The beginning of the Cold War

1
The beginning of the Cold War

• Communism and Capitalism
• Yalta and Potsdam

2
Aims of the lesson

• By the end of this lesson you will
• Understand what we mean by the terms Capitalism
  and Communism
• Understand what we mean by the term cold war
• Describe how and why the cold war broke out at
  the end of the Second World War

3
Capitalism

• Believe in democracy and free elections
• Everyone should be able to earn what they like
  and make money
• Businesses and agriculture is privately owned
• Big differences between rich and poor
• Do not like Communism

4
Communism

• One party state
• No elections
• State controls all businesses no one allowed to
  make money
• Little difference between rich and poor
• Hate capitalism and want to spread communism
  around the world

5
The cold war

• The two systems did not get on and the threat of
  nuclear war prevented an all out war what