History-Cold war-WW2

• Grand Alliance: The USA, USSR and Britain formed an alliance to defeat the common enemy of Hitler and Nazi Germany.
• Events-The end of WW2

  The USA and Britain fought the Germans in the West, pushing them back through France
• Events-The end of WW2

  The USSR fought the Germans in the East, pushing them back through Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia into Germany
• Events-The end of WW2

  The USSR pushed the Germans back into Germany and they had reached Berlin by April 1945
• Events-The end of WW2

  Hitler committed suicide in April 1945 and Germany surrendered to the allies in May 1945
• Consequences-The end of WW2

  The war in Europe was ended. The war against Japan continued beyond May 1945
• Consequences-The end of WW2

  The USSR had liberated Eastern Europe. This left these countries without governments
• Consequences-The end of WW2

  The common enemy of Germany had been removed from the Grand Alliance
• End of WW2


  • Leaders appeared weak/strong: Stalin strong. Liberated Eastern Europe
  • Leads to another event: Leads to WW2 conferences to decide the future of Germany and Eastern Europe
• Causes-Tehran conference 1943

  • USSR was struggling to push back the Nazis in the East
  • The Grand Alliance wanted a plan to win the war
  • The Grand Alliance wanted a plan for what to do when the war was over
• Events-Tehran conference 1943

  (Attended by Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt)

  It was agreed:

  • The USA and Britain would launch a second front in France to ease pressure on the USSR in the East
  • The USSR would declare war on Japan when Germany was defeated
• Consequences-Tehran conference 1943

  No agreement was made over Eastern European countries and so it was agreed there would be another conference
• Tehran conference 1943

  • Tension increases/decreases: Tension decreased. The USA and USSR working together to defeat Hitler
  • Leaders appear weak/strong: Stalin strong. The USA agreed to open up a second front to help him
  • Leads to another event: Yalta conference to discuss Eastern Europe and Germany
• Causes-Yalta conference 1945

  The D Day landings in France had been a success and Hitler was close to defeat
• Causes-Yalta conference 1945

  The USSR had pushed the Germans back through Eastern Europe and were close to Germany
• Causes-Yalta conference 1945

  There were unresolved questions about Eastern Europe from Tehran
• Events-Yalta conference 1945

  (Attended by Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt)

  It was agreed:

  • Germany would be divided into four zones
  • The USSR would invade Japan 3 months after the defeat of Germany
  • Free elections would happen in Eastern Europe, but they would be in the Soviet 'sphere of influence'
• Consequences-Yalta conference 1945

  There had been no decision about Berlin and so this was set to be discussed at the next conference
• Consequences-Yalta conference 1945

  There was disagreement over reparations as Stalin wanted Germany to pay for the war and Roosevelt wanted Germany to be able to recover
• Yalta conference 1945

  • Tension increases/decreases: Tension started to increase over Eastern Europe, reparations and Berlin
  • Leaders appear weak/strong: Stalin strong. He knew he was still needed to defeat Japan and the Soviets had succeeded in pushing the Germans back through Eastern Europe
  • Leads to another event: Potsdam conference to discuss Berlin, Eastern Europe, and reparations
• Causes-Potsdam conference July-August 1945

  • Germany had surrendered in May 1945
  • Decisions needed to be made about Berlin, reparations, and Eastern Europe
• Events-Potsdam conference July-August 1945

  Attended by Stalin, Attlee, and Truman. Truman was anti-communist and did not want to co-operate with Stalin
• Events-Potsdam conference July-August 1945

  It was decided that:

  • Like Germany, Berlin would be divided into 4 zones
  • The USSR would take industrial equipment from the other zones as theirs was the least developed
• Events-Potsdam conference July-August 1945

  Before the conference, Stalin had set up a communist government in Poland, breaking his promise to hold free elections.

  The USA tested the atomic bomb on the 2nd day of the conference
• Consequences-Potsdam conference July-August 1945

  Stalin appeared to have lied about his commitment to free elections as he had broken his promise and set up a communist government in Poland
• Consequences-Potsdam conference July-August 1945

  The USA had shown their military power through testing the atomic bomb
• Consequences-Potsdam conference July-August 1945

  The Grand Alliance began to collapse due to the loss of a common enemy (NOTE: The war against Japan had not yet ended)
• Potsdam conference July-August 1945

  • Tension increases/decreases: Tension increased. Stalin had broken his promise over Poland. Disagreement over Germany, reparations, and Eastern Europe continued
  • War in more/less likely: War more likely. The USA had shown their military power by testing the atomic bomb
• Potsdam conference July-August 1945

  • Leaders appear weak/strong: Truman appeared strong. He had not allowed Stalin to take Berlin. Stalin appeared weak. He had the worst part of Germany and Berlin had been divided