Start of Cold War

Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
1. explain the immediate impact of WW2 on
Europe
2. define cold war
3. analyse the impact of USA & USSR rivalry on
the world through examples of Cold War
Conflict
4. describe formation of Cominform &
Comecon; NATO & Warsaw Pact

Chap 1 Chap 2 Chap 3 Chap 4
Start of
Cold War
1946
End of Cold
War 1989
Korean
War 1950
Cuban
Missile
Crisis
1963
HOT
SPOTS
IN A
COLD WAR
Theme 5: Start of
Cold War
Theme 6: Korean
War
Theme 6: Cuban
Missile Crisis
Theme 7: End of
Cold War
GCE O LEVEL

COMMUNISM FASCISM DEMOCRACY
PHILOSOPHY From each according to
his ability, to each
according to his needs.
Free-access to country’s
resources
The state must gain
glory through constant
conquest, aka war
All eligible citizens
get equal say in
decisions
ECONOMIC
SYSTEM
Production is organized
to provide for human
needs directly without
any use for money
Autarky (national self-
sufficiency)
Elected by the
voters. Usually
capitalist
POLITICAL
SYSTEM
Usually takes the form of
totalitarianism as Karl
Marx described
One charismatic
leader has absolute
authority. Often the
symbol of the state
Elected officials
RELIGION Abolished - all religion is
rejected.
Fascism is a civic
religion - citizens
worship the state
through nationalism
Permitted

What makes Cold War different from the
other wars we have learned earlier?

What were the factors for the start of
Cold War?
Reasons for Start of
Cold War
Mistrust between USA
& USSR
Competition for
influence between
USA & USSR
Ideological Differences

What was Cold War?
The Cold War is the name given to the
relationship that developed primarily between
the USA and the USSR after World War Two.
So COLD!
 After being Allies during WWII, the U.S. and
U.S.S.R. soon viewed each other with
increasing suspicion
 Their political differences created a climate
of icy tension that plunged the two
countries into an era of bitter rivalry
between 1945 – 1989 known as the Cold
War
 The rivalry between the two superpowers
led to and many indirect wars

 IQ: Why did the USA and Soviet Union
become Cold War enemies despite being
allies in World War II?
What are the key
words in the IQ?
INQUIRY QUESTION = IQ
USA and USSR had
turned
from friends to
enemies!

• The Soviet Union was a Communist country,
which was ruled by a dictator and put the needs
of the state ahead of personal human rights.
• The hostility of Marxism towards capitalism due
to its desire to overthrow capitalism around the
world.
• USA is governed by a democratic system of
government.
• USA viewed USSR as a threat to its own political
and economic security and influence.

5
• USA was also hostile to to the Socialist
Revolution – American President Woodrow
Wilson sent troops to support the White Army
against the Socialists.
• The Western European democratic countries
were also concerned that USSR would spread
their communist ideas to their countries.

The Ideological Differences
Soviet &
Eastern Bloc
Nations
US & the
Western
Democracies
GOAL  spread
world-wide
Communism
GOAL  “Containment”
of Communism & the
eventual collapse of the
Communist world.
which means Differences in
ideologies
CLASH

Historical resentment which led to
mistrust between USA & USSR
• The Soviet Union could not forget that in 1918
Britain and the USA had tried to destroy the Red
Army.
• During the 1918 Russian civil war, Woodrow
Wilson provided 5000 American troops to assist
the White Army (anti-communists) to prevent a
communist victory in Russia.
• This intervention was perceived by Lenin as
attempts by USA to undermine the survival of
Russia as well as communism.

• Despite later efforts of the Allies during WWII
such as giving USSR supplies and weapons -
Stalin could never be satisfied. He continued to
hold suspicions to the Allies especially perceived
delay by Allies to open a second front when
USSR was facing immense pressure from
Germany’s attacks.
• USSR also entrenched its troops in Eastern
Europe and elsewhere after the war hence
USSR did not honor post-war agreements to
leave which was a violation of Yalta Conference.

