From World War to Cold War After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the two Superpowers. The war had left Germany in ruin, and France and Great Britain financially exhausted.

1945: February 1945: The Big Three: Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill meet in Yalta, (city in the Soviet Union) to plan policies for dealing with Germany after the end of World War II.

April, 1945: Delegates from 50 nations set in San Francisco to draft a charter for the United Nations. The United Nations is an international organization that secures peace. What does the U.N. have that the League of Nations did not have, that allowed the U.N. to be more successful?

May 2, 1945: Soviet soldiers occupy Berlin.   May 7, 945: Germany surrenders, ending World War II in Europe. (VE-Day) June 5, 1945: Allied Supreme Command signs agreement to divide Germany into four zones, each occupied by one of the Allies. The USSR occupies the eastern zone, Great Britain the northwestern zone, France the western zone, and the U.S. the southwestern zone. What governments did each of the Allies have?

In What zone is the capital of Germany located in In What zone is the capital of Germany located in? (The capital is Berlin)   Why would this be a problem for the other Allies? Where do most governmental decisions making take place in a country? If you were Stalin, leader of the Communists, what fears might you have? Would you attempt to acquire new lands? Why or why not?

Twenty million Russians dies during the Second World War, so Stalin wanted a buffer zone of friendly states around Russia (USSR) to make sure it could never be invaded again.   Stalin was planning the takeover of Eastern Europe. As the Red Army drove the Nazis back, it occupies large areas of Eastern Europe. Due to an agreement with the other Allied countries in Eastern Europe became a “Spheres of Influence” for the Soviet Union. In the countries that the Soviets (Russians) “Liberated” communist-dominated governments took power. Although Stalin allowed free elections, the elections were fixed. Often the Communist leader ran unopposed or the Democratic leader was assassinated. The Communists made sure that they controlled the army, set up secret police, and arrested opponents. Non-Communists were gradually beaten, murdered, executed, and terrifies out of power. By 1949, all the governments of Eastern Europe, except Yugoslavia, were hard line Stalinist Regimes.

In 1946, in a speech at Fulton in the USA, Churchill declared that an Iron Curtain had come down across Europe, and that Soviet power was growing and had to be stopped. Stalin called Churchill’s speech a “Declaration of War”. In 1947, Stalin set up a Comintern: an alliance of Communist countries designed to make sure they obeyed Soviet Rule. What is an “Iron Curtain?

1946: May 26, 1946: Communists win election in Czechoslovakia June 30, 1946: Poland votes in a one-party government and nationalizes industries. December 2, 1946: The U.S. and Great Britain combine their occupation zones in Germany. Why would the U.S. & Great Britain combine their occupation zones?

1947: February 21, 1947: Truman asks Congress for $350 million for relief of Destitute in liberate countries abroad. March 1947: Truman asks for $400 million to help Turkey and Greece hold up against Communists. The Truman Doctrine promises to help any nation threatened by Communism. May 1947: Prom-Communist government is installed in Hungary. June 1945: The Marshall Plan provides economic aid to help rebuild Europe. October 1947: Communist From nine nations join Comintern to defend themselves from what they considered U.S. Imperialism. December 1947: Soviet-backed Communists take over Romania.

Which statement best describes most Eastern European countries immediately after World War II? They  1.  adopted democratic reforms in their political systems  2.  became satellite states of the Soviet Union  3.  became dependent on aid provided by the Marshall Plan  4.  emerged as world economic powers

Communist governments were established in most nations of Eastern Europe shortly after World War II because  1.  the region had a long tradition of strong communist parties  2.  communist governments were able to significantly increase agricultural productivity  3.  the Soviet Union used military and diplomatic pressures to install their governments  4.  members of the Communist party won free elections in these nations