
celebrate this event, Mussolini and the Blackshirts
marched through Rome in 1922. This was to display
his power, promote fascist symbols and announce his
arrival into political power.
Mussolini becomes Dictator
As a fascist, Mussolini was not interested in sharing
power. He wanted full control of parliament. He
achieved this through the Acerbo Law in 1924.
He created his own secret police force, the OVRA, to
attack enemies. Opponents were put in prisons on
the island of Lipari islands.
A critic of the fascist government, Matteotti, was
murdered.
Youth Movements
The Balila was a fascist youth movement. It would
promote fascism and uphold Mussolini as a great
leader. Balila children were taught to march like an
army. In schools too, education was used to
indoctrinate children to be loyal to Mussolini.
The Church
In 1929, Mussolini signed the Lateran Treaty with the
Church.
(i)
It created the Vatican State
(ii)
Religion taught in all Italian schools
(iii)
Crucifix in all schools
(iv)
Pope will have no input into Italian
politics.
(v)
Pope recognised the nation of Italy
This agreement healed the rift between Church
and State. It was very popular and reflects the
highpoint of Mussolini’s career.
Through propaganda, Mussolini promoted a cult
personality. Newspapers, poster and newsreels
showed him as hard-working, brave talented and a
committed family man.
Mussolini’s Economic Policies
Battle for Grain
Race for Births
Restoration of ancient monuments
Building of sports stadiums in Rome and
Florence
(v)
Reclaiming the Pontine Marshes
(vi)
Public Works to reduce unemployment;
these were used to build modern
autostrada, electric railway and hydroelectric power stations
While unemployment did fall, so too did farm
incomes as too much grain was produced. Not
everybody therefore benefitted. Despite the Race for
Births, there was no increase in population. His
Corporate State policy allowed for fascist
interference in industrial targets and wages. This
caused inefficiency, confusion and failed.
4. Hitler and Nazi Germany
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
©The Dublin School of Grinds
Propaganda
Mussolini depended on propaganda to sell his policies
and promote his leadership. Newspapers that were
critical were closed down. Mussolini could only be
shown in a favourable light. Mussolini wore military
suits and often held fascist parades to demonstrate
his power. He enjoyed giving speeches to large
audiences. Posters showed him as strong and
capable. All propaganda was used to promote the
leader-a clear sign of dictatorship.
3
Mussolini’s Foreign Policy
This was the area that contributed most to the
downfall of Mussolini. As a fascist, Mussolini had an
aggressive foreign policy and wanted to create an
Italian empire. While this was designed to please
Italians, it was also to deflect attention from the
failing corporate state policy.
In 1935 Mussolini invaded Abyssinia and conquered
it. The League of nations was furious and imposed a
trading embargo on Italy.
Mussolini allied himself to Hitler’s Germany through
the 1936 Rome-Berlin Axis and the 1939 Pact of Steel.
Mussolini eventually joined the German war effort in
1940; Italy suffered defeats in North Africa and
Greece. Italy was invaded by the allies in 1943 and
King Victor Emmanuel eventually sacked Mussolini.
Horrified by the damage from war, the Italians vented
their anger on Mussolini, capturing him and executing
him. His dead body was put on public display in Milan.
Kieran Roche
A central topic in your European course as Hitler’s
brand of fascism was severely racist and aggressive. It
culminated in Germany developing a foreign that led
to WWII. The following are elements you will need to
be able to write a paragraph on;
(i)
Rise of Hitler
(ii)
Nazi Dictatorship
(iii)
Nazi Propaganda
(iv)
Nazi Economy
(v)
The Final Solution & Holocaust
(vi)
Hitler’s Foreign Policy
2.
Nazi Dictatorship
To establish a dictatorship, Hitler passed the Enabling
Act in 1933, giving the Nazis sole power to make
decisions in parliament.
With the Reichstag (Parliament building) fire of 1933,
Hitler blamed the communists and banned the
German Communist party. There was now no political
opposition.
