In this lesson, we will go through the origins of the Cold War, going right back to the Russian Revolution all the way to the events that followed the end of WWII.

1. The Origins
of the Cold
War

3. Why did the USA & the USSR become
Cold War enemies?
Reasons for the Cold War
• Background: Ideological conflict
• WWII: An alliance of necessity
with continued distrust
• Post-WWII: Worsening relations
between the USA & the USSR
Manifestations of the Cold War
• Carving out spheres of influence
• Superpower confrontation
• Formation of military alliances
• Extension & international
impact of the Cold War

4. Background:
Ideological
conflict
WWII:
An alliance of
necessity with
continued distrust
Post-WWII:
Worsening
relations between
the USA & USSR

5. Background:
Ideological conflict

6. Background: Ideological conflict
The USA:
Democratic & Capitalist
• Vision:
Protect the individual rights &
right to self-determination
• Political system:
Right to choose ruling party
from among two or more
• Economic system:
Free market economy
The USSR:
Communist
• Vision:
Destroy capitalism to create a
utopian world where all are equal
• Political system:
Only 1 party allowed – i.e. the
Communist Party
• Economic system:
Command economy

7. Background:
Ideological conflict
• Russian Civil War after the Russian Revolution in 1917
• America sent 5000 troops and other aid to help the ‘Whites’
topple the communist Bolshevik government in Russia
• Bolsheviks eventually won, but America’s involvement sowed the
seeds of distrust towards the USA

8. Background:
Ideological
conflict
WWII:
An alliance of
necessity with
continued distrust
Post-WWII:
Worsening
relations between
the USA & USSR

9. WWII:
An alliance of necessity with continued distrust
Underlying tensions
• 1939: Stalin signs the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
 Britain & France began to distrust the Soviet Union
• 1941: Hitler betrays Stalin and invades the Soviet Union
 The Soviet Union is forced to join the Allies against Germany
 ‘Marriage of convenience’ against a common enemy
 ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’ (…but for how long?)

10. WWII:
An alliance of necessity
with continued distrust
Perceived delay in opening a second front
• Stalin wanted the USA & Britain to open a ‘second front’ in
France against Germany (see map on the next slide)
• This was only done in June 1944 with the D-Day landings
• The Allies waited until they were confident of its success
• Stalin suspected that they delayed the attack so that Germany & the
USSR could weaken each other first

11. Second Front

12. WWII:
An alliance of necessity
with continued distrust
Disagreements during negotiations for a post-war settlement
Two major meetings between the victorious powers:
Yalta (Feb 1945)
&
Potsdam (July-Aug 1945)

13. Spot the difference!
Yalta Potsdam

14. WWII:
An alliance of necessity
with continued distrust
Yalta
• Stalin, Roosevelt & Churchill
• The Big Three seemed to agree on a
number of points (p.6)
• However, some slight differences
began to emerge over:
• Control of Poland
• Germany’s economy
• Sphere of influence in Europe
Potsdam
• Stalin, Truman & Attlee
• Truman was less dependent on Stalin
and less willing to compromise than
Roosevelt (see next factor)
• Major disagreements emerged over
the USSR’s treatment of Poland,
German reparations & the fate of
Eastern Europe

16. WWII:
An alliance of necessity
with continued distrust
American nuclear monopoly
• America developed the atomic bomb without informing the Soviet Union
• Truman wanted to use the atomic bombs so that the Soviet Union wouldn’t
be needed to defeat Japan
However…
• Soviet spies had already informed Stalin before Truman officially told him!
• This made the Soviets even more suspicious of the Americans!

