1. With Germany in Between

2. Allies Become Enemies  There was always tension between capitalists Americans and the communists Soviets during WWII.  This was due to the non-aggression pact with Hitler and lack of Soviet involvement in the war.  In 1945 at the Yalta Conference, the Soviets, British and Americans met to divide up Germany.

3. Allies Become Enemies  At the same conference Stalin agreed to enter the war against Japan.  Stalin also promised that eastern European countries taken by the USSR in the war would have free elections.  Also in 1945 both the U.S. and Soviet Union joined the United Nations.

4. Allies Become Enemies  The U.N. became the descendent of the League of Nations based in New York City.  Each country had its own ideas how to rebuild its countries.  The U.S. lost about 400,000 people while the USSR lost 1 out of 4 and many of its factories.

6. Eastern Europe’s Iron Curtain  One of the goals of the Soviet Union was to protect itself from invasion.  After Yalta Stalin created communist states in seven European countries to act as a buffer.  Europe became divided by what Churchill called the “Iron Curtain”.

8. U.S. Tries Containment  President Truman adopted the new foreign policy of containment to stop the spread communism.  He also created the Truman Doctrine.  This plan was that the U.S. would stop the rise of communism in any new countries.

9. U.S. Tries Containment  To help Europe rebuild U.S. Sec. of State George Marshall offered that the U.S. give aid to those countries.  This became known as the Marshall Plan.  European nations received $12.5 Billion.

11. U.S. Tries Containment  Not only did Europe become divided but so did Germany itself.  The Soviets didn’t want to give up their claim to East Germany in order to keep them weak.  Eventually Germany was divided into four parts, one for U.S., France, Britain and Soviet Union.

13. U.S. Tries Containment  Berlin the capital of Germany was also divided into four parts.  Stalin cut off all services past the city limits.  In response the U.S. air lifted supplies into West Berlin.  Eventually the Berlin Wall was built to divide the city.

16. Cold War Divides the World  Each side started to make alliances as tensions grew.  In 1949 NATO was formed with the U.S., Canada and 10 European nations.  In response in 1955 the Warsaw Pact was formed between the Soviets and 7 Eastern European nations.  Countries that weren’t aligned with either the USSR or U.S. were part of the “Third World”.

18. Cold War Divides the World  As these alliances were formed, nuclear arms began to build up.  In 1949 the Soviets detonated their first Atomic Bomb.  In 1953 the U.S. declared that if the Soviets or any affiliated country would attack the U.S. they would retaliate.  This declaration became known as brinkmanship or the willingness to go to the brink of war.

20. Reflection Time!  How is Germany handled differently after WWII than WWI?  Why do the two former allies, the U.S. and the Soviet Union go separate ways after WWII?  How did these events show the political tension during the beginning of the Cold War?