cold war - impact of world war two

Ideology and nuclear weapons were not the only issues which caused the Cold War; World War Two

also caused tensions between the two sides.

World War Two

The Soviet Union was angry with the UK and USA before the Second World War started.

They were worried by Hitler and wanted

someone to stop him. But the USA and UK did

not act.

Neither the USA or USSR was involved at the

start of World War Two in 1939.

However in 1941 both sides joined the war after the USSR was

attacked by Germany, and Japan attacked the US Naval Base at Pearl

Harbour.

The Soviet Union, UK and USA were now

allies. However the Soviets were angry at their allies’ failure

to invade Europe.

This meant most fighting was between Germany and Russia. Soviet leader Joseph

Stalin thought this was deliberate.

Stalin wanted to see the US and Britain open up a second front by invading France. This would split Germany’s

troops and relieve the pressure on

Russia.

Eventually the USA and UK invaded France

on D-Day in June 1944.

Yalta and Potsdam

After the 1944 D-Day invasions, it became clear that the Allies

were likely to win WW2.

Wartime conferences took place in Yalta

(Ukraine) and Potsdam (Germany) with the ‘Big

Three’.

This lead to arguments as the USA wanted free elections in Europe but the Soviets wanted to control large parts.

One likely place of conflict was Poland, where each side had different views what

should happen.

The Yalta Conference reached many agreements

about what to do in Europe, including:

• Setting up the United Nations

• Dividing Germany and Berlin

• Free elections in Europe• USSR control of parts of Poland

• USSR join war against Japan

The Allies were due to confirm these

agreements at the Potsdam meeting.

Before this meeting took place (in August 1945) the European War came to an end with the surrender of Germany, after Adolf Hitler’s

suicide.

When the allies eventually met in

Potsdam, the Pacific War was almost over.

The USA had developed an atomic bomb and dropped two of these on Japan to force them to surrender.

The allies’ relationship was also about to end.