Origins of the Cold War

Anti-Communist Pamphlet-1930’s

The Alliance Breaks Down Americans and Soviets shared a common enemy during the war U.S. and the Soviets disagreed over strategies, the status of post-war Europe, etc. U.S.-Soviet alliance began to disintegrate after 1945

Occupied Europe At the Yalta Conference the “Big Four” powers agreed to divide up Berlin and Germany into zones of occupation Fearing another German invasion, the Soviets were very concerned with the status of Poland

Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin at the Yalta Conference

Post-War Germany: A Fragmented State

The Soviets occupied much of Eastern Europe and proceeded to establish communist “puppet regimes” there The U.S. and other Western nations condemned these actions as unacceptable and undemocratic

In 1946, Winston Churchill of Britain made a speech that claimed an “Iron Curtain” of communism had descended across Europe Stalin interpreted this statement as a call for war against the Soviet Union

The Bomb Some historians have argued that Hiroshima and Nagasaki should be seen as the opening salvo of the Cold War Soviet spies had already infiltrated the Manhattan Project to steal U.S. nuclear secrets by 1945 Soviets detonated their first bomb in 1949

The Cold War Goes Global In 1947, the Soviets supported communist forces in Greece and Turkey Truman believed he needed to take action to stop the spread of communism there George F. Kennan suggested that “containment” would be the most effective way to deal with communist aggression

“I believe it must be the policy of the United States to support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure.” President Harry Truman, 1947

Asia First military test of containment was in Korea in 1950 American effort to contain communism to North Vietnam had failed by the 1970’s U.S. recognized Taiwan as the only legitimate gov’t of China until 1970’s