• USA’s refusal to open a second front in Europe
while Russians died by the millions. The
Russians bore the heaviest casualties in the war
and had a right to make some demands after the
war but USA and the Western democracies were
unable to under USSR’s need for Soviet sphere
of influence in Eastern Europe to serve as a
buffer zone for its borders.

Events which intensified competition for
influence between USA and USSR
1. Disagreements during post-war
conferences (Yalta Conference & Potsdam
Conference)
2. Establishment of Soviet satellite states in
Eastern Europe
3. American adoption of the containment
policy
4. USA & USSR confrontation in the Berlin
Blockade
5. Formation of opposing military alliances

conferences
The Yalta Conference
Participants:
Stalin (USSR)
Churchill (Britain)
Roosevelt (USA)

Once Germany was defeated, Stalin would enter the
war against Japan.
Germany and Berlin were to be divided into 4 zones:
American, French, British and Soviet Union.

The Yalta Conference
What the leaders
wanted
What was agreed? What was the
outcome?
• Stalin’s main concern
was the future security of
USSR
• Churchill wanted to forge
closer relations with USA
• Roosevelt was
concerned about high
casualties of US troops
in Asia-Pacific and
needed Stalin to defeat
Japan.
• Defeated Germany will
be divided into 4 zones
of occupation with USA,
USSR & Britain and
France administering
each zone
• All countries liberated
from Nazi Occupation will
be allowed to hold free
elections to choose
government of their
choice.
• USSR could occupy
Manchuria and North
Korea in return for
helping USA to defeat
• Resulted in unhappiness
between USA & USSR
• USA wanted Poland to
have free elections while
USSR wanted Poland to
be under USSR’s control
as previous invasions of
USSR had come through
Poland
• USA and USSR had
different ideas on
administering Germany.
USA wanted to revive
Germany to stabilize
Europe’s economy while
USSR wanted to keep

conferences
The Potsdam Conference
Participants:
Stalin (USSR)
Atlee (Britain)
Truman (USA)

The Potsdam Conference
What happened before
the Potsdam
Conference?
What was agreed? What was the
outcome?
• Stalin’s had engineered a
Communist government
in Poland and this was
resented by USA and
Britain who wanted free
and fair elections in
Britain.
• USA had developed the
atomic bomb and did not
need Stalin’s help to
defeat Japan.
• Germany will be divided
into 4 zones of
occupation and pay war
reparations
• All Nazi war criminals
would be brought to
justice and all Nazi
influence in Germany
would be removed
• Resulted in unhappiness
between three leaders
who disagreed on:
• the boundaries of 4
zones in occupied
Germany and the
amount of reparation
Germany had to pay
• the type of government
to be established in
Eastern Europe and the
level of influence the
Soviet Union has over
these countries

Establishment of Soviet Satellite States in Eastern Europe
What happened? What was the outcome?
• To prevent another attack through its
Western borders, Stalin brought a ring
of Eastern European countries under
Soviet control through ‘salami tactics’.
These satellite states serve as a
defensive measure to strengthen the
security of USSR.
• Stalin saw this as a preventive measure
but USA saw it as an aggressive action
by Stalin to spread communist
influence rather than as defensive
measure.
• Resulted in further intensification of
competition between USA and USSR.

American adoption of the containment policy
• Containment was the American policy adopted
to prevent the spread of communism outside
of USSR.
• USA was previously committed to its policy of
isolationism.
• However USA perceived USSR as becoming
more aggressive through actions such as
violating terms of Yalta & Potsdam
Conferences.
• Churchill (Britain’s PM) delivered a speech on
an ‘iron curtain’ descending in Europe and
dividing Europe into 2 spheres: non-
communist Western Europe vs communist
Eastern Europe and called on Truman (USA’s
president) to take a tougher stand against
USSR.
• Truman decided to play a more
active role in Europe to stop the
spread of communism through
containment.
• Truman announced his new
policy: Truman Doctrine which
stated that USA would aid any
country threatened by
communism.
• Following the Truman Doctrine,
the Marshall Plan was
announced.
• USSR viewed this as an
aggressive policy aimed at
destroying USSR’s interests and
communism.

