The Cold War began in 1945 after World War 2 as tensions grew between the Western allies (US, Britain, France) and the Soviet Union. Key events that exacerbated tensions included disagreements over post-war settlements in Europe at Yalta and Potsdam, the Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe, and the development of nuclear weapons by both sides. The US policy of containment of communism and the Truman Doctrine led to the Marshall Plan and an increasingly divided Europe split by the Iron Curtain. The Berlin Blockade and Korean War further escalated Cold War hostilities between the Soviet bloc and the West.

1. The Cold War 1945-
1991 By Mr Yelland
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3. Improve your knowledge
• Yalta was the the penultimate of the
wartime allied conferences. It dealt mainly
with the settlement of post-war Europe.
Allegedly FD Roosevelt was too ill to
withstand Stalin’s demands, and his
successor, Harry S Truman, took a tougher
line. By by the time of the Potsdam
Conference in July 1945, the West had the
bomb and were anxious to restrict Russia.

4. YALTA (in the USSR)
Date: Feb 1945
Present: Churchill,
Roosevelt and Stalin

5. POTSDAM (Germany)
Date: July 1945
Present: Churchill,
Truman and Stalin

6. Improve your knowledge
• The Russians took very high casualties to
capture Berlin in May 1945. They spent the
early occupation trying to take over all
zones of the city but were stopped by
German democrats such as Willy Brandt
and Konrad Adenauer. Reluctantly the
Russians had to admit the Americans,
French and British to their respective
zones.

7. Iron Curtain –
A term used by
Winston Churchill
to describe the
separating of
Those communist
lands of East
Europe from the
West.

8. Improve your knowledge
• The nuclear bomb gave America a lead
which was expected to last at least 5
years. The rapid Russian development of
nuclear technology, helped by the work of
the “atom spies” was a shock.
Significantly, Russia hurriedly declared
war against Japan at the beginning of
August 1945 and rushed to advance into
Asia to stake out a position for the post-
war settlement. This helped make both the
Korean and Vietnamese conflicts more
likely.

9. Improve your knowledge
• Truman had been horrified at the pre-war
Allied policy of appeasement and was
determined to stand upto any Soviet
intimidation.
The Truman Doctrine in March 1947
promised that the USA “would support
free peoples who are resisting
subjugation by armed minorities or by
outside pressures”. Triggered by British
inability to hold the line in Greece, it was
followed by aid to Greece and Turkey, and
also money to secure upcoming elections
in Italy and the advance of Communist
trade unions in France.
It signalled the end of “isolationst”
policies.

10. Improve your knowledge
• The Marshall Plan reflected the strength of the
US economy and offered huge sums to enable the
war shattered economies of Europe to rebuild and,
by generating prosperity, to reject the appeal of
Communism, Czechoslovakia showed interest in
receiving Marshall Aid but was blocked by Russia.
The Soviet system was as much dependent upon
creating a self-contained economic bloc as it was
in maintaining a repressive political system.

11. Improve your knowledge
• West Berlin, as an outpost of Western democracy
and economic success deep within the Communist
zone, was both a nest of spies for both sides and a
constant challenge to the Soviets.
The Berlin Blockade was an attempt to starve the
city into submission and the Allied airlift signalled
the West’s determination to use all resources to
defend Berlin.
Thereafter, it was accepted by both sides that
Berlin would act as the trigger for general war. Any
Russian invasion would be followed by conflict with
the considerable Allied forces camped permanently
on the plain of West Germany. Both sides finding
Europe too dangerous a site for confrontation,
looked elsewhere to compete.

12. Improve your knowledge
• The “Red Scare”, launched by Senator Joe
McCarthy, dominated US politics for
several years 1948-53 and helped pressure
Truman into the Korean War, a costly and
ultimately stalemated conflict. Given the
suddeness of the fall of China, the
development of the Soviet bomb, and the
shocking performance of the Western
secret services, the level of panic is
understandable.

13. Improve your knowledge
• Truman restricted his ant-Soviet policy to one of “containment”,
resisting the advance of Communism into South Korea. After some
hesitation he resisted his Commander, Gen Douglas MacArthur’s
attempt to “roll-back” Communism by invading North Korea and
China.
MacArthur was dismissed but Truman’s successors continued to
be drawn into conflicts of containment for the rest of the cold
war. The beginning of the Korean War also highlighted the failings
of the United Nations.
Up to 1950, Russia and America had respectively blocked each
other’s iniatives by using their veto powers in the Security
Council. Because the Russian delegates were boycotting the UN in
1950, Truman was able to condemn the Communist invasion of S
Korea and to set up a counter-attack under the banner of the UN.
In contrast to the pre-War League of Nations, at least this
ensured that the UN would, in future, be able to deploy force in
international disputes.