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The Cold War: 1945-1991
Origins
Cold War Timeline

Lasted roughly from the end of World War II
(1945) until the collapse of communism in
the Soviet Union (1991)
Combatants

United States of America and the Soviet
Union.
This conflict divided the world between the
two Superpowers, resulted in a dramatic
arms race, and led to numerous violent
conflicts around the world. However, the
Cold War is also a period of economic
change around the globe, as nations
aligned themselves with the superpowers.
A large part of the Cold War was
nations aligning themselves
economically with either the U.S.
or the Soviet Union. Capitalism,
or a Market Economy and
Communism, or a Command
Economy came to dominate
global economics. The conflict
became about which system
better provided for the people.
Atlantic Charter

August 1941

Placentia Bay, NL

Roosevelt & Churchill

Peace without expansion or secret
agreements

Free elections / self determination for
liberated nations
Tehran Conference

November 1943

Iranian capital, Tehran

“The Big Three” (Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin)
Tehran Conference

Churchill proposed attacking Germany through the
Balkans

Decision was reached to eventually attack through
northern France…..D-DAY

This decision would result in a divided Europe at wars’
end ------East vs. West
YALTA (in the USSR)
Date: Feb 1945
Present: Churchill,
Roosevelt and Stalin
Yalta Conference

February 1945

Black Sea resort

“The Big Three”(Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin)

By this time the Soviets had liberated most of E. Europe

W. Europe was being liberated by USA/British
Yalta ConferenceAgreements:
Germany was not yet defeated, so, although there were
tensions about Poland, the big three - Stalin, Roosevelt
and Churchill - managed to:
1)
agree to split Germany into four zones of occupation,
and to allow free elections in Eastern European
countries.
2)
Russia was invited to join the United Nations, and
3)
Russia promised to join the war against Japan when
Germany was defeated.
Compromise agreement – eastern European govts. were to
be freely elected but pro-Russian.
POTSDAM (Germany)
Date: July 1945
Present: Churchill,
Truman and Stalin
Potsdam ConferenceMain
Achievements:
July 1945


Truman, Churchill, Stalin

US wanted Demilitarization, democratization, Denazification

US demanded free elections in E. Europe

Stalin disagreed… Free elections would bring hostile govts to E. Europe



Stalin thought that communist states would be the best allies against an
attack
he wanted control of this area to act as a ‘buffer zone’ against a future
invasion
Truman did not tell Stalin that the US had the atomic bomb
West versus East
Read through the second section of the
Origins of the Cold War ……West vs East
West versus East
Briefly explain the significance of:
 Iron Curtain
 Truman Doctrine
 Marshall Plan
 Berlin Airlift
 Korean War
 NATO
 Warsaw Pact