1. THE COLD WAR 1947 - 1991

2. Postwar Conferences  Yalta Conference- February 1945 (V-E Day not until May 1945)  Big Three met (Stalin, FDR, Churchill) to discuss post-war Europe.  Agreed to temporarily divide Germany into four zones. (USSR, US, GB and France)  USSR would allow free elections in Poland  Potsdam Conference-  Different Big Three met (Stalin, Truman, Attlee)  Discussed how they would divide Germany and USSR entrance into the war against Japan

4. Origins of the Cold War  The Cold War lasted from the end of World War II until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989.  Cold War: competition between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) for power; both tried to influence Europe

5. US and the USSR had different ideals. United StatesSoviet Union Political system Democratic governmentTotalitarian government Economic system Capitalism (Free market) Capitalism: economic system in which the factors of production are owned individually; different social classes exist Communist (socialist) Communism: economic system in which property is owned communally; no social classes Why were they angry with each other? 1. US dislikes/Fears Communism 2. USSR dropped out of First World War 3. USSR signed a pact with Hitler (Nonaggression Pact) 1.Allies waited to invade Germany in World War II 2.took the US 17 years to recognize the Soviet government 3.USSR not invited to Peace Conferences in World War I 4.US did not tell the Soviets about the atomic bomb

6. Events of the Cold War 1945: Truman is president  Containment: keep communism in the areas where it already exists, do not allow communism to spread  Truman Doctrine (1947) - support democracies in Europe to help contain communism  give economic and military aid to Turkey and Greece ($400 million)  1947-1950: $660 million to European countries

7. More Events of the Cold War  Marshall Plan (April 1948): US gives $$ to European Countries to help them recover from WWII and to keep communism out (improve European economies)  Development of Competing Alliance  Europe is divided NATO (1949) North Atlantic Treaty Org. The Warsaw Pact (1955) US & Western Europe promise common defense If one is attacked, all are attacked USSR & Eastern Europe promised common defense (Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union)

8. The Cold War Changes  USSR exploded a nuclear device (1949)  US is not the only one with the bomb  new threat of a nuclear war that would destroy both countries  China became communist (1949)  Civil war between Mao Zedong (Communist) and Chiang Kai-Shek (supported by capitalists) ended; capitalist Chinese flee to Taiwan  increased American fears of communist domination of most of the world, however…  China and the Soviet Union became rivals, not allies

9. The Cold War Changes  North Korea (com) invaded South Korea (cap) (1950)  Why did the US get involved? – to contain communism  American troops in a United Nations led force, attacked North Korea  Chinese troops entered on the side of North Korea  War could have become World War III  Eventually ended with a stalemate  Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes president (1953)  New policy of “massive retaliation” to deter any nuclear strike by the Soviets.