Transcript The Cold War Begins

The Cold War Begins
Origins of the Cold War
Learning Targets:
 Describe the era known as the Cold War.
 Compare and contrast the concerns of the United States and
Soviet Union.
 Compare and contrast the wants of Truman and Stalin over
Germany after WWII.
 List the events leading up to the Cold War.
A Clash of Interests
 The United States and the Soviet Union became increasingly
hostile toward each other after the war.
 1946-1990: This era became known as the Cold War
 Soviet Security Concerns:
 They believed that communism was a superior economic system
that would eventually replace capitalism and that the Soviet
Union should encourage communism in other nations
 American Economic Concerns:
 Promote economic growth by increasing world trade
 Promote democracy and free enterprise
The Yalta Conference
 Before the end of WWII, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin
met to decide the fate of European countries after the war.
 Yalta-A Soviet Resort on the Black Sea
 Poland
 Roosevelt and Churchill had agreed to recognize the Polish
government set up by the Soviets.
 Stalin agreed that the government would include members of
the prewar Polish government and that free elections would be
held as soon as possible
 Declaration of Liberated Europe (Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin
agreement)
 Asserted the right of all people to choose the form of
government under which they will live
Dividing Germany
 Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin agreed to divide Germany into
four zones with the US, Soviet Union, Great Britain, and
France each controlling a zone.
 Roosevelt and Stalin agreed that Germany should pay war
reparations, but only as it was capable. Rather than paying
with cash, Germany could pay with trade goods.
Tensions Begin to Rise
 After the Yalta Conference:
 The Soviets pressured the King of Romania into appointing a
Communist government
 The United States accused the Soviets of violating the
Declaration of Liberated Europe
 The Soviets refused to allow more than three non-Communist
Poles to serve in the 18-member Polish government.
 There was no indication that the Soviets were going to hold free
elections in Poland.
 Roosevelt informed the Soviets that their actions were
unacceptable
Truman Takes Control
 Truman was strongly anti-communist:
 “We must stand up to the Russians (USSR)”
 Truman met with the Soviet Foreign Minister and demanded
that Stalin immediately hold free elections in Poland.
The Potsdam Conference
 Truman met with Stalin at Potsdam, near Berlin, to work out
a deal on Germany.
 Truman believed that German industry must be allowed to
revive or the rest of Europe would suffer and turn to
communism in desperation
 Stalin and his advisers were equally convinced that they needed
reparations from Germany
 Truman made it known to Stalin that the U.S. had successfully
tested an atomic bomb
 Stalin was forced to give in as the US, France, and Great Britain
controlled the German industrial heartland
 This marked another increase in tensions.