Cold war Time Line
Origins of the Cold War
● The Soviet Union and the USA disagreed about how to rebuild Europe after WW2
● USA believed in capitalist system of free markets and multiple political parties
● Soviet Union was founded on a communist system controlled by a centralized state
and a single political party CPSU
● The two nations competed for global influence in the areas of military, economics,
politics, ideology
● Three key features of cold war: the threat of nuclear war, competition over the
allegiance of newly independent nations, military and economic support of each
other's enemies
The Tehran Conference 1943
● Those present were: Stalin: USSR, Roosevelt USA, Churchill UK
● State of the war
○ By 1943 the allies had began to win the war
○ Soviets were pushing germans into retreat
○ UK, USA had driven germans from northern italy and were now invading
mussolini’s italy
○ UK and USA failed to meet Stalin’s demands of creating a second front so
Stalin urged his allies to take on more burdens of the war
○ There was discussion about war in Japan
, ● What to do with Germany
○ No decision could be made about what to do with Germany after it would be
defeated
○ “Unconditional surrender” was their aim
● What to do with Poland
○ Stalin wanted to secure his western border by gaining territory from Poland,
and ensuring Poland had a pro- soviet government
○ It was agreed that the USSR was to keep territory seized in 1939
○ Poland was given territory on its western border from Germany
○ Tensions grew between soviets and polish when 10,000 polish were found in
a mass grave
● What do do with Eastern Europe
○ Soviets demanded to keep territory which they seized between 1939 and
1940 (meant keeping control of the baltic states, parts of finland, romania and
eastern europe)
● What to do with Japan
○ USA and UK urged USSR to enter war with Japan
○ Stalin would not be convinced to do this until the war with Germany was won
● UN
○ USA wanted to establish a replacement for the league of nations
The Yalta Conference 1945
● State of the war
○ Germany was now on the verge of being defeated
○ Soviets had driven Germans from Eastern Europe and were ready to invade
Germany itself
○ UK and USA had forced germans out of france, and ready to invade germany
from the west via the rhine
○ Americans had heavily bombed japan
○ USA was in control of the air and sea in the pacific
● What to do with Germany
○ Allies decided Germany would be disarmed, demilitarized, de-nazified, and
divided
○ Post-war germany would be divided into 4 zones and occupation split
between the USA, UK, USSR, and France
○ An Allied Control commission would be set up to govern Germany
○ Stalin demanded a large percentage of reparation payment from Germany
○ Germany would pay 20 billion of which 50% would go to the USSR
● What to do with Poland
○ New frontiers of poland were decided
○ Border between Poland and USSR would be drawn along the “curzon line”
which put the frontier back to where it had been before the polish-russo war
○ Poles would gain territory from Germany
○ Stalin agreed to a more democratic government in poland with “free elections”
■ British supported the “london poles” who were the pre-war
government who fled to UK
■ Russians wanted the communist Lublin Committee to form post-war
government
● What do do with Eastern Europe
○ Stalin agreed that the countries of Eastern Europe would be able to decide
who governed them in “free elections”
Origins of the Cold War
● The Soviet Union and the USA disagreed about how to rebuild Europe after WW2
● USA believed in capitalist system of free markets and multiple political parties
● Soviet Union was founded on a communist system controlled by a centralized state
and a single political party CPSU
● The two nations competed for global influence in the areas of military, economics,
politics, ideology
● Three key features of cold war: the threat of nuclear war, competition over the
allegiance of newly independent nations, military and economic support of each
other's enemies
The Tehran Conference 1943
● Those present were: Stalin: USSR, Roosevelt USA, Churchill UK
● State of the war
○ By 1943 the allies had began to win the war
○ Soviets were pushing germans into retreat
○ UK, USA had driven germans from northern italy and were now invading
mussolini’s italy
○ UK and USA failed to meet Stalin’s demands of creating a second front so
Stalin urged his allies to take on more burdens of the war
○ There was discussion about war in Japan
, ● What to do with Germany
○ No decision could be made about what to do with Germany after it would be
defeated
○ “Unconditional surrender” was their aim
● What to do with Poland
○ Stalin wanted to secure his western border by gaining territory from Poland,
and ensuring Poland had a pro- soviet government
○ It was agreed that the USSR was to keep territory seized in 1939
○ Poland was given territory on its western border from Germany
○ Tensions grew between soviets and polish when 10,000 polish were found in
a mass grave
● What do do with Eastern Europe
○ Soviets demanded to keep territory which they seized between 1939 and
1940 (meant keeping control of the baltic states, parts of finland, romania and
eastern europe)
● What to do with Japan
○ USA and UK urged USSR to enter war with Japan
○ Stalin would not be convinced to do this until the war with Germany was won
● UN
○ USA wanted to establish a replacement for the league of nations
The Yalta Conference 1945
● State of the war
○ Germany was now on the verge of being defeated
○ Soviets had driven Germans from Eastern Europe and were ready to invade
Germany itself
○ UK and USA had forced germans out of france, and ready to invade germany
from the west via the rhine
○ Americans had heavily bombed japan
○ USA was in control of the air and sea in the pacific
● What to do with Germany
○ Allies decided Germany would be disarmed, demilitarized, de-nazified, and
divided
○ Post-war germany would be divided into 4 zones and occupation split
between the USA, UK, USSR, and France
○ An Allied Control commission would be set up to govern Germany
○ Stalin demanded a large percentage of reparation payment from Germany
○ Germany would pay 20 billion of which 50% would go to the USSR
● What to do with Poland
○ New frontiers of poland were decided
○ Border between Poland and USSR would be drawn along the “curzon line”
which put the frontier back to where it had been before the polish-russo war
○ Poles would gain territory from Germany
○ Stalin agreed to a more democratic government in poland with “free elections”
■ British supported the “london poles” who were the pre-war
government who fled to UK
■ Russians wanted the communist Lublin Committee to form post-war
government
● What do do with Eastern Europe
○ Stalin agreed that the countries of Eastern Europe would be able to decide
who governed them in “free elections”
