1. Yalta Conference New United Nations peacekeeping organization Divided Germany Free elections in several Eastern European nations Potsdam Conference Met for 17 days Discussed post-war resolutions Yalta

2. Soviet Union enters the war Japan surrenders aboard USS Missouri, September 2, 1945 Postwar Soviet Union Competition between U.S. and Soviet Union Cold War begins

3. U.S. develops atomic and hydrogen bombs Soviets do the same Explode atomic bomb in 1949 Explode hydrogen bomb in 1953 What is a Cold War?

4. Communism puts needs of state over needs of individual Capitalism puts individual needs first Both profess to guarantee the best way of life Increased competition between the two superpowers Adam Smith Karl Marx

5. Plan to stop spread of communism Truman Doctrine March 12, 1947 President asks Congress for $400 million to assist Greece and Turkey “ It must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. ” — Harry S Truman Harry S Truman

6. Marshall Plan Named after U.S. Secretary of State Established in June 1947 Substantial U.S. aid to any nation resisting communism Impacted 16 nations $12.5 billion in economic assistance Considered a spectacular success George Marshall

7. June 1948 Soviet leader Stalin shuts down delivery of supplies to West Berlin U.S. and British respond by airlifting supplies for almost one year Soviets back down

8. Soviet leader from 1922-1953 Led U.S.S.R. during early phase of the Cold War Brutal dictator, killed millions of his own people His successor, Khrushchev, denounced his politics

9. Constructed by East Germans in 1961 Separated the capitalist West from the communist East Prevented escapes to the West

10. Military alliance created in 1949 12 nations including the U.S. and Canada Strongest alliance in history Expands to 15 members by 1955 Critics said the purpose of NATO was: “ to keep the Russians out, the Germans down, and the Americans in. ”

11. Soviet response to NATO Made up of Eastern European countries A partial response to West Germany joining NATO Soviet perspective Attacked numerous times by Germany in two world wars Distrusted global ambitions of the U.S. and Great Britain

12. single click speaker to hear audio clip >>>>> “ It is my duty however, for I am sure you would wish me to state the facts as I see them to you. It is my duty to place before you certain facts about the present position in Europe. From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere … ” — Winston Churchill

13. Communists vs. Nationalists Mao Zedong, communist leader Chiang Kai-shek, nationalist leader Soviets supported communists U.S. supported nationalists The Communists were victorious Mao Zedong Chiang Kai-shek