Cold War

• Cold War


  The relationship between the USA and the Soviet Union (USSR) after the Second World War, with no direct fighting but high tension between them
• When the Cold War took place

  1941-1991
• East


  The Soviet Union and its communist allies
• West


  The USA and its capitalist allies
• Communism


  The political and economic system of the Soviet Union and its allies, based on a single party dictatorship and state ownership of the means of production
• Capitalism


  The political and economic system of the USA and its allies, based on private ownership and a market economy
• The Cold War was a 'war of words' sent from one side against the other, with no direct fighting
• The USA and the Soviet Union were the world's two superpowers after 1945
• Both sides wanted to prove that their system of government and ideology were the best
• Increased media coverage during this time meant millions around the world were fearful of a nuclear war
• The Cold War officially ended when the Soviet Union broke up into smaller states


  1991
• How the superpowers competed against each other

  • Spies
  • Media Propaganda
  • Finance
  • The Arms Race
  • The Space Race
• Main differences between Capitalism and Communism

  • Politics: Democracy vs Dictatorship
  • Economy: Private ownership vs Government ownership
  • Freedom of speech: Little censorship vs High censorship
• Tehran Conference


  1943 meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin to discuss post-war Europe
• At the Tehran Conference, it was agreed that Russia could keep land in eastern Europe including Poland, which would weaken Germany
• The Tehran Conference improved the relationship between Britain, the USA and Russia by giving Russia what they wanted
• The Tehran Conference eventually led to the creation of the United Nations
• Yalta Conference


  1945 meeting between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin to further discuss post-war Europe
• At the Yalta Conference, it was agreed that Germany would be divided into 4 zones controlled by Britain, France, USA and Russia
• At the Yalta Conference, it was agreed that Berlin would be divided into 4 zones, each to be governed as the controlling country wished
• At the Yalta Conference, it was agreed that Germany should pay $20 million in reparations, with half going to the Soviet Union
• At the Yalta Conference, it was agreed that eastern Europe would be in the Soviet 'sphere of influence' with elections held
• Potsdam Conference

  1945 meeting between Atlee, Truman and Stalin to finalise post-war arrangements
• At the Potsdam Conference, the Soviet troops had defeated Germany but did not withdraw from Eastern Europe, proving they wanted to stay
• At the Potsdam Conference, Stalin set up a communist government in Poland, going back on a previous promise
• At the Potsdam Conference, Stalin refused to demilitarise the Soviet army while America and Britain reduced theirs
• At the Potsdam Conference, the new leaders Atlee and Truman struggled to negotiate with Stalin, leading to a decline in US-Soviet relations
• The Potsdam Conference highlighted the clear differences between capitalism and communism in how the leaders wanted to run their countries
• Kennan's 'Long Telegram'

  A detailed telegram sent by American diplomat George Kennan about the Soviet attitude towards the USA
• Kennan's 'Long Telegram' believed that Stalin wanted to see the destruction of capitalism and that the USSR did not trust the USA
• Novikov Telegram


  A telegram sent by a Russian diplomat working in America, showing the USA did not trust the USSR and wanted to defeat communism
• The Novikov Telegram led the USSR to believe they needed to occupy as much land in Eastern Europe as possible to protect themselves against attack from the USA
• Soviet satellite states


  Countries in Eastern Europe occupied and controlled by the Soviet Union after World War II
• Britain and America agreed to allow the USSR to stay in Eastern European countries after the war to guarantee stability, even though they had promised those countries democratic elections
• Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' speech


  A speech given by Winston Churchill in 1946 warning about the Soviet Union's control over Eastern Europe
• Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' speech was a reaction to the creation of the Soviet satellite states in Eastern Europe
• A telegram sent by a Russian diplomat who worked in America, showed that the Americans did not trust the Russians
• The telegram told the Russians that the Americans wanted to use their massive military to 'dominate' the world and would not be frightened of another war
• This led the Russians to believe that they needed to occupy as much land in Eastern Europe as possible to protect themselves against attack if it came
• The telegram confirmed that the USA wanted to defeat communism