USA & USSR Confrontation in the Berlin Blockade
• Tensions between the two superpowers
reached its first high point over control of
Germany.
• USSR believed that the great suffering and
losses inflicted on them by the Nazis during
World War II gave them a right to play a major
role in occupied Germany.
• But based on what was agreed at Yalta and
Potsdam Conferences on division of Germany,
Western powers controlled two-thirds of
Germany.
• Stalin was resentful of this but was forced to
accept this arrangement.
• Stalin’s long-term plan was for Germany to
become communist while USA & Britain
wanted economic recovery of Germany to
prevent communism from taking root in
• Although USSR agreed to send
assistance to USA, British and
French occupation zones of
Germany, they eventually did not
do so.
• This made USA increasingly
suspicious of USSR’s intentions
in Germany.
• Such disappointments and
suspicions eventually led a
major crisis – Berlin Blockade
breaking out in Germany.

Formation of opposing military alliances
• Stalin’s actions in Berlin and his support for
the communists in other countries worried
USA and Western Europe.
• USA and Western Europe were also
concerned about their military security as
USSR had large number of troops stationed in
Eastern Europe.
• USA feared that western European countries
had to engage the powerful Soviets on their
own and wanted a military alliance that would
commit USA’s military presence in Europe to
protect them from USSR.
• Western Europe welcomed this move as they
knew they could not take on USSR on their
own.
• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
was formed in April 1949.
• USSR viewed NATO as a great
threat to its own security and its
satellite states in Eastern Europe
and formed the Warsaw Pact in
May 1955.
• The Warsaw Pact allowed for its
members to come together to
defend those who faced threats
from other countries.

SPREAD OF
COMMUNISM
Manifestations of
Cold War 1:
Containment
Policy

The Truman doctrine
Truman felt that it was the duty of USA to protect
the West from the USSR. He announced that the
USA would give aid in the form of money and
weapons to the poor countries of Europe.
I’ll stop
the
Communists
!
In other
words, US
containment
policy was
known as
Truman
Doctrine.

General Marshall
The Marshall Plan was designed to
help the war torn countries of
Europe to recover from the years of
WW2.
The USA believed that the poorer a
country was, the more likely that it
would turn to Communism.
The USA set up a massive fund for
the countries in Europe in which all
of them could apply. However,
Stalin became suspicious of this
plan and made sure that those
countries within his control did not
apply.
$$

What is the idea of a domino theory?
Manifestations of Cold War 1I:
The Domino Theory

The domino theory speculated that if one country comes
under the influence of Communists, then more would follow
in a domino effect.
What do the
cartoons tell
you about
USA &
USSR
fears?

Churchill’s Warning…
 Churchill felt that
behind the Iron
Curtain, the USSR
was planning to
attack and conquer
Western Europe.

The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan were
usually seen as the start of the Cold War.
Mutual suspicion and distrust resulted with the
USSR and the USA becoming rivals. The Berlin
Blockade would strengthen this rivalry.

NATO vs Warsaw Pact,
the Cold War at its height in 1985
NATO WARSAW PACT

 United States
 Belgium
 Britain
 Canada
 Denmark
 France
 Iceland
 Italy
 Luxemburg
 Netherlands
 Norway
 Portugal
 1952: Greece &
Turkey
 1955: West Germany
 1983: Spain
NATO

 U. S. S. R.
 Albania
 Bulgaria
 Czechoslovakia
 East Germany
 Hungary
 Poland
 Rumania
The Warsaw Pact

A PIECE OF COLD WAR HISTORY
IN SINGAPORE BEDOK RESERVOIR
‘Kings of Freedom’ by Dennis Kaun

Summary: How was
Cold War ‘fought’?
A)Threat of force and power – Arms, technology,
influence
B) Use of Propaganda – created hatred and
paranoia of other side
C) Send economic aid to weaker nations to
spread influence and gain allies
D) Support with military aid nations in conflicts
to protect interests or agitate other side

Coming up next…
The Korean War

Start of Cold War

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