1. 1945: The good ole days?

2. The Real picture: the distrust and differences were evident in 1945!

7. It is worth remembering that in Britain and the USA Stalin appeared to be just as much a villain as Hitler.
The USSR was still isolated as the world’s only communist country.
The turmoil of the Purges and Stalin’s reputation.
In August 1939 Soviet leader Stalin signed a Non- Aggression Pact with German leader, Adolf Hitler.
In September 1939 Hitler and Stalin both attacked Poland and divided the country up between them.
In November 1939 the USSR attacked Finland.
In June-July 1940 the USSR invaded and took control of Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia.

10. In November 1939 the USSR attacked Finland

11. In June‐July 1940 the USSR invaded and took control of Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia.
In 1940 Britain was the only European country at war with Germany and Italy.

12. But in June 1941 everything changed
But in June 1941 everything changed. Hitler turned on Stalin and invaded the USSR. The decisive conflict of World War 2 began, which Stalin won, but at a terrible cost.

15. Click to hear an excerpt from the speech
“From Stettin in the Baltic, to Trieste in the Adriatic – an Iron Curtain has descended”
Click to hear an excerpt from the speech