3. LEARNING INTENTIONS
• Describe key events related to World
War Two
• Explain why these events caused anger
between the USA and USSR

4. Ideology and nuclear weapons were not the only
issues which caused the Cold War; World War Two
also caused tensions between the two sides.

5. World War Two
The Soviet Union was angry
with the UK and USA before
WW2 started.
The Soviets felt threatened
by Hitler and wanted an
alliance to stop him, but the
USA/UK did not support them.

6. Eventually the USSR shocked
the world – and angered the
USA – by signing a Non-
Aggression Pact with
Germany.
Both countries pledged to
not attack each other, and
also set up a joint
invasion of Poland, further
angering the US.

7. The USA and USSR were not
involved at the start of
World War Two. They
joined in 1941 after the
USSR was attacked by
Germany, and Japan
attacked the US Naval
Base at Pearl Harbour.
This meant the USSR, UK
and USA were now allies.

8. At first most fighting
took place between the
USSR and Germany on the
Eastern Front.
USSR leader Joseph Stalin
believed that the United
States wanted Germany and
the USSR to destroy each
other before they would
intervene.

9. Stalin wanted to see
the US and Britain open
up a second front by
invading France. This
would split Germany’s
troops and relieve the
pressure on Russia.
Eventually the USA and
UK invaded France on D-
Day in June 1944.

10. Yalta and Potsdam
After the 1944 D-Day
invasions, it became clear
that the Allies were
likely to win WW2.
Wartime conferences took
place in Yalta (Ukraine)
and Potsdam (Germany) with
the ‘Big Three’.

11. This lead to arguments as
the USA wanted free
elections in Europe but
the Soviets wanted to
control large parts.
One likely place of
conflict was Poland, where
each side had different
views what should happen.

12. The Yalta Conference reached
many agreements about what to
do in Europe, including:
• Setting up the United
Nations
• Dividing Germany and Berlin
• Free elections in Europe
• USSR control of parts of
Poland
• USSR join war against Japan

13. The Allies were due to
confirm these agreements
at the Potsdam meeting.
Before this meeting took
place (in August 1945) the
European War came to an
end with the surrender of
Germany, after Adolf
Hitler’s suicide.

14. When the allies eventually
met in Potsdam, the Pacific
War was almost over.
The USA had developed an
atomic bomb and dropped two
of these on Japan to force
them to surrender.
The allies’ relationship was
also about to end.

15. Events after WW2
After the war, many people
worried that the Allies
might soon fight another
war – with each other.
The Soviets began to take
control of many countries
in Eastern Europe.

16. The USA wanted to stop the
Soviets and suggested they
might use their new
weapon; the atomic bomb.
The Soviets were angry
that the USA wouldn’t
share this new technology
with them (breaking a WW2
agreement).

17. Former UK Prime Minister
Winston Churchill gave a
famous speech where he
warned that an Iron
Curtain was being drawn.
This meant that Europe
was being split between
Communism and
Capitalism.

18. The Soviet Union thought
that the USA wanted to
control Europe and have
global capitalism.
They thought that the
money the USA were
offering as part of the
Marshall Plan was designed
to achieve this.

19. The USA also took a firm
line against any Soviet
attempt to forcibly
spread Communism.
The Truman Doctrine
promised support to any
country threatened by
armed groups. Greece was
given help against the
Communists.