Essential Idea
Tensions between emerging superpowers
United States and Soviet Union result in a
Cold War that will last decades.
Opposing Goals
UNITED STATES
 Encourage
democracy/prevent
rise of communist
governments
 Gain access to raw
materials and markets
 Rebuild European
governments
 Reunite Germany and
stabilize it
SOVIET UNION
 Encourage
communism in other
countries
 Rebuild economy
using Eastern
Europe’s industrial
equipment and raw
materials
 Control Eastern
Europe
 Keep Germany
divided
Yalta Conference
Who: FDR (US),
Churchill (GB), Stalin
(SU)
Where: Soviet Black
Sea resort of Yalta
When: February 1945
(prior to the end of the
war)
Outcomes of the Yalta
Conference
Divide Germany into zones of
occupation
 Germany pays Soviet Union to
compensate for loss of life and property
 Soviet Union joins war against Japan
 Stalin assures Eastern Europe will have
free elections

United Nations
What: U.S.,
Soviet Union, and
48 other
countries
organized
together to
protect members
against
aggression
United Nations- Structure


General Assembly
Security Council
 11 members
 5 permanent- can
veto any Security
Council Actions
○ U.S.
○ G.B.
○ S.U.
○ China
○ France
Iron Curtain



Countries along
Soviet Western
border
Stalin sees as a
necessary buffer
against foreign
invasion
Installs/secures
communist
governments
Potsdam Conference
Who: Truman, Stalin,
Churchill
Where: Potsdam,
Germany
When: July 1945
Outcome: Truman
pressed for free
elections… Stalin
refused
Europe Divided
East Germany and half
of Berlin- Controlled by
Soviets- German
Democratic Republic
West Germany and
half of BerlinControlled by AlliesFederal Republic of
Germany
Berlin Airlift
The Problem: Soviets
blockaded E. Berlin in
response to Allies’ plan
for reunification
The Solution: Berlin
Airlift- U.S. and G.B. flew
food and supplies for 11
months
Effect: Soviet’s admitted
defeat and lifted
blockade
Cold War
What: Struggle over political differences
carried on by means short of military
action or war
Who: U.S. and Soviet Union
How: Spying, propaganda, diplomacy,
secret operations
Containment

Policy directed at blocking Soviet
influence and stopping spread of
communism
 Forming Alliances
 Helping weak countries resist communism
Truman Doctrine
 Foreign aid ($) for
countries that reject
communism
 Controversial
Marshall Plan
 Provide food,
machinery & other
materials to rebuild
Western Europe
 Huge SuccessCountries broke from
Soviet Union
Rival Alliances
NATO
(North Atlantic Treaty
Organization)
 10 Western
European nations,
Canada, U.S.
 Formed in 1949
Warsaw Pact
 Soviet Union, East
Germany,
Czechoslovakia,
Poland, Hungary,
Romania, Bulgaria,
Albania
 Formed in 1955
Berlin Wall- symbolized a world
divided
Threat of Nuclear War
Event: Soviet Union
explodes atomic
weapon in 1949
Reaction: U.S.
develops the H Bomb
in 1952
Reaction to THAT:
Soviets develop H
Bomb in 1953
Brinkmanship:
willingness to go to the
brink (edge) of war
Requires: reliable
source of nuclear
weapons and planes to
deliver them
Result: Arms Race for
decades
Event: Soviets launch Sputnik in 1957
Reaction: Americans felt they had fallen behind in
science and technology
The U-2 Incident
What: Soviets shoot
down a U-2 spy
plane and capture
pilot Francis Gary
Powers
Result: Heightened
Cold War tensions