1. The Cold War Era (1946 – 1960)
USII.15, USII.18, USII.19

2. Yalta and Potsdam Conferences
Lesson #1
USII.15
American Vision Ch. 26, Sect. 1

3. Class Objectives Students will be able to:
Summarize the outcomes of the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences
Explain how the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences contributed to the start of the Cold War

4. Cold War Era
After WW2, the United States and the Soviet Union became more hostile towards each other
This time period (1946 – 1990) is known as the
____________________
We will focus on the years 1946 – 1960 for this unit

5. Yalta Conference
Feb. 1945: FDR, Churchill, and Stalin met in Yalta to plan the postwar world
Poland would have a __________________________ government set up by the Soviet Union but include non- Communists and have free elections
All liberated people of Europe ____________________________________________ (Declaration of Liberated Europe)
Germany would be divided into _______________ zones
U.S., France, Britain, and the Soviet Union would each control one zone
Germany would pay reparations to the Soviet Union in the form of trade goods and products
____________________________________ would be divided into zones as well even though it was in the Soviet zone

8. Potsdam Conference
July 1945: Truman, Clement Attlee (new Prime Minister of Great Britain), and Stalin met in Potsdam to discuss ________________________________________
Truman felt Germany’s economy should be allowed to recover, therefore did not want them to have to pay heavy reparations
He wanted to avoid Germans turning to ________________
Stalin wanted more reparations and industrial equipment (as their zone was mostly agricultural/farming)
Truman allowed the Soviets to take more industrial equipment from other zones in Germany for reparations in exchange for food shipments from the Soviet- controlled zone

10. Yalta & Potsdam Increase Tensions Between the US & the Soviet Union
Soviet Union forced the King of Romania to appoint a Communist government
Violated
Soviets refused to allow more than 3 non-Communists in the Polish government
Arguments over reparations from Germany
Stalin did not like Truman’s proposal
Truman mentioned the successful atomic bomb test
Stalin felt Truman was trying to bully him into accepting the deal

11. The Iron Curtain
The presence of the Soviet army in Eastern Europe forced Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia to form Communist and Soviet-friendly governments
These were called ___________________________________________________ because they were not under direct Soviet control
March 5, 1946: Winston Churchill stated that “an ____________________________________________ has descended across the continent,” separating __________________________________________ from the West

14. Class/Homework Assignment
Complete the “Causes of the Cold War” summarizer