The Gestapo were established as secret police.
1. Rise of Hitler
Hitler was born in Austria but even in his early years
he believed in the idea to unite Austrian German
speakers to Germany. Failed artist and anti-Semite
even as a young student, WWI gave Hitler the
opportunity to enlist in the Bavarian regiment of the
German army. A fearless soldier, he was awarded the
Iron Cross for his efforts and given a job in the
German civil service in Munich after the War.
Privately, Hitler was irate with the German
government for surrendering in 1918 and loathed the
Treaty of Versailles.
Appointed to spy on the German Workers Party,
Hitler was impressed with their and joined them. His
brilliant oratory skills allowed him to become leader.
He reorganised the party and renamed it the Nazi
Party. The SA (Brownshirts) was established to
protect Nazi meetings. They were led by Ernst Rohm
and used force. Attempting a coup in 1923, Hitler was
imprisoned for 9 months.
In Landsberg Prison, Hitler wrote Mien Kampf,
outlining his political beliefs.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Germans are a superior race
Herrenvolk-Germans are a master race, they
are entitled to rule other races
Lebensraum-Germany will expand to the
east
Anschluss-union of all Germanic speakers
Germany will establish a new Reich
Anti-communism
Anti-Semitic
Anti-democratic
The SS, under Himmler, was created as an elite
private guard. They were used to murder leaders of
the SA in The Night of the Long Knives in 1934. This
act won the loyalty of the German army, who swore
an oath to Hitler.
With the death of President Hindenberg in 1934,
Hitler merged the offices of Chancellor and President
together and called himself fuhrer (leader). Hitler
began to wear military attire after this event.
3. Nazi Propaganda
To promote a dictatorship and Nazi policies, Hitler
created a government Department of Propaganda.
Joseph Goebbels was in charge of establishing the
Hitler cult and censoring any negative reporting of
Hitler and the Party.
Newspapers (Der Angeriff) and films were made to
support Nazi Policy. The Nuremberg Rallies were an
annual event to display Nazi strength and Hitler’s
ideas. Symbols like the swastika and the eagle were
used as well as various uniforms giving a military slant
to the party. This was seen most notably in the
different Hitler Youth movements which catered for
girls and boys of all ages. It became compulsory
through law for children to join Hitler Youth. Even art
had to reflect Nazi ideals and modern art was
rejected. Hitler’s preferred medium was radio and he
used this more than Mussolini.
Towns demonstrated their support to Hitler through
hanging out Nazi flags and symbols. Posters of Hitler
were commonplace
Hitler blamed the democratic German govt. For the
severe depression in the 1930’s. He promised full
employment. His fascism appealed to nationalists and
Hitler was invited to be Chancellor in January 1933.
©The Dublin School of Grinds
4
Kieran Roche
4. The Nazi Economy
Before Hitler was invited into power, over 6,000,000
Germans were unemployed. Hitler succeeded in
reducing unemployment through;
(i)
Public Work Schemes-autobahns were
constructed, employing thousands
(ii)
Hitler announced the creation of a new
air force, the Luftwaffe. This meant
lucrative contracts to engineering firms.
(iii)
The Versailles Treaty was ignore and the
army was greatly expanded
Private enterprise and profit was encouraged.
Industrialists were happy with Hitler as he opposed
communism and outlawed trade unions. Workers
were pleased because of employment. The
Volkswagen Beetle was designed to offer an
affordable car to workers and holiday resorts were
built by the state so workers could enjoy their annual
leave. However, women were encouraged to remain
at home rather than enter the workplace.
The Munich Olympic Games of 1936 highlighted
Hitler’s Germany as progressive, modern and
organised.
5. The Final Solution and Holocaust
A sinister element of Nazi Germany was its antiSemite attitude towards German and European Jews.