17. And just 4 years later…

18. Background:
Ideological
conflict
WWII:
An alliance of
necessity with
continued distrust
Post-WWII:
Worsening
relations between
the USA & USSR

21. Post-WWII:
Worsening relations between the superpowers
The Devastation of Europe
• WWII left Europe in ruins (p.12)
• The governments in Germany & Italy completely collapsed
• Britain & France were severely crippled by the war
• This created a power vacuum in Europe
• The USA and the USSR emerged as superpowers due to their
overwhelming military might at the end of WWII

22. Post-WWII:
Worsening relations between the superpowers
End of wartime alliance  competition for influence
• The destruction of Nazi Germany meant that the USA & the USSR didn’t
need to remain as allies
• The USA was afraid that the USSR would begin to spread communism
across the rest of Europe through revolution
• The USSR was afraid that the USA would create a ring of capitalist
countries to encircle it [the USSR]

23. Post-WWII:
Worsening relations between the superpowers
Establishment of
Soviet satellite states
(1945 onwards)
Kennan’s Long
Telegram & the ‘Iron
Curtain’ speech (Feb
& Mar 1946)
Truman Doctrine
(Mar 1947)
The Marshall Plan
(Jun 1947)
Cominform &
Comecon (Sep 1947
& 1949)

24. Post-WWII:
Worsening relations between the superpowers
Soviet Satellite States
• The USSR established communist governments in Eastern Europe using
salami tactics (see p.13 margin)
• These countries were supposed to be independent, but heavily influenced
by the USSR
• The USA interpreted this as an aggressive plan to spread communism

26. Post-WWII:
Worsening relations between the superpowers
The Policy of Containment
• Reversed America’s former policy of isolationism
• Adopted to prevent the spread of communism
• Reduce Soviet influence around the world
• Increase American influence around the world

27. CONTAINMENT
Kennan’s
‘Long
Telegram’
Marshall
Plan
Truman
Doctrine
Iron
Curtain

28. Post-WWII:
Worsening relations between the superpowers
Kennan’s ‘Long Telegram’
• Kennan’s ‘Long Telegram’ shaped American foreign policy towards the USSR
• Advised the USA to:
• Be wary of Soviet expansionism & aggression
• Shift away from the policy of isolationism
• Pursue a ‘long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment’ of Soviet expansionism
Effect: Established containment as
the central focus of America’s foreign policy

29. March 5, 1946
‘From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has
descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of
the ancient states of Central Europe: Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna,
Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia. All these famous cities and the
populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere.
And all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet
influence, but to a very high and, in many cases, increasing measure of
control from Moscow.’

30. (swapped)

31. Post-WWII:
Worsening relations between the superpowers
Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ speech
• Churchill delivered his famous ‘Iron Curtain’ speech in Missouri, America
• Created the visual metaphor/motif of Europe divided
• Helped to turn American public opinion against the USSR
Effect: Increased popular support in the West for containment

32. I believe it must be the policy of the United
States to support free peoples who are resisting
attempted subjugation (*ahem*COMMUNIST
RULE*ahem*) by armed minorities
(*ahem*COMMUNIST REBELS*ahem*) or by outside
pressures (*ahem*THE USSR*ahem*).

33. (swapped)

34. Post-WWII:
Worsening relations between the superpowers
Truman Doctrine
• Doctrine: a stated principle that guides government policy
• Taken from a speech by Truman
• Triggered by rising communist influence in Greece & Turkey
• Promised to provide political, military and economic aid for countries
trying to stop the spread of communism
Effect: Outlined how containment would be carried out

35. Post-WWII:
Worsening relations between the superpowers
Marshall Plan
• Practical implementation of the Truman Doctrine
• Free economic aid from America to help European countries rebuild
• Offered to all countries – including those under Soviet influence
• Reduce the appeal of communism
• Establish Europe as America’s main export market

38. Post-WWII:
Worsening relations between the superpowers
Marshall Plan
• Some Eastern European countries wanted Marshall Aid…
BUT
• Stalin forbade them from doing so!!!
• The USSR offered its own alternatives to these Eastern European countries:
Cominform (vs. Truman Doctrine) & COMECON (vs. Marshall Plan)
Effect: Divided Europe into two blocs –
pro-American & pro-Soviet

39. CONTAINMENT
Kennan’s
‘Long
Telegram’
Marshall
Plan
Truman
Doctrine
Iron
Curtain

40. Background:
Ideological
conflict
WWII:
An alliance of
necessity with
continued distrust
Post-WWII:
Worsening
relations between
the USA & USSR

