I. The Crumbling Alliance A. Growing Differences 1. During WWII, USSR and western nations cooperated to defeat Nazi Germany
1. Conflict ideologies + mutual mistrust = Cold War 2. Cold War – state of tension and hostility among nations without armed conflict between the major rivals
B. Origins of the Cold War 1. Stalin – 2 goals in Eastern Europe: a. Spread communism b. Create a buffer zone of friendly govts. As defense against Germany
2. FDR + Churchill made Stalin promise to allow free elections in Eastern Europe, but he ignored his pledge C. “An Iron Curtain” 1. March 1946 – Churchill gave a speech in Fulton, Missouri – coined the term “iron curtain”
a. became a symbol of the Cold War – expressed growing fear of communism b. Described division of Europe into “eastern” and “western” bloc 1. East = communist, Soviet Dominated 2. West = western democracies, U.S. dominated