D. Why did the end of the Second World War have an effect
on starting a different kind of world conflict – the Cold
War?
When World War II ended, the USA and the USSR were clearly the superpowers of
the world, but then they became more and more suspicious of each other’s motives.
There was hostility between them for the next 45 years. This long period of hostility
was known as the Cold War, which did not finally end until the late 1980s.
Study Sources A, B and C.
Source A
The following shows the differences between communism and capitalism.
Communism
Capitalism
 Usually a one-party state.
 Free elections and more that one
 Industry and agriculture owned by
political party.
 Most
the state. People encouraged to
work for the common good.
industry
and
agriculture
owned by private individuals.
 Classless society with no individual
 They employ workers and keep all
profit-making
profits made.
 The government controlled most
 Limits on government interference
aspects of people’s lives.
in people’s lives
 Strong censorship with restrictions
 Freedom of speech and movement
on what could be said or written.
The above table shows a simple comparison between Communism and Capitalism.
Try to find other definitions of them.
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Source B
The following shows why conflicts appeared between the capitalist bloc under the
USA and the communist bloc under the USSR.
USA and democratic
countries of Western
Europe
USSR and communist
countries of Eastern
Europe
Fear of
communist
attack
Fear of
communism
Fear of
attack from
the West
FEAR
Fear of
atomic
bomb
Fear of
capitalism
Fear of
atomic
bomb
MISTRUST
Mistrust of the
Mistrust of the
USSR’s intentions
USA’s intentions
2
Source C
The following was extracted from a conversation between Joseph Stalin and a fellow
communist, Milovan Djilas in 1945.
Perhaps you think that, because we are allies of the English,
we have forgotten who they are and who Churchill is. They
find nothing sweeter than to trick their allies. And Churchill?
Churchill is the kind who, if you don’t watch him, will slip a
kopek (USSR currency) out of your pocket…… And
Roosevelt? Roosevelt is not like that. He dips his hand only
for bigger coins.
Source D
The following was extracted from a commentary from US newsreel in 1946.
Across the vast expanse of the globe there was famine, natural
ruin…… Without help, recovery might never be achieved. In
the background was the growing struggle between two great
powers to shape the post-war world. Looking towards Europe
from Moscow, Soviet Russia was expansively stabbing
westwards, knifing into nations left empty by war, with misery
and chaos as allies.
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Source E
The following shows the points of tension between the USA and the USSR at the end
of World War II.
Points of Tension
The Atomic bomb
Stalin distrusted the USA
because:

Truman, the US
president, had not told
him before using the
atomic bomb.

The USA refused to
share the secret of how
to make the atomic
bomb.

Eastern Europe
The USSR did not allow
free elections in Eastern
Europe. The USSR began
to impose Communist
rule on occupied zone in
Germany. The USA
thought that the USSR
wanted to control Eastern
Europe and consolidate its
influence there.
Stalin thought that the
USA would use the
bomb to make herself a
superpower
The USA distrusted Stalin
because:

East and
WestGermany1

The Western Allies
wanted to help
Germany to recover as
soon as possible so
that Germany could
act as a buffer to
Communist expansion.
On the other hand, the
USSR wanted a weak
Germany.

The Western Allies
wanted free elections
in the occupied zone in
Germany. The USSR
did not want free
elections to be held in
the Russian occupied
zone.
Stalin decided to
develop the atomic
bomb. The USA felt
threatened by this.
1
East and West Germany: Before the end of the Second World War,the major Allied Powers, Britain,
the United States and the Soviet Union, had held several meetings to sort out post-war arrangements. In
the Potsdam Conference, 1945, it was confirmed that Germany was to be divided into four zones
occupied by the Allied powers. In 1949, the US, British and French zones united as the Federal
Republic of Germany (West Germany) with its capital in Bonn. It adopted a democratic government.
The Soviet zone became the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) with its capital in Berlin.
East Germany remained under the control of the communists.
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Refer to Sources A to E
Which
Causes of the source(s)
Cold War
is / are
related to
this
cause?
Mutual mistrust
B, C
Cite one evidence from the source(s) you
identified in the middle column of this table.
Evidence from the sources
Conflicting
aims in Central
and Eastern
Europe
D
Evidence from the sources
Difference in
ideology
A
Evidence from the sources
Soviet Russia’s
expansion in
Eastern Europe
D
Evidence from the sources
The atomic
bomb
D
Evidence from the sources
You may like to study the following website to find more information about the Cold
War.
<http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/>
<http://res.hkedcity.net/general/0002/87/45/642011828.doc>(Chinese version only)
Reference:
Steven Waugh. Essential Modern World History. UK: Nelson Thornes, 2001.
Christopher Culpin. Making History. London: Collins Educational, 1997.
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