In February 1945 as it was

clear that Germany was losing the European war, the allied leaders met at Yata in the Ukraine to plan what would happen to Europe after Germanys defeat.

Stalin, Roosevelt

and Churchill agreed on some important matters:

 Stalin agreed to enter the war

against Japan once Germany had surrendered.

They agreed that Germany would be

divided into four zones: American, French, British and Soviet.

Berlin would also be divided into

four zone.

 Horrors of the Nazi

concentration camps were revealed. They agreed to hunt down and punish war criminals who were responsible for the genocide.

Countries would be allowed to

hold free elections to choose the government they wanted.

 They agreed to join the new United

Nations Organisation, which would aim to keep peace after the war.
An estimated 20 million Soviet people

had died. Stalin was concerned about the future security of the USSR. They agreed that eastern Europe should be seen as a Soviet sphere of influence.

 Perhaps

you think that just because we are the allies of the English we have forgotten who they are and who Churchill is. Theres nothing they like better than to trick their allies. During the First World War they constantly tricked the Russians and the French. And Churchill? Is the kind of man who will pick your pocket of a kopeck! And Roosevelt? Is not like that. He dips in his hand only for bigger coins.

Stalin speaking to a fellow Communist.

 Stalins armies were occupying

most eastern Europe.

He had set up a Communist

government in Poland, ignoring the wishes of the majority of Poles. Britain and the USA protested, but he defended his action.

He insisted that his

control of eastern Europe was a defensive measure against possible attacks.

America had a new president.

In 1945, Presidet Roosevelt died. He was then replaced by his Vice-President, Harry Truman. He was a very different man from Roosevelt. He was much more anti-Communist and was very suspicious of Stalin. He saw Soviet actions in eastern Europe as preparations for a Soviet take-over of the rest of Europe.

THE COLD WAR

 By 1946 the wartime friendship between

the Allies had broken down. It had been replaced by suspicion and acucusation.

The distrust between the USA and the

USSR (The Union of Soviet Socialist Republic) was soon so great that leaders were talking in public about the threat of war between the two countries. After the war, the two sides increased their stock of weapons.

 Each side took every opportunity to

denounce the policies or plans of the other.

A propaganda war develop. In this atmosphere of tension and

recrimination, people began to talk about a Cold War. would dominate relations between the countries for much of that time.

This war was going to last for 30 years and

Why was the

USA so worried about Communism?

 The USA and the USSR had little in

common as countries and their leaders had different beliefs and ideas. Americans trusted Communists less than Nazis.

The USA had been appalled when

Stalin signed his pact with Hitler in 1939. The Americans had not sent troops to help him hold back Hitler in the Soviet Union.

Differences between the USA and the USSR:

It was a democracy. It

government was chosen in free democratic elections.

It was capitalist. Business

and property were privately owned.

It was the worlds

wealthiest country. But, as in most capitalist countries, there were extremes, some great wealth and great poverty as well.

For Americans, being free

of control by the government was more important than everyone being equal.

Many Americans

were opposed to Communism.

It was a Communist state. It was a one-party

dictatorship. Elections were held, but all candidates belonged to the Communist Party.

 It was an economic superpower

because its industry had grown rapdly in the 1920s and 1930s, but the general standar of living in the USSR was much lower than in the USA. Even so, unemployment was rarer and extreme poverty was rarer than in the USA.

For Communists, the

rights of individuals were seen as less important than the good societyas a whole. So individuals lives were tightly controlled.

Every Communist

action would meet an American reaction.

THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE

President Truman

speaking on 12 March 1947, explaining his decision to help other countries:

 I believe that it must be the policy

of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining those freedoms. If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world.

Under the Truman Doctrine,

the USA was prepared to send money, equipment and advice to any country which has, in the American view, threatened by a Communist take-over. His aim was to stop Communism from spreading any further.

MARSHALL AID

 Truman believed that Communism

succeeded when people faced poverty and hardship. He sent the American General George Marshall to assess the economic state of Europe. What he found was a ruined economy. The countries of Europe owed a lot of money to the USA. Britain electricity was turned off for a period each day in the winter of 1947. Most countries were still rationing bread.

 On the one hand, Marshall Aid was an

extremely generous act by by American people. On the other hand, it was also motivated by American self-interest. They wanted to create new markets for American goods.

Stalins view was that the Anti- Communist

aims behind Marshall Aid would weaken his hold on eastern Europe. He also felt that the USA was trying to dominate as many states as possible by making they dependent on dollars.

How did the

Soviet Union blockade Berlin?

 In 1948 the two sides came dangerously close

to war. Stalin could do nothing about the reorganisation of the western zones (Germany, Britain, France), but he felt that he could stamp his authority on Berlin. It was deep in the Soviet zone and was linked to the western zones of Germany by vital roads, railways and canals. In June 1948, Stalin blocked all these supply lines, cutting off the two-million strong population of West Berlin from Western help.

 USA saw west Berlin as a test case. If they

gave in to Stalin on this issue, the western zones of Germany might be next. Truman wanted to show that he was serious about his policy of containment. He wanted Berlin to be a symbol of freedom. In 1948 the Allies decided to air-lift supplies. The planes got through and for the next ten months West Berlin was supplied by planes bringing food, clothing, oil, building materials.

 By May 1949, Stalin reopened communications.

Neither side gained anything from the

confrontation:

The USSR had not gained control of

Berlin. There was no guarantedd that the land communications would not be cut again. Confrontation made both sides even more stubborn.

The Berlin blockade was a move to test our ability and our will to resist
President Truman, speaking in 1949.

 A PATTERN FOR THE COLD WAR:

The two superpowers and their

allies had shown how suspicious they were of each other. How they would obstruct each other in almost any way they could. How they would bombard each other with propaganda. Each had shown that it was not willing to go to war with each other.

THE CUBA

MISSILE CRISIS, 1962

 It was against the background of the

arms race that Cuba became a major flashpoint of the Cold War.

It was an American ally.

Americans owned most of the businesses

on the island and they had a huge naval base there.

 1959-1961 They maintained a frostly

relationship but without any direct confrontation. Fidel let America keep its naval base. He assured them that they were safe. However, American spies knew that he was receiving arms from the Soviet Union. January 1961. The USA broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba. April 1961. President Kennedy supplied arms, equipment and transport for 1400 anti-Castro exiles to invade Cuba.

THE OCTOBER

CRISIS

 On Sunday, 14 October 1962, an

American U-2 plane flew over Cuba. It took detailed photographs of missiles sites in Cuba. Those missils were bein built by the USSR.

 To bargain with the USA.

To test the USA.

To trap the USA.

To defend CUBA.

To get the upper hand

in the arms race.

 Regularly argued with each other in the

United Nations Assembly, where each side openly criticised the actions of the other. Sometimes criticised each other through their television programmes, newspapers, art and films. Sometimes threatened military confrontation with each other, although it never came to war. Commonly sent troops or advisers to help other states or groups to disrup the aims and plans of their opponents.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !!!!!!!!!!

JIMENA MARTNEZ SOFIA PRELL

Modern world history.

Walsh, B. (1996).