The Cold War

• Big 3


  Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt
• Tehran Conference


  Nov–Dec 1943
• Attendees of Tehran Conference

  • Stalin
  • Churchill
  • Roosevelt
• Germany is beginning to lose battles
• Stalin wants the US and UK to attack Germany in France


  The US and UK open a second front against Germany - invade France in May 1944
• USSR will fight against Japan once Germany is defeated
• UN established after war
• USSR will gain land in post war Poland
• Yalta Conference


  February 1945
• Attendees of Yalta Conference

  • Stalin
  • Churchill
  • Roosevelt
• Germany almost defeated
• USSR will enter the war against Japan after WW2
• Germany and Berlin will be divided into 4 zones
• Countries liberated from Nazi rule will be given free elections
• Disagreements about polish and German boarder & how much reparations Germany should pay
• Potsdam Conference


  July-Aug 1945
• Attendees of Potsdam Conference

  • Stalin
  • Attlee
  • Truman
• USSR maintained military presence in eastern Europe and Stalin set up communist government in Poland
• Truman did not trust Stalin and thought USSR wanted to take over Europe
• US had successfully made and tested the first ever atomic bomb – Stalin was informed
• Germany and Berlin divided into 4 zones
• Germany is demilitarised and re-established democracy
• Germany pays reparations – disagreements about amounts being paid
• Nazi party is ban
• Differences over free elections
• Soviet control in Eastern Europe


  1. June 1945 – provisional government in Poland

  2. Nov 1945 – free elections held in Hungary where communist party lose

  3. May 1946 – communist party have the greatest number of votes but not over 50% in Czechoslovakia

  4. Jan 1947 – rigged elections in Poland to ensure communist government

  5. Aug 1947 – communist party increase votes share and take control of Hungarian government

  6. Feb 1948 – full communist control of Czechoslovakia
• Long Telegram


  Feb 1946
• Long Telegram


  8000-word telegram to US that argues the USSR is aggressive power and recommends firm action against soviet expansion
• Iron Curtain Speech


  March 1946
• Iron Curtain Speech


  Churchill argues an iron curtain has fallen in Europe, dividing it into West (freedom) and East (no true democracy)
• Short Telegram


  Sep 1946
• Short Telegram


  Novikov telegram - Novikov was the soviet ambassador, told Stalin that the US aims for world dominance and highlights the increase in US military
• Truman Doctrine


  March 1947
• Truman Doctrine


  A US policy to contain soviet expansion and stop the spread on communism to non-communist countries
• Marshall Plan


  April 1948
• Marshall Plan


  Aid offered to all European countries after the war in the form of cash, machinery, food, technology - Stalin refused this help
• Truman was aware that countries that have a bad economic state are more likely to turn communist
• Cominform


  1947
• Cominform


  Known as the communist information bureau, a response to Truman doctrine aimed that Eastern European states followed the Soviet Union's policy
• Comecon


  1949