Lenin in his Glass Tomb

United States vs. USSR 1945 – 1990

 Wartime cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union was a temporary arrangement.  As wartime allies, the Soviets disagreed bitterly with their American and British partners over battle tactics and postwar plans.

: February 1945 : February 1945  Four Divisions of Germany  ( French, British, American, Russian).  Stalin wanted the Germans to pay 10 billion dollars to the Russians for war damages.  Russia declare war on Japan.  Dispute over Poland.

Yalta Pictures of Big 3

International Monetary Fund  Meeting in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in 1944, the Western Allies established the IMF it was designed to encourage world trade by regulating the currency exchange rates.

 In April 1945 delegates from 50 nations met in San Fransico to adopt a charter.  At Yalta the United Nations were created.  All member nations belonged to the UN’s General Assembly.  Representatives of 11 countries sat on a Security Council. United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, France, China are permanent members.

 Few Vice Presidents have been less prepared to become President.  Truman was only the Vice President for 83 days!

Potsdam Conference  Germany and Poland where the main issues at the conference.  In July 1945 first atomic test was conducted in New Mexico. Truman told Stalin. Stalin knew already?

American View: Americans had fought to bring democracy and economic opportunity to the conquered nations of Europe and Asia. vs. Soviet View: After losing more than 20 million people during the war and suffering widespread destruction, the Soviet Union was determined to rebuild in ways that would protect its own interests.

The Iron Curtain  The Soviet Union quickly gained control over Eastern Europeans nations freed from the Nazis. over Eastern Europeans nations freed from the Nazis.

 George Kennan, a top American diplomat stationed in Moscow, analyzed Soviet behavior. stationed in Moscow, analyzed Soviet behavior. He concluded that Soviet policies show “no real faith in the possibility of a permanently happy coexistence of the Socialist and capitalist worlds”. He concluded that Soviet policies show “no real faith in the possibility of a permanently happy coexistence of the Socialist and capitalist worlds”.

 President Truman knew after WWII that the United States was one of two great powers left in the world.  The Truman Doctrine was put into effect.  It aided any free country that was resisting outside pressure.  Greece and Turkey were the first two to receive aid.

The 400 million dollars sent to aid Turkey and Greece was just a down payment on rebuilding Europe. WWII devastated most of Europe. About 21 million people had been made homeless. In Poland, 20 percent of the population had died. Nearly, 1 of every 5 houses in France and Belgium had been damaged or destroyed. Industry, agriculture, and many aspects of the infrastructure of Europe was also in ruins. CNN - Cold War CNN - Cold War

 American policymakers were determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past-WWI era.  The United States would help restore the war- torn nations so that they might create stable democracies and achieve economic stability. stable democracies and achieve economic stability.  In 1948 Congress approved the Marshall Plan. 13 Billion dollars to European Nations. 17 Western European nations take part in the program.

The Berlin Airlift : Berlin was broken up into 2 sides. (West and East Berlin) June 1948 Stalin bans all shipments into Western Berlin Blockade ends in May 1949.

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