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Origins of the Cold War

Origins of the Cold War. Section 1. A Clash of Interests. Clash between the U.S. and Soviet Union was heating up before WWII ended Roosevelt hoped that an Axis defeat and creation of the United Nations would lead to peacetime U.S. and Soviet Union grew more hostile towards each other

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Origins of the Cold War

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  1. Origins of the Cold War Section 1

  2. A Clash of Interests • Clash between the U.S. and Soviet Union was heating up before WWII ended • Roosevelt hoped that an Axis defeat and creation of the United Nations would lead to peacetime • U.S. and Soviet Union grew more hostile towards each other • Cold War- era of confrontation and competition between the U.S. and Soviet Union from 1946-1990

  3. Soviet Security Concerns • Tension between the U.S. and Soviet Union increased because the 2 had different goals • Soviets were concerned for their country • Had been invaded twice by Germany in 30 years • Soviets wanted to keep Germany weak and other countries between Germany and Soviet Union under Soviet control

  4. Cont. • Soviet leaders were also Communists • Believed that communism was superior economic system that would ultimately replace capitalism • Leaders felt Soviet Union should encourage communism in other nations • Understood that capitalist countries would try to destroy communism • Made Soviets suspicious of other capitalist countries

  5. American Economic Concerns • American leaders were focused on economic problems • Officials blamed the Depression for WWII • Without Depression, Hitler wouldn’t have come to power and Japan wouldn’t have wanted to expand empire • Advisers also thought Depression was so bad because countries cut back on trade

  6. Cont. • When nations cut themselves off economically, then it forces them to go to war to get needed resources • 1945- Roosevelt and his advisers were convinced economic growth was the key to world peace • Promote economic growth and world trade • Also wanted to promote democracy and free enterprise

  7. Cont. • Believed that democratic government with protections for people’s rights made countries more stable and peaceful • Felt free enterprise was the best route to prosperity, private property rights and limited government interaction in the economy • Do we have limited government interaction in the economy today???

  8. The Yalta Conference • February 1945 Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin met in Yalta to plan postwar world • Soviet resort on Black Sea • Seemed to go well • Several agreements later played role in causing Cold War

  9. Yalta Beach

  10. Poland • First issue discussed at Yalta • Polish leaders fled when Germany invaded • 1944, Soviet troops drove Germans back • Soviets freed Poland from German control • Soviets encouraged Polish Communism • 2 governments claiming Poland, Communists and non-Communists

  11. Cont. • Roosevelt and Churchill said the Poles should be allowed to choose their own government • “This is what we went to war against Germany for,” Churchill explained, “that Poland should be free and sovereign.” • Stalin disagreed • Stalin stated that Poland government had to be nice to Soviet Union…“life or death”

  12. Cont. • 3 leaders compromised • Roosevelt and Churchill recognized the Polish government set up by Soviets • Stalin agreed that the government would include members of prewar Polish government and that free elections would be held

  13. Declaration of Liberated Europe • Read this section • Declaration of Liberated Europe

  14. Dividing Germany • Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin agreed to divide Germany into four zones • Great Britain, United States, Soviet Union, and France would each control a zone • Same four countries would also divide Berlin • Roosevelt and Stalin both agreed Germany should pay reparations for war damage

  15. Germany Divided

  16. Tensions Begin to Rise • Read this section

  17. Truman Takes Office • Read this section

  18. The Potsdam Conference • July 1945 Truman met Stalin at Potsdam • Both came to work out a deal on Germany • Truman was convinced that the German economy was critical to Europe and it needed to be allowed to revive itself • Stalin had already begun stripping Germany of machinery and sending it back home

  19. Cont. • Truman took a firm stand against anymore heavy reparations • Soviets wanted huge reparations for their loses • United States and Great Britain controlled Germany’s industrial heartland, while Stalin controlled mostly agriculture • Truman used the atomic bomb to his advantage to “bully” Stalin to agree to his demands

  20. The Iron Curtain Descends • Read this section • Satellite nations • Iron curtain

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