The document discusses several events in Germany after World War 2 that contributed to tensions between the Western allies and Soviet Union, leading to the Cold War. It describes how Germany was divided between the allies after the war per the Potsdam Agreement, but the Soviets were unhappy with Western involvement in East Germany. This tension increased as the Western zones unified into West Germany in 1949. In response, the Soviets blockaded land access to West Berlin, but a massive Western airlift undermined this move. While angering the allies, the blockade failed and ended in 1949, showing the tensions had deeper ideological roots that would characterize the long Cold War.

1. The Cold War
1945-1989
Disagreements
about Germany
Reasons that the Cold War started

2. Reasons the Cold War started
In today’s class I am learning to:
• Describe events in Germany after
World War Two
• Analyse the impact of these
events in causing the Cold War

3. Reasons the Cold War started
Germany was blamed for
starting the First and
Second World Wars.
After the war, steps
were taken to ensure
that Germany could not
do this again. This
was to be achieved by
dividing control of
Germany between
different countries.

4. Reasons the Cold War started
The 1945 Potsdam
agreement said that:
• Control of Germany
was divided between
the USA, UK, France
and USSR
• Control of Berlin
(Germany’s capital
and in the Soviet
zone) was divided
the same way

5. Reasons the Cold War started

6. Reasons the Cold War started
The Soviets were very
unhappy with this.
The USSR wanted
control of all
Germany, but also
resented the Americans
having a presence in
the Soviet sector of
Germany, possibly
leading to Cold War
tensions.

7. Reasons the Cold War started
However even though the
Soviets were unhappy
with this, this was the
deal that they had
agreed at Potsdam.
The fact that the
Soviet Union had chosen
to support this plan
undermined the
legitimacy of the
complaints they had.

8. Reasons the Cold War started
In 1946, free
elections were held in
the Soviet sector of
Germany.
The Socialist Unity
Party of Germany
(Communist) got less
than half of the votes
(46%) but took
control. There were no
more free elections.

9. Reasons the Cold War started
The Soviets also
believed Germany
should pay reparations
(the costs of war).
The USSR began to
strip their sector of
resources, including
moving entire
industrial plants and
factories east.

10. Reasons the Cold War started
Although the Soviets
were allowed to take
resources from
Germany, they were
supposed to send
supplies to western
sectors, which they
failed to do.
This forced the
western supplies to
import their own food.

11. Reasons the Cold War started
The USA were very
angry at broken
promises by the
Soviets. This proved
to the Americans that
they could not trust
the Soviets.
These arguments
divided the two
countries, helping
cause Cold War.

12. Reasons the Cold War started
The three western
sectors of Germany
began to cooperate,
and exist as a single
organisation.
This included setting
up a shared currency
in 1948 – this was
called the Deutsche
mark.

13. Reasons the Cold War started
In May 1949, the
Federal Republic of
Germany was established
(better known as West
Germany).
This united the three
areas (French, British
and American) and
created a single
country which had its
own military.

14. Reasons the Cold War started
The Soviets were angry
at these actions. They
believed it undermined
Potsdam plans to keep
Germany separate and
worried about the
power of West Germany.
These arguments
created extreme
tensions, possibly
leading to Cold War.

15. Reasons the Cold War started
Although the USSR were
unhappy with the
establishment of West
Germany, this did not
cause them to lose any
influence or land.
They fully retained
control of their area
of Germany. In October
1949 this became known
as East Germany.

16. Reasons the Cold War started
In spite of the fact
that the Soviets had
agreed the division of
Germany, they were
unhappy with this.
They wanted control of
all Germany. They were
also angry that parts
of Berlin in their
sector were controlled
by western countries.

17. Reasons the Cold War started
The Soviets took steps
to remove the allies
from Berlin.
In June 1948, they cut
off all road, rail and
canal links into West
Berlin.
They hoped this would
starve the allies and
force them out.

18. Reasons the Cold War started
The Berlin Blockade –
as this was known –
caused a huge problem
for the allies.
Berlin was around 100
miles from areas
controlled by the USA,
UK and France. Getting
land access to West
Berlin could have led
to a war.

19. Reasons the Cold War started
Instead, the allies
began to fly in
supplies. This was
known as the Berlin
Airlift.
Until May 1949, almost
two million tonnes of
goods (such as food,
fuel and medical
supplies) were flown
into West Berlin.

20. Reasons the Cold War started
The Soviet Union had
no way to stop this as
shooting down any
plane would have been
an act of war.
Therefore they stopped
the Blockade in May
1949. In 1961 they
took more serious
action by building the
Berlin Wall.

21. Reasons the Cold War started
The Soviets’ actions
in trying to force out
the western allies
caused huge anger in
the USA, possibly
causing Cold War.
This showed that the
Soviets could not be
trusted to stick by
agreements they had
previously made.

22. Reasons the Cold War started
However the Airlift
was a huge success and
actually undermined
the USSR, who ended
the Blockade.
This problem ended in
1949 and so could not
been seen as the cause
of a conflict which
carried on for another
40 years.