Hitler blamed Jews for Germany’s defeat in WWI and
for the economic depression of the early 1920’s and
1930’s. Hitler believed they were not truly Germanic
and threatened the pursuit of Herrenvolk. Approving
the boycotting of Jewish shops in 1933, Hitler wanted
Jews to leave Germany. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935
were anti-Jewish laws,
(i)
Jews had to wear the Star of David
(ii)
Jews not allowed vote
(iii)
Jews could not marry Germans
(iv)
Jews banned from the professions
Jews were treated more harshly as time went on. The
Night of the Broken Glass of 1938 saw the deliberate
vandalism and attack on Jewish businesses.
Synagogues were also targeted. Once Germany
entered War in 1939, Jews were rounded up in their
cities and towns and placed in overcrowded ghettos.
In 1942, Nazi leaders decided on the Final Solution in
a meeting outside Berlin. This was a plan designed to
exterminate the Jew.
The Holocaust is term given to the Final Solution in
action. Jews from Germany and eastern Europe were
placed in purpose built death camps such as
Auschwitz and Treblinka. Adolf Eichmann and
©The Dublin School of Grinds
5
6. Hitler’s Foreign Policy
Hitler’s ideas and policies caused concern outside
Europe, but he was tolerated because he was
anti-communist. Democratic states viewed Stalin
and communism as a danger, not fascism.
There were sympathies in Europe too in relation
to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and when
Hitler refused to pay further reparations, no
action was taken.
Hitler breached the terms in 1935 when he began
to rebuild the German army. Britain in particular
felt a strong Germany was necessary to protect
against communism. As such, the British policy of
appeasement encouraged Hitler to be bolder.
As Hitler wanted to create a new Reich, he
sought to reclaim land Germany lost from WWI.
His aggressive
expansion
through
the
Sudetenland caused much concern. He promised
Neville Chamberlain at the Munich Conference in
1938 that Germany would expand no more.
Invading the rest of Czechoslovakia and
eventually Poland in September 1939 led directly
to WWII.
5
Stalin’s Russia
Russian withdrew from WWI and became a
communist state in 1917. Their leader, Lenin, was
opposed to the royal family and capitalism. With
the assassination of the Tsar and his family, a civil
war and the abolition of capitalism, European
nations viewed Russia with suspicion. Lenin died
in 1924 after a series of stokes. A battle for his
leadership commenced between Leon Trotsky
and Joseph Stalin.
As General Secretary, Stalin appointed his
supporters to high party positions. He organised
Lenin’s funeral and ensured Trotsky was not
there. By 1929, Stalin was the accepted leader of
th
Russia. His 50 birthday in that year was
celebrated nationally, new towns were named
after him and statues were built in his honour.
Stalin wanted to industrialise Russia through
communist policies. Any threat to his power or
policies would be met with brutal force.
Kieran Roche
Himmler oversaw the death of over 6,000,000 Jews.
6. World War II 1939-1945
Stalin’s Economic Policies
(i)
(ii)
Collectivisation
Five Year Plans
1. Collectivisation
This policy was for the agricultural sector. Stalin
wanted to make farming more efficient and increase
output. He believed the wealthier, the Kulaks, were
capitalists and hoarders of wealth. Collectivisation
was designed to take away private land ownership
and merge lands together to form massive state
farms, collectives.
Stalin set these new farms targets and supplied
machinery. Many poorer peasants were happy as
they received a regular wage. The kulaks
demonstrated by sabotaging crops and livestock.
Stalin purged the kulaks, sending thousands to camps
and prisons in Siberia. His policy was not overall
successful as there was a famine in Russia in 1933.
2. Five Year Plans (FYP’s)
The Five Year Plans were designed to make industry
more efficient, industrialise Russia and improve
infrastructure. Stalin and his government directed all
economic planning.
Phase 1
September 1939 to the Spring of 1940 saw
no fighting. These months are referred to as
the Phoney War.
German victories and occupation of lands.
