The Cold War begins 1945 Key issues: Why did the wartime alliances fall apart? What were the major points of difference The importance of Yalta and Potsdam conferences The roles of Stalin and Truman

The chronology and narrative  Major point: The USSR lost around 25 million people in WW2  Stalin was determined to make the USSR secure in the future  By contrast GB lost around 390,000 and the USA lost 495,000 people.  KEEP THIS IN MIND

Comparison Casualties WWII  Soviet Union 25,568,000 China 11,324,000  Germany 7,060,000  Poland 6,850,000  Japan 1,806,000  France 810,000  USA 495,000  Italy 410,000  Great Britain 388,000  TOTAL 59,000,000 Casualties WWI  Germany 1,800,000  Soviet Union 1,700,000 France 1,385,000  Great Britain 947,000  Japan 800,000  Italy 460,000  USA 137,000  TOTAL 11,000,000

The rise of the superpowers  Before WW2 there were a number of countries which could have claimed to be superpowers – USA, USSR,GB, France, Japan, Germany.  The damage caused by the war to these countries left only two countries with the military strength and resources to be called superpowers….USA and USSR.

What they believed  Don’t forget USA was capitalist and USSR was communism  They were complete opposites  They had allied against Fascism (WWII) ….. Now the common enemy had been defeated the reason for co- operation was gone  Differences soon emerged

Europe at the end of WW2  After the war who would lead the countries and form new governments?  The USSR favoured the communist groups, the USA favoured the non- communists

TASK  Two conferences were held in 1945 at Yalta and Potsdam  The aim was to discuss the future and to create the UN for peacekeeping Churchill (England), Roosevelt (US), Stalin(USSR) below at Yalta

Potsdam  Atlee (England), Truman (US), Stalin (USSR) Wanted Japan to surrender unconditionally

What to do with Germany’s leaders after the war?  Nuremberg Trials  Persecute leaders and war criminals after the war  ?v=xcudlm6tPa0 ?v=xcudlm6tPa0

Truman Doctrine  Examples would be Greece and Turkey which would be the cause of tension between the superpowers  How do you think the US convinced these nations not to become communist nations?

What would happen to the occupied countries after liberation, especially those of Eastern Europe?

How to end the war with Japan? (Soviet and US invasion)Create a timeline of events on your paper  1945 (July 26) Potsdam-ultimatum demanding Japan surrender unconditionally or face destruction (Japan will not)  Aug Bomb dropped on Hiroshima  Aug 8 Japanese ignore Russian warning - Russia declares war on Japan - attacks Japanese forces in China. (For years the Russians claimed the reason the Japanese surrendered was that Russia had entered the war with Japan for the first time.)  Aug 8 warned of another bomb to be dropped  Aug Bomb dropped on Nagasaki  August 15, 1945 Japanese surrender (VJ Day)

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How to build a lasting peace? The United Nations  The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.

The UN has 4 main purposes 1.To keep peace throughout the world; 2.To develop friendly relations among nations; 3.To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms; 4.To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals