Introduction To The Cold War

The Cold War
Introduction to the Cold

War
Learning Objective
• To critically analyse the causes of the Cold War and evaluate the
inevitability of the Cold War.
Success Criteria
• To understand the causes of the Cold War.
• To analyse how the relationship between the Grand Alliance
changed between 1943-1945.
• To make a judgement on whether a war was inevitable or not.
The Grand Alliance
If you could ask

Who are these them one
men? question- what
would it be?
What does the
What do you
term ‘marriage of
think they are
convenience’
doing?
mean?
What Was the Cold War?
• 1945 saw the end of the Second World War and the
emergence of the superpowers, USA and USSR.
• What followed was 45 years of rivalry and mutual distrust

based upon the differing ideologies of the superpowers.
• The term ‘Cold War’ was first used in 1947 by Bernard Baruch,
to describe the worsening relations between the USA and
USSR.
• The term was quickly popularised by media as an apt way to
describe the war of words, propaganda and threat between the
USA and
the USSR.
Take Notes
Explain why it was
called the ‘Cold War.’
Long Term Causes
Ideological Differences
Following the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, USSR became the first
communist country in the world. The USSR believed that the USA wanted to
destroy communism; the USA believed that the USSR wanted to spread it
around the world. This mutual distrust was at the root of a lot of the issues
between the USA and USSR.
USA Change in Foreign Policy
During the interwar years, the USA had followed a policy of isolationism,
concerning themselves with foreign policy which only had a direct affect on
the USA. Following the USA depression and WWII, the USA decided that they
needed to have a much bigger role in world politics if they wanted
democracy to succeed. This change of policy worried Stalin and the soviets
as they feared this decision was fuelled by a desire to destroy communism
and stop it from spreading.
Take Notes
Complete the
resource sheet.
Short Term Causes
The Three Conferences
The leaders of USA, USSR and Britain met on three separate occasions
between
1943-45. Over the course of these three conferences, relations between the
USA and USSR worsened.
USA Change in Foreign Policy

In the early 1940s both USA and USSR were intent on creating an atomic
bomb. In July 1945, just before the Potsdam Conference, USA successfully
tested an Atomic bomb for the first time. This made the relations between
the USA and USSR worse, as USSR worked to ensure that they too could
create an atomic bomb. Once again, an arms race had begun which would
eventually develop into a race to space.
Take Notes
Complete the
resource sheet.
The Tehran Conference 1943
Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill
attended.
Agreements Disagreements
• They agreed that the USSR • They couldn’t agree on
should have a ‘sphere of how to treat Germany
influence’ in Europe in when the war ended. Stalin
which communism should wanted them to be
be respected. punished harshly and
reparations to be paid. USA
• Britain and USA would also and Britain wanted to help
have a ‘sphere of to rebuild Germany.
influence’ in the west in
which capitalism would be
respected.
Pause for Thought

After the First World War, Germany was
punished harshly with reparations,
was this an effective punishment?
The Yalta Conference 1945
Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill
attended.
• USA and USSR agreed to • Although they all agreed to
work together to defeat work together to ensure that
Japan after the Nazi’s were there was democracy in
defeated. Europe, they had differing
• Agreed to set up the UN to
opinions on what this meant.
ensure that peace was
USA and Britain wanted free
maintained.
elections and more than one
• All three agreed to a coalition political party, the USSR
government in Poland that believed a democratic
represented the political scene at the government was a
time. This included communist communist one!
• elements.
All agreed to work together
to ensure democracy in
Europe.
Pause for Thought
How would you describe the relationship
between the Grand Alliance at Yalta?
The Potsdam Conference 1945
Stalin, Truman and Churchill (later replaced by Atlee)
attended.
• Agreed that surviving • USSR still wanted to punish
Nazis to be tried as war Germany with heavy
criminals and Nazi party to reparations. They finally
• be banned.
Reduce the size of agreed that each nation
Germany and temporarily would get reparations for
divide it into four zones. their own quarter. Stalin
Allocation of a zone to wasn’t happy with this.
France, Britain, USA and • There was a lot of personal
USSR. tension between Stalin and
Truman: Truman had
postponed the meeting
until after USA had tested
the atomic bomb and was
Pause for Thought quite arrogant about the
How has the relationship between fact
the Grand Alliance changed? that only USA had an
Why has this happened? atomic bomb.
Was a Conflict between USA and
USSR Inevitable?
Answer this question using the information you have gathered on
your resource sheet.
Key Terms
isolationism, foreign policy,
marriage of convenience,
tension, ideologies
Causes of the Cold War
Discuss the following terms and
where you would put them on the
table:
• USA and USSR have differing
ideologies.
• Mutual distrust between USA and USSR.
• USA change from Isolationism.
• Arms race between USA and USSR.
Most Significant Cause Least Significant Cause

Introduction To The Cold War

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The Cold War

Introduction to the Cold

If you could ask

• What followed was 45 years of rivalry and mutual distrust

USA Change in Foreign Policy

Pause for Thought

Most Significant Cause Least Significant Cause

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