1. Unit 9: The Cold War Begins

2. Superpowers?? WWII saw the end of very powerful empires
The British Empire came out of WWII suffering severe economic shortages and soon would lose most of its colonies
This left the world in a power vacuum---who will lead the world now?
Into this power vacuum stepped the U.S. and the Soviet Union (USSR)
The U.S. and USSR played the most decisive roles in defeating the Axis powers and they emerged from WWII confident and strong
These two powers so dominated the postwar world that they became known as “Superpowers”

3. Cold War A Clash of Interests 1946-1990 became known as the
Historical Background:
The alliance between U.S. and Soviet Union began to break apart even before the end of WWII.
The United States and the Soviet Union became increasing hostile toward each other after the war.
This led to an era of confrontation and competition.
Why do you think it was called this??

4. A Clash of Ideologies: Despite their alliance during WWII, the U. S
A Clash of Ideologies: Despite their alliance during WWII, the U.S. and Soviet Union had little in common
The United States was a capitalist democracy. The American people values freedom and individual rights.
The Soviet Union was a communist dictatorship. Stalin and the Communist Party wielded total control over the lives of the Soviet people.

5. Postwar Goals U.S. and Britain Strong and United Germany
Independence for the nations of Eastern Europe
USSR
Weak and divided Germany
Maintain Soviet control of Eastern Europe

6. The Big Three at Odds
When the Big Three met at Yalta, Stalin agreed to allow free elections in Eastern Europe (Poland)
Free elections were not held

7. Poland
After the Germans invaded Poland, their government leaders left and fled to Britain.
When the Soviet troops drove back
the Germans and entered Poland, the Soviets
encouraged Polish Communists to set up a
new government.
Two Governments!
One communist
One non-communist
Both Roosevelt and Churchill
argued the Poles should be free
to choose their own government
Stalin wanted a government friendly to
the Soviet Union!

8. Compromise
Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to recognize the Polish government set up by the Soviets.
Stalin agreed that the new government would include members of the old democratic Polish government and that free elections would be held as soon as possible.

9. Declaration of Liberated Europe: The Declaration of Liberated Europe is a declaration that was created by Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin during the Yalta Conference.
“The right of all people to choose the form of government under which they will live.”
Democratic institutions of their own choice.
Free elections

10. Tension
The King of Romania was pressured by Soviets into appointing a Communist government.
U.S. accused them of violating the terms of the Declaration of Liberated Europe.
Soon Soviets only allowed no more than 3 non-communist Poles to serve in the Polish government.
AND NO FREE ELECTIONS

11. Stalin can’t be trusted!
Truman Takes Control
With FDR’s death in April 1945, the new American president enters this tense situation with his own ideas.
“We must stand up to the Russians”
Strongly anti-communist
Demanded Stalin hold free elections in Poland as he promised at Yalta.
This sets the stage for further confrontations!
Stalin can’t be trusted!

12. Potsdam Conference, July 1945
Truman meets with Stalin (USSR) and Atlee (Britain)
Near Berlin.
To work out a deal on Germany
Truman believed the German economy would have to recover or the rest of Europe would never recover.
German people might turn to communism.
Stalin and his advisors needed reparations from Germany.
Meanwhile….
Russians were stripping their zone in Germany of its machinery and industrial equipment for use back home.

13. War Reparations Stalin demanded Germany pay heavy reparations.
Truman agreed but he insisted payments be based on Germany’s ability to pay.
Both agreed that trade goods and products could be used instead of cash.

14. Potsdam Truman took a firm stand against heavy reparations.
Germany should be allowed to recover.
Truman suggested that the Soviets take reparations from only their zone.
Stalin didn’t like Truman’s proposal
Soviet zone was mostly agricultural.

15. Deal or No Deal?
Truman offered Stalin a small amount of German industrial equipment from the other zones but required the Soviets pay for part of it with food shipments from their zone.
Stalin didn’t like Truman’s proposal.
Truman told Stalin about test of the atomic bomb.
Stalin thought Americans were trying to keep the Soviets weak.
No way!

16. The Iron Curtain “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.” Winston Churchill
The nations of Eastern Europe and the Eastern part of Germany became satellite states of the Soviet Union
Separated from the free world by an “iron curtain”
Occupation of the Soviet army in Eastern Europe ensured pro-Soviet Communist governments would be established in:
Poland
Romania
Bulgaria
Hungary
Czechoslovakia

17. Containment
After the Big Three split at Potsdam, the Cold War struggle between the world’s two superpowers began.
Containing communist expansion became the United States’ top priority.

18. Truman Doctrine 1947: British help Greek government
fight communist guerrillas
They appealed to America for aid,
and the response was the Truman
Doctrine.
America promised it would support free countries to help fight communism.
Greece received large amounts of
arms and supplies, and by 1949 had
defeated the communists.
The Truman Doctrine was significant
because it showed that America, the
most powerful democratic country, was
prepared to resist the spread of
communism throughout the world.
Truman began shaping foreign policy based on his priority to contain Soviet expansion

19. In 1947, US Secretary of State Marshall announced the Marshall Plan.
This was a massive economic aid plan for Western Europe to help it recover from the damage caused by the war.
There were two motives for this:
Helping Western Europe to recover economically would provide markets for American goods, so benefiting American industry.
A prosperous Western Europe would be better able to resist the spread of communism. This was probably the main motive.
Marshall Plan
Secretary of State George Marshall.

20. The Marshall Plan: The US sent about $13 billon to Western Europe under the Marshall Plan
The Money provided food, fuel, and raw materials to help rebuild war-torn cities and towns