The USSR began to break down by 1945

Focus Points
● Why did the US–Soviet alliance begin to break down in 1945?
● How had the USSR gained control of Eastern Europe by 1948?
● How did the United States react to Soviet expansionism?
● What were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade?
● Who was the more to blame for starting the Cold War: the United States or the
USSR?

Specified Content
● The origins of the Cold War:
○ the 1945 summit conferences and the breakdown of the US–Soviet alliance in
1945–46
○ Soviet expansion into Eastern Europe to 1948, and American reactions to it
○ the occupation of Germany and the Berlin Blockade
○ NATO and the Warsaw Pact

BACKGROUND
NOTES

Factors that contributed to the Cold War

Take concise notes on the following

Situation before the Second World War Personal relationships between leaders

Conflicting beliefs of the superpowers War damage suffered by USSR

Stalin’s takeover of eastern Europe Marshall Aid for Europe

The Berlin Blockade Americans successfully test atom bomb

(1945)

Consider, for each factor: Does it point to the USSR being at fault, the USA being to blame,
or the inevitability of a conflict?

Peace Conferences: Yalta & Potsdam

Yalta, Feb 1945: When it was clear that Germany was losing the war in Europe, allied
leaders met to plan what would happen to Europe after Germany’s defeat

Agreements Disagreements

Japan: Poland:

Germany:

Eastern Europe:
 Elections:

United Nations:

War criminals:

Potsdam, July 1945: When the Allied troops reached Berlin and Germany surrendered,
another conference was scheduled.

Agreements Disagreements

Germany:

Reparations:

Eastern Europe:

Atomic bomb:

Hint: what was different at these two conferences?? These factors clearly led to more, major
disagreements and increasing tensions! Stalin’s armies were occupying eastern Europe;
there was a new more anti-communist US President, Truman; and Americans had
successfully tested an atom bomb (Truman told Stalin at the start of Potsdam).

American and USSR policy in Europe

In note form, explain how the following factors helped the USSR gain control of eastern
Europe:
a) Cominform
b) Comecon
c) Agreements at Yalta
d) Elections
e) Resistance movements
f) The Red Army

Explain how events in

a) Greece
b) Czechoslovakia
affected American policy in Europe.

Aims of the Marshall Plan

Political Economic
The Berlin Blockade
Fill out the below flowchart
Key Vocabulary

Homework: make notes on this past paper