Download File

Powerpoint Templates
The Origins and Early Years
of the Cold War
Powerpoint Templates
The Cold War
Powerpoint Templates
• Definition
– The Cold War is a term used to describe the
time period following WWII, in which a political
hostility existed between the Soviet Union and
the United States led Western powers. (19451990)
The Yalta Conference
Powerpoint Templates
• February 1945
– Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin met at Soviet
resort
– Met to plan post-war world
– Agreements made play
an important role in
the Cold War
The Yalta Conference
Powerpoint Templates
• Poland
– Poland was first item discussed
– Soviet liberators in WWII had set up
communist government
– FDR and Churchill said people should get
choice of governments.
– Stalin argued that neighbor governments
needed to be friendly to Soviet Union
– FDR and Churchill finally allowed
Communist government to remain in
power
– Stalin agreed that the government would
include members of the pre-war Polish
government, and free elections would be
held as soon as possible
The Yalta Conference
Powerpoint Templates
• The Declaration of
Liberated Europe
– Asserted the right of all
people to choose the
form of government
under which they would
live
– Allies agreed that the
people would be allowed
to “create democratic
institutions of their own
choice”
The Yalta Conference
Powerpoint Templates
• Dividing Germany
– Big Three agreed to divide
Germany into four zones
• Great Britain, USA, Soviet Union,
and France would each control one
zone
– The German capital of Berlin
would also be broken into four
zones, also controlled by these
four countries
• Berlin was located in the middle of
the Soviet zone of Germany
Tensions Begin to Rise
Powerpoint Templates
• Soviet violation of Yalta
promises
– Two weeks after Yalta, Soviets
pressured king of Romania to
appoint a communist government
– Refused to allow more than three
non-Communist Poles to serve on
18 member Polish government
– United States accused Soviet
Union and Stalin of violating
Declaration of Liberated Europe,
and promises made
Truman Takes Control
Powerpoint Templates
• Truman becomes president
when FDR dies in April 1945
• Strongly anti-Communist
• Felt that WWII had been
caused by appeasement of
Hitler
– Refused to make the same
mistake with Stalin
– Ten days after taking office
demanded that Stalin hold
free elections in Poland, as
he had promised at Yalta
– Marked an important shift
in Soviet-American
relations
The Potsdam Conference
Powerpoint Templates
• Goal of meeting was to work out deal on
• Stalin wanted Germany to pay heavy
Germany
reparations- had already started stripping their
zone of machinery and equipment and sending
to USSR
• Truman insisted that heavy reparations had
caused WWII- felt that German industry MUST
be allowed to recover
– Suggested that Soviets use material from their
zone (which was mainly agricultural)
• When Soviets refuse, Truman offers a little bit of
machinery from other zones
• Truman also confronts Soviets about A-Bomb
testing- hints US has bigger weapon
• Stalin reluctantly agrees to terms- unable to get
reparations they wanted
Failures of Potsdam
Powerpoint Templates
• Soviets refuse to uphold
the Declaration of
Liberated Europe
• Pro-Soviet Communist
governments will be set
up in much of eastern
Europe
– Become known as
satellite nations because
they were controlled by
the Soviets live orbiting
satellites
• Winston Churchill coins
the term Iron Curtain in
1946 speech
Containment of Communism
Powerpoint Templates
• American diplomat in Russia
sends explanation of what he
sees as the reasons for Soviet
behavior (Long Telegram)
– Claims soviets are afraid of west
– Argues that it is impossible to reach
a permanent settlement
• Suggests that Americans focus
on containment: stopping
expansion of Russian
communism to other countries
The Truman Doctrine
Powerpoint Templates
• Continued aggression by Soviets in Iran, the
Dardanelles, and Greece in 1946 prompts
president Truman to go before Congress
– Requests $400 Million to fight Communist aggression
around the world
– Becomes known as the Truman Doctrine
• Goal was to “free peoples who are resisting
attempted subjugation by armed minorities or
outside forces”
• Pledged the United States to fight the spread of
Communism
The Marshall Plan
Powerpoint Templates
• European Recovery
Program- aka “The
Marshall Plan”
– Pumped US money into
European countries to help
rebuild their economies
– Pushed capitalism, and
weakened the appeal of
Communism
– Further divided
Communist and nonCommunist nations
Powerpoint
Templates
The Berlin Air
Lift
• To combat Soviet influence in
Germany, the US, France, and
Great Britain decide to merge
their zones, creating West
Germany
– Also combined their zones within Berlin
– Soviets were still arguing for reparations from Germany, and the
combinations of the zones made them realize they would never get
them
– In late June 1948, Soviet troops cut off all road and railroad traffic to
West Berlin
• Wanted the US to either change policies or abandon West Berlin
– Instead of provoking war by sending troops in, Truman ordered the
air force to fly supplies into Berlin
– The Berlin Air Lift began in June 1948 and lasted through spring of
1949- Stalin lifts blockade on May 12, 1949