1. Clashing Goals…
Soviets and Americans had two very different world perspectives…

2. The Soviet Union planned to rebuild the world in ways which protected their national security
After losing millions during the war and having its land war-torn for years,

3. This meant the creation of “satellite nations” on its western border
These are countries subject to Soviet domination
They would be friendly to Communist goals

4. It also refused to cooperate with new international agencies
like the World Food Bank and International Monetary Fund
These agencies were installed to build strong, capitalist economies
Instead, Stalin wanted no one else in his country…
And he supported totalitarian Communist governments in Eastern Europe

5. In contrast, America fought to bring democracy and economic opportunity…
To the conquered nations of Europe and Asia

6. Americans wanted an economically strong world
less prone to totalitarian dictatorships and
friendly to American trade

7. The Soviets Hold Strong
To follow through with its plans …the Soviet Union installed “false” governments and tightened its grip on its satellites:
They didn’t give Poland their elections like promised until 2 two years later (by the time they had eliminated any political opposition
In Albania—communist guerrilla forces had driven out all anti-communist leadership
They also took Bulgaria
The Georgia–Russia crisis is a current and ongoing international crisis between Georgia and Russia that escalated in 2008, when both countries accused each other of military buildup near the separatist regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Soviet troops demanded control of the police in Hungary….with which they arrested any anti-communists
Stalin established a brutal totalitarian government in Germany (never wanted Germans to threaten him again)
In 1949, under the Communist government, the country became known as the German Democratic Republic
Finland was a little more free (signed treaty of cooperation in 1948) (had to be neutral in foreign affairs)
Yugoslavia had problems with Tito (independent dictator who didn’t listen to Stalin and did his own brand of communism free of Soviet interference
Albania
Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia
Hungary
Romania
East Germany
Finland
Yugoslavia

8. In 1946, Stalin publicly proclaimed that Communism would triumph over capitalism
But also realized the Soviets were not yet strong enough to directly confront the U.S.
He did work to establish Cominform—a Soviet agency intended to direct the activities of Communist parties throughout the wd

9. Western leaders spoke out on the issue:
“From…the Baltic to…the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of…Central and Eastern Europe…This is certainly not the Liberated Europe we fought to build up. Nor is it one which contains the essentials of permanent peace.”
Winston Churchill was defeated by Clement Attlee in elections, but still spoke out against Stalin’s actions
The words of Winston Churchill

10. Americans were called to keep Stalin from closing the iron curtain of Communist domination and oppression around any more nations
This speech by Stalin and the speech by Churchill set the tone for the cold war

11. Thus set the tone for what became the Cold War:
Competition that developed between the U.S. and S.U. for power and influence in the world
this will last for almost 50 years, until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991
Characterized era of political, economic, and militartension
Rivalry stopped just short of a direct military engagement between the 2 countries
But, the US military would engage in combat in other Soviet supported uprisings and invasions in efforts to defeat Soviet-s