41. Why did the USA & the USSR become
Cold War enemies?
Reasons for the Cold War
• Background: Ideological conflict
• WWII: An alliance of necessity
with continued distrust
• Post-WWII: Worsening relations
between the USA & the USSR
Manifestations of the Cold War
• Carving out spheres of influence
• Superpower confrontation
• Formation of military alliances
• Extension & international
impact of the Cold War

42. Spheres
of
influence
Berlin
Blockade
Military
Alliances
Extension
of the
Cold War

43. Manifestations of the Cold War
Carving out spheres of influence
• Europe became divided into two competing blocs
• Beginning of bi-polarity
• The Cold War came to be seen as a zero-sum game
• Every loss for ‘us’ is a win for ‘them’ and vice versa

44. Spheres
of
influence
Berlin
Blockade
Military
Alliances
Extension
of the
Cold War

45. Manifestations of the Cold War
Superpower confrontation: The Berlin Blockade
• Germany was divided into four zones after WWII: French, American, British and
Soviet
• The city of Berlin was also divided into four zones (see map on next slide)
• America & Britain wanted to rebuild Germany’s economy
• The USSR (and France) wanted to punish Germany with huge reparations
• The USSR also wanted to make sure Germany had a communist government

46. Germany, 1945
Berlin
Capital of
Germany

47. Superpower confrontation: The Berlin Blockade
Jan 1947: America & Britain merge their zones into Bizonia
Jun 1948:
• June 21-22: Bizonia releases a new currency, which causes the old currency to flood into
the Soviet zone, which triggers inflation in the Soviet zone (see the table on p. 21)
• June 24: In response, Stalin cuts off all land and sea movement into West Berlin. He also
cuts off all communication, food supplies and electricity
• June 26: Berlin Airlift begins, where America & Britain flew supplies into West Berlin for
the next 11 months – at its height, one plane landed in West Berlin every 30 seconds
Sep 1949: Stalin officially ends the Berlin Blockade

49. Manifestations of the Cold War
Superpower confrontation: The Berlin Blockade
Effects:
• Humiliated the Soviet Union
• Boosted the credibility of the Western powers
• Convinced the French to work more closely with the USA & Britain
• Germany became formally divided into West Germany & East Germany

50. Spheres
of
influence
Berlin
Blockade
Military
Alliances
Extension
of the
Cold War

52. Manifestations of the Cold War
Formation of military alliances
• NATO (1949) – an American-European alliance led by the USA
• Allowed US troops to be permanently stationed in Europe
• Departure from America’s previous policy of isolationism
• The Warsaw Pact (1955) – military alliance led by the USSR
• Formal recognition of Soviet military presence in Eastern Europe
• Real objective was to defend the Soviet Union from possible invasion
Effects:
Contributed heavily to bipolarity & hostility between the superpowers
Established the USA & USSR as dominant forces in Europe

54. Spheres
of
influence
Berlin
Blockade
Military
Alliances
Extension
of the
Cold War

55. Manifestations of the Cold War
Extension of the Cold War
• The Korean War (1950-1953)
 first armed conflict since WWII
• The Bandung Conference (1955)
 an alternative to bipolarity

56. Manifestations of the Cold War
Extension of the Cold War beyond Europe
• The Berlin Wall (1961)
 Physical symbol of Cold War division
& the Iron Curtain
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1963)
 world almost killed itself
with BIG NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS 

57. Spheres
of
influence
Berlin
Blockade
Military
Alliances
Extension
of the
Cold War

58. Why did the USA & the USSR become
Cold War enemies?
Reasons for the Cold War
• Background: Ideological conflict
• WWII: An alliance of necessity
with continued distrust
• Post-WWII: Worsening relations
between the USA & the USSR
Manifestations of the Cold War
• Carving out spheres of influence
• Superpower confrontation
• Formation of military alliances
• Extension & international
impact of the Cold War