1. What do you know about the
Do Now
What do you know about the
Cold War?
Why was it called this?

2. The Cold War
A struggle over political and economic differences between the Soviet Union and the United States carried on throughout the world by means just short of direct military action or war.

3. 1945 …End of WW II Wartime cooperation between the
U.S. and the Soviet Union
had been a temporary arrangement.
As wartime allies, the Soviets disagreed bitterly with their American and British partners over battle tactics and postwar plans.

4. The Creation of Superpowers
Before WWII
Many countries could claim to be superpowers
USA, USSR, Britain, France, Japan, Germany
After WWII
War damages left only two countries with military strength and resources to be called superpowers:
USA & USSR

5. Causes of the Cold War: BEAR
Beliefs – Communism vs. Democracy/Capitalism
Events – Yalta, Potsdam, Iron Curtain Speech, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan…
Aims – (post-war goals)
Stalin wanted reparations and a buffer zone
U.S. wanted strong trading partners and strong opponents to the spread of communism
Resentments – (lack of trust)
U.S./Britain didn’t tell Soviets about A-Bomb until it was about to be used
Soviets resented slow opening of 2nd front by Allied Forces
Stalin believed the Allies wanted to use WW II to drain Soviets of power
Soviets lost 20 million in WWII, Britain lost 400,000, U.S. lost 300,000

6. U.S.A. vs. USSR U.S. USSR Encourage Democracy
Gain access to markets and raw materials
Rebuild European Governments
Re-unite Germany to increase European Security and re-build a trading partner
Encourage Communism
Rebuild Eastern Europe
Control Eastern Europe and counter U.S. influence
Keep Germany divided and weak

7. The Two Sides of the Cold War
Insert Cartoon

8. The Yalta Conference –Feb. 1945
Conference at Yalta - February 1945 – near the end of WW II; just before FDR’s death.

9. The Yalta Conference
Divide and occupy Germany: America, France, Britain and Russia
Stalin demands Germany pay $10 billion in war damages
Rejected by FDR and Churchill
Russia declares war on Japan
Dispute over Poland

11. The Potsdam Conference – July 1945 (after Germany is defeated)
Stalin wants a buffer to prevent future western invasions
Buffer countries
Truman urges Stalin to allow democratic government in Eastern Europe*
Refuses
“Communism and Capitalism can’t coexist”

12. Satellite Nations
Region between Germany & Russia formed w/the assistance of the UN after end of WWII
Stalin took these regions over and operated them under communist goals.
This is the region that Churchill refers to in his “Iron Curtain speech”.

13. What is the Iron Curtain?
“…an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent.“
Winston Churchill
The boundary separating the Communist nations of Eastern Europe from the mostly democratic nations of Western Europe