Cold war

• Contrasting ideologies

  • USA: Private business + profits allowed, Government elected by the people, Free economy
  • USSR: All profits went to the state, A one-party state, Economy controlled by government, Lower average standard of living, but wealth equally shared
• Hitler's invasion of the USSR in 1941

  Brought East and West together
• Aims of the West at the Yalta conference

  • East-West cooperation should continue, The united nations should be formed to avoid conflicts, There should be economic cooperation via world bank, Germany should be rebuilt as an independent country
• Aims of the USSR at the Yalta conference

  • East-West cooperation should continue, The USSR would be prepared to work in the UN, World bank should have 'no authority' over the USSR, Germany should pay for rebuilding of the USSR
• Aims of Winston Churchill

  • Wanted to protect British interests, Wanted a close relationship w/ USA, Mistrustful of stalin- and a strong anti-communist
• Aims of Franklin Roosevelt

  • Committed to working with the USSR, Believed in a capitalist Europe being beneficial, Potentially misunderstood Stalin's aim
• Aims of Joseph Stalin

  • Wanted a sphere of influence to ensure security, Recognised the need to cooperate with the West, Wanted to ensure total land devastation of USSR could never happen again
• Yalta conference

  February 1945
• Germany was to be split into 4 to limit it's power
• The Potsdam conference

  July 1945
• The grand alliance began to break down by the time of the Potsdam conference
• Joseph Atlee's aims and thoughts at Potsdam

  • Stalin's desire of Germany paying reparations was opposed completely, Stalin wanted to keep European countries under Soviet influence, Western powers did not
• Clement Atlee's aims and thoughts at Potsdam

  • Worried about soviet expansion, Wanted a secure Germany, Saw britain as weaker, and NEEDING American friendship
• Harry Truman's aims and thoughts at Potsdam

  • Wanted self determination for countries of Europe, Distrusted Stalin and his intentions, Thought America had the upper hand due to the atomic bomb
• Key agreements at Potsdam

  • Division of Germany was confirmed, Nazi party banned, leaders put on trial, Germans in foreign countries returned, Poland lost territory to the USSR
• Truman's decision to drop bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

  Ended the war in the Pacific, Raised tensions as Stalin was not fully informed
• The grand alliance continued until Potsdam, by this time it had disintegrated
• Before ww2, relationship between USSR and the west did not have much trust
• Brought together in a grand alliance due to common enemy that was Nazi germany
• Atomic bomb led to raised tensions as Stalin was misinformed
• Iron curtain


  Invisible line that divided Europe, so that the USSR could go no further
• At the end of ww2, USSR controlled most of europe, Communism became popular after Nazi occupation ended, Soviets rigged elections and executed opposition
• The long telegram


  Stated that the USA saw the USSR as an enemy and no cooperation would occur successfully
• Iron curtain speech


  It was stated that this invisible line was to divide Europe, so that the USSR could go no further
• Truman doctrine


  American policy regarding communism, Communism was a serious threat to the USA, USA would support any country under threat from communism, Focus was on 'containing communism'
• Marshall plan


  Proposed that the United States provide economic assistance to restore the economic infrastructure of postwar Europe, Aimed to aid economic recovery, support containment of communism, build the American economy
• America gave $13 billion in aid through the Marshall plan
• The Marshall plan aided recovery of western europe, American economy also benefited, Communism lost popularity
• Cominform


  Stalin's reaction to Truman doctrine, Established to ensure unity in Eastern Europe
• Comecon


  Stalin's reaction to Marshall plan, Soviet alternative to Marshall plan, Created in 1949
• Cominform members regularly met to discuss policies, Made it clear that no Eastern Europe countries should accept aid via the Marshall plan
• Yugoslavia did not owe freedom to the Red army, their relationship with Stalin gradually got worse because: Leader Tito was unwilling to follow Stalin's instructions as he saw Yugoslavia as an independent nation, In 1948- Tito accepted Marshall aid- Stalin had forbidden this, Yugoslavia was now in a unique position as they were the only communist country NOT behind the iron curtain after accepting aid