1. Communism and The Cold War: An Overview
Mrs. Dupuis
S.S. 221

3. The Cold War: Roots of the Conflict
Soviet Expansion:
· The Soviet Union occupied most of Eastern Europe by the end of World War II.

4. In 1946, Winston Churchill correctly warned that the Soviets were creating an “iron curtain” in Eastern Europe
Winston Churchill giving the “Iron Curtain” address at Westminster College on March 5, 1946****

5. After World War 2 the Cold War began and caused tension throughout the world.
The USA and the USSR were the two world Superpowers.
The USA was a capitalist society with a democracy.
The USSR was a communist country with a dictatorship.
Both wanted to be the most powerful nation in the world.

6. Nuclear tensions
The USA had shown its atomic power when it exploded the A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War 2.
The USSR was also developing atomic weapons/bombs.
The USA and the USSR were in competition with each other to have the best, most powerful weapons in the world – this was called the Arms Race.

7. Cold War?
The tension and rivalry between the USA and the USSR was described as the Cold War ( ).
There was never a traditional war between the two sides between 1945 and 1990, but they were often very close to war (Hotspots). Both sides got involved in other conflicts in the world to either stop the spread of communism (USA) or help the spread (USSR).

9. Government created video for students about Communism
Who is afraid of the Communists video?