Blitzkrieg tactics brought victory over
France in 1941. Nazi occupation included
Norway, France, Holland, Belgium and
Eastern Europe.
Private ownership of factories and businesses was
removed. Targets were set. Stalin wanted Russia to
modernise and compete with western Europe.
Anybody who failed to meet their targets or criticised
his plans was sent to intensive labour camps, the
gulags.
The FYP’s did create more industrial employment but
the quality of Russian goods was poor. However,
Russia was rich in coal and iron and these industries
made the country very wealthy. People’s lives did not
really improve, although more children did receive
education. In 1938, Stalin put the focus of all plans on
rearmament and military equipment.
Stalin was frustrated at western Europe for ignoring
his warnings about Hitler and Nazism. He signed the
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact in August 1939,
giving Russia time to prepare for War. Russia fought
alongside Britain and USA in the War, eventually
defeating Germany in April 1945.
©The Dublin School of Grinds
Reasons for War
1. Hitler’s invasion of Rhineland suggested
aggression and ignored Treaty of Versailles
2. His Anschluss with Austria worried many
European leaders about Germanic
expansion
3. His invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939,
despite being given the Sudetenland in
1938, provoked concern for citizens in
Eastern Europe.
4. Germany’s invasion of Poland in September
1939, despite warnings from Britain and
France, confirmed that Hitler was aggressive
and had no regard for national boundaries.
rd
Britain declared war on Germany on 3
September, 1939.
The Battle of Britain occurred in 1940. The
Luftwaffe attacked British harbours and RAF
basis. The new PM, Churchill, was very resilient
and urged his people to resist over the radio.
The public had to endure severe damage,
blackouts and rationing. With the creation of
radar, the RAF was able to fight the Luftwaffe
over coastal areas. Hitler called off his planned
invasion of Britain and instead concentrated on
sending all his forces east to conquer Stalin.
Phase 2
America joined the war in 1941. Not only was
Pearl Harbour bombed, but Hitler even declared
war on the USA. Thousands of American troops
and weapons were mobilised for Europe. This
would swing the war in the Allies favour.
Important Battles
1942 Battle of El Alamein
1942 Battle of Stalingrad
1944 Operation Overlord (Allied invasion of
France)
1944 Battle of the Bulge
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Kieran Roche
The Cold War
Cold War Events
Near the end of WWII, the relationship between
USA and Soviet Russian deteriorated. President
Truman refused to share new nuclear technology
with Stalin and the Americans were suspicious of
the communist ideology. Stalin was furious at the
secrecy of American military advancements. As
each had the largest standing armies after the
War ceased, smaller countries often looked
towards them for leadership. Both the United
States and Russia also had enormous economies
and resources ensuring they had large spheres of
influence in international trade. Because of their
wealth and military power, they were regarded
as ‘super-powers’. After the War, Stalin wanted
to advance Soviet influence into Europe.
President Truman did not want communism to
spread any further. As Russian armies liberated
eastern European countries from Nazi
occupation, communist governments were put in
to manage affairs-with guidance coming from
Moscow. The United States were determined to
deter the spread of communism beyond East
Germany.
President Truman had an official policy of
‘containment‘to guard against the spread of
communism. To prevent bankrupt European
states being enticed into a new communist style
system of government, the USA gave billions of
dollars under the Marshall Aid programme. In
order to obtain US financial aid, European states
had to have democratic governments. All of
western Europe, including Ireland received
Marshal Aid. Stalin remarked that such a tactic
was capitalist imperialism. The rivalry between
the two super-powers would continue into the
following decades until the collapse of the Berlin
Wall in 1989.
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Three chief major Cold War events that depict
the growing enmity between the super-powers
are;
(i)
The Berlin Blockade
(ii)
The Korean War
(iii)
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The Korean War
The Korean War of 1950-1953 brought Cold War
tension onto the battle field. Although a largely
forgotten war, between 2-3 million were killed.
