The Cold War 1945-1991

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The Cold War 1945-1991
By Mr Yelland
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YALTA (in the USSR) Date Feb 1945 Present
Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin
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POTSDAM (Germany) Date July 1945 Present
Churchill, Truman and Stalin
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Divided Berlin

• 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.

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

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The Truman Doctrine

• Truman had been horrified at the pre-war Allied
  policy of appeasement and was determined to stand
  up to 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 help capitalists to
  stop communists in Italy and France.It
  signalled the end of isolationst policies.

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The Marshall Plan

• The Marshall Plan offered huge sums to enable the
  economies of Europe to rebuild after World War
  II, and, by generating prosperity, to reject the
  appeal of Communism.
• The Soviet Union (USSR) prevented Eastern
  European countries from receiving American money.

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Berlin

• West Berlin, was an outpost of Western democracy
  and economic success deep within the communist
  zone like a capitalist island within communist
  East Germany
• The Berlin Blockade was an attempt to starve
  West Berlin into submitting giving up to the
  communists
• The Allied western powers airlift signalled the
  Wests determination to use all resources to
  defend Berlin.It was feld by both sides that
  Berlin could act as the trigger for general war
  between capitalist and communist countries