1. Aim: How Did the Cold War Begin?

2. I The U.S. and USSR Became Allies 1941 - 1945
A) 1939 the US condemned Stalin’s occupation of Poland.
B) To secure the defeat of Nazi Germany, the USSR and US formed an alliance 1941–1945.
After Hitler broke the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact in June 1941, the US sent Lend-Lease aid to the USSR. (Lend-Lease was aid the US sent to the allies). Stalin left the Axis powers and joined the Allies.

3. I The Yalta Conference 1945
Churchill (Britain), FDR (U.S.), and Stalin (USSR) met towards the end of WWII. They agreed to:
1. Unconditional surrender of Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, Japan)
2. Russia would declare war on Japan after Germany surrendered
3. To replace the ineffective League of Nations with the United Nations to be headed by Britain, US, USSR, China, and France.
4. Divide Austria, Germany, and Berlin into 4 zones of Allied occupation.
5. Self Determination (right to choose democracy or communist) for Eastern European Countries: Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, & Bulgaria. Stalin agreed to this as long as he could have part of Poland.

4. This was FDR’s last meeting. He died in April.
The Yalta Conference, 1945
This was FDR’s last meeting. He died in April.

5. II The Potsdam Conference 1945
The Potsdam Conference was Lead by U.S. President Harry S. Truman, Churchill (replaced by Clement Attlee), and Stalin. There were arguments about the boundaries of the German occupation zones, and how much reparations Germany should pay. Truman was upset at Stalin for the rise of communism in Eastern Europe. But the Potsdam Leaders agreed to:
1. ‘Potsdam Declaration’ warned Japan to unconditionally surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction”.
2. Punish German war criminals.

6. Churchill, Truman, & Stalin
Potsdam Conference, 1945
Churchill, Truman, & Stalin

7. III Creation of the UN
A replacement for the ineffective League of Nations, the United Nations was established October 1945 after WWII ended with the aim of preventing another such conflict.

8. The UN General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. All 193 Member States have 1 vote. Decisions on peace and security require a 2/3 majority. Decisions on other questions are by simple majority.

9. The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Located in the Hague (Netherlands).

10. The UN Security Council
The UN Security Council maintains international peace and security. The 5 permanent members are the US, Britain, Russia, China, and France. The 10 non-permanent members are elected for 2 year terms by the General Assembly.
The 10 Non-Permanent Members as of 2018
Bolivia
Côte d’Ivoire
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Netherlands
Peru
Poland
Sweden

11. The Secretariat comprises the Secretary-General thousands of UN staff
The Secretariat comprises the Secretary-General thousands of UN staff. The Secretary-General is chief administrative officer of the UN.

12. IV Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg trials were a series of 13 trials held in Nuremberg, Germany Hitler and two of his top associates, Heinrich Himmler and Joseph Goebbels had each committed suicide in the spring of 1945 before they could be brought to trial. 24 individuals were indicted, along with 6 Nazi organizations (such as the Gestapo secret state police). All but 3 of the defendants were found guilty. 12 were sentenced to death, one in absentia, and the rest were given prison sentences. Hermann Göring committed suicide the night before his execution. B) The Nuremberg Trials led directly to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
“Operation Paper Clip”: The US Government brought 88 Nazi scientists to the US during the Cold War.

13. Defendants at the Nuremberg Trials

14. V International Military Tribunals for the Far East 1948
A) In Tokyo, Japan, the International Military Tribunals for the Far East put 28 Japanese military and government officials on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity during WWII. B) November 4, 1948, the trial ended with 25 of 28 Japanese defendants found guilty. General Hideki Tojo, who served as Japanese premier during the war, and Iwane Matsui, who organized the Rape of Nanking, were 2 of the 7 put to death December 23, 1948.

15. General Hideki Tojo taking the stand during the Tokyo Trials in Japan

16. V The Cold War Begins! US USSR
A) The tension and rivalry between the US and the USSR was described as the Cold War ( ). The US and USSR did not directly fight each other, but indirectly.
B) The US and USSR were the two world Superpowers post WWII. US
USSR
Government: Democratic-Republic Economy: Capitalist. Government had little role in economic decisions. Society: Constitution protects freedom of speech & religion
Government: Dictatorship Economy: Communist. Government controlled all economic decisions. Society: Limited personal freedom

17. “From Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lies the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern Europe.” - Sir Winston Churchill, 1946

18. Summary Questions
What was the Cold War? Why was there tension between the US and USSR?
Why did the US and USSR work together between 1941 – 1945?
What were the goals and outcomes of the Yalta Conference? The Potsdam Conference?
What is the purpose of the UN? Describe the key branches (UN Security Council, General Assembly, International Court of Justice, Secretariat).
Do you think that the permanent members of the UN Security Council be changed today?
What were the Nuremberg Trials? Was justice served?

19. Key Vocabulary
Cold War General Assembly International Court of Justice at the Hague Operation Paper Clip Potsdam Conference Truman Doctrine United Nations UN Secretariat UN Security Council Yalta Conference