Because Kim Il Sung invaded the democratic
South Korea in 1950, the US foreign policy of
containment was activated. Under the UN
banner, USA sent troops, munitions and
advanced weaponry to this war effort, led by
their General Douglas MacArthur. North Korea
received military aide from Communist China
and Russia gave machine guns and T-34 tanks.
American military hardware included the use of
F86 Sabre Jets and the US Navy patrolling the
Yellow Sea off the Korean coast. One of the
many heavily armed US warships used during the
war was the USS New Jersey. The war ended in
stalemate, with General MacArthur being
dismissed by President Truman over criticising
USA for not invading China and failing to use
nuclear bombs. The United States had 54,000
troops killed in Korea. While fighting ended in
1951, peace talks did not conclude until 1953.
The Korean War is significant as it brought Cold
War ideologies onto the Battlefield. Its duration
and aftermath ensured continued rivalry and
tension between the West and Russia. The 38th
Parallel divides North and South Korea today.
South Korea is modern and advanced, while
North Korea is one of the poorest countries in
the world.
Kieran Roche
The Cold War Develops
The End of the Cold War
Aside from the three major Cold war events,
tension and rivalry between USA and Russia was
measured through the Space Race. NASA was
established by President Eisenhower and
received billions of dollars for space
programmes. Not to be outdone, the Soviets had
their Sputnik programme and managed to get
the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, in 1961. This
new technological rivalry added to tensions. As
only Russia and America could afford to
undertake these enormous programmes, the
global media reported on each other’s successes.
Rivalry between the two sides promoted the use
of spies, espionage, in order to gather
information on what the other was doing. The
secret world of spying was dominated by the
American CIA and the Russian KGB. This era of
the spy was topical and in popular culture; the
1963 James Bond movie, ‘From Russia with
Love’ dramatised the rivalry between the two
nations. Despite Russia having earlier success in
space, the Apollo 11 programme saw America
land the first man on the moon in 1969. Unable
to compete, Russia gradually took its emphasis
away from space exploration.
With the end of the Cuban Missile crisis in 1962,
a détente was established between the Kremlin
and the White House. A Test-Ban Treaty was
signed in 1963 ensuring no new nuclear missiles
were tested. A ‘hot-line’ phone system also
connected both offices to avert future
breakdowns. This climate followed through in
the early 1970’s when the SALT (Strategic Arms
Limitation Talks) were signed between Brezhnev
and President Nixon.
It was the appointment of Mikhail Gorbachev
however that brought about the end of the Cold
War. Gorbachev wanted to reform the
communist system in Russia and promoted
reform and transparency in Russian politics. His
policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika
(restructuring) meant previous harsh laws in
Russia were abandoned and political opponents
were released. Gorbachev also wanted to invest
in the Russian economy and ordered an end to
the massive investment in the military. Sensing a
change in Russian politics, President Ronald
Reagan met Gorbachev in Geneva in 1985. Both
leaders were eager to end the long running
tension between the nations. At a summit in
Iceland in 1987, they agreed to take missiles out
of eastern Europe and Gorbachev ordered cuts
to the Soviet army.
Gorbachev ordered governments in the eastern
bloc countries to accept his policies and reform.
In some countries, long time corrupt communist
leaders were overthrown, such as Nicolai
Ceausescu of Romania. Yugoslavia fell into a civil
war. East Berliners wanted to move to the west
of the city and Gorbachev ordered that all check
point barriers be lifted. This new found freedom
of movement led to the physical symbol of the
Cold War in Europe, the Berlin Wall, being torn
down in 1989. Within the USSR, many of the 15
republics sought to declare their own
independence. Very quickly the USSR collapsed.
While Gorbachev won the Noble Peace Prize in
1990, many communists in Russia blamed him
for dismantling their once strong nation.
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Kieran Roche
©The Dublin School of Grinds
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Kieran Roche