THE CONFLICTING BELIEFS OF THE SUPERPOWERS
The USA
The USSR
Government
and elections
It was a democracy. The government was elected It was a one-party dictatorship. Elections were held, but all
by the people from a choice of many political
candidates belonged to the Communist Party.
parties.
Economy
Capitalist system where property and industry
were privately owned. Some people were very
wealthy while others were very poor.
Communist system where the state owned and ran
industry for the good of everyone (equality).
The people
Citizens had individual rights and freedoms
guaranteed by law.
The state controlled every aspect of life and there were no
individual rights or freedoms.
Ideology
Wanted other nations to adopt democratic
governments, capitalism and stop the spread of
communism.
Wanted every nation to adopt Soviet-style communism
and stop the spread of capitalism.
HOW THE USSR GAINED CONTROL OF EASTREN EUROPE
Country
Date Soviet
control
established
Methods used
East Germany
1945
The Red Army remained after liberation and the Allies gave the eastern sector of
Germany to the USSR to control. Red Army control was handed over to the
Socialist Unity Party (SED), which was dominated by the communists in 1948
and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was formed in 1949.
Poland
1947
The Red Army remained after liberation and the communists joined a coalition
government. Opposition leaders were later murdered, and rigged elections gave
the communists control.
Romania
1947
The Red Army remained after liberation. A communist was made
prime-minister in a left-wing coalition. Elections were rigged, putting
communists in control. Commusnist took over control of the police and
security forces. The monarchy was abolished.
Bulgaria
1947
The Red Army remained after liberation. A left-wing coalition won the
elections. The communists executed leaders of other parties and destroyed the
democratic system.
Hungary
1948
The Red Army remained after liberation. Communists won 17 percent of the
vote in 1945 and used the Ministry of the Interior to remove rival politicians. In
1948, they were the largest single party after merging with the Social Democrats.
Czechoslovakia 1948
The Red Army left after the war. A left-wing coalition won the elections in
1945 and by 1946 the communists were the single largest party. In 1948,
non-communist members of the government were removed or resigned, and
Czechoslovakia became a one-party communist state.
Albania
Communists gained power in Albania after the war with the backing of
Yugoslavia and the USSR. Albania broke relations with Yugoslavia when it left
Cominfrom in 1948 and became dependent on Soviet aid. It adopted a
Stalinist-style government.
1948
THE YALTA CONFERENCE
Agreements at Yalta
Disagreements at Yalta
Germany They agreed to divide Germany and Berlin Polish
into four occupation zones run by Britain, territory
Stalin wanted to absorb east Poland into the
USSR.
Japan
Stalin agreed to join the war against Japan
after Germany’s defeat.
Polish
elections
Roosevalt and Churchill did not want
Poland under Soviet control and wanted free
elections.
Eastern
Europe
They agreed there would be free elections
in occupied countries after the war. It was
also agreed that eastern Europe would be
part of the USSR’s “sphere of influence”.
* Eventually Churchill persuaded Roosevelt to accept
some of Stlain’s plans in return for promises that Stlain
would not help the communists in Greece
United
Nations
They agreed to all join the United
Nations Organization (UNO) to try to
keep world peace after the war.
France, the USA and the USSR. Germany
would also be de-Nazified and war
criminals would be brought to trial.
THE POTSDAM CONFERENCE
Changes since Yalta
Disagreements at Potsdam
Soviet troops were occupying most of Eastern europe.
Stalin began setting up pro-Soviet governments in
eastern Europe, including in Poland.
Germany: Stalin wanted to cripple Germany completely
to protect the USSR against future threats. Truman did
not want to repeat the mistakes of the treaty of Versailles.
American president Roosevalt had died and was replaced Reparations: Stalin wanted compensation from
by the vice president Harry Truman.
Germany for the devastation it had caused to the USSR.
Truman again was reluctant to impose harsh reparation
terms.
On 16 July 1945 the Americans successfully tested an
atomic bomb and Truman informed Stalin about it at
the start of the conference.
Halfway through the conference Britain’s prime minister
Churchill was replaced by Clement Attlee.
Eastern Europe: Stalin won an agreement in Yalta that
he could set up pro-soviet governments in eastern
Europe. Truman, however, was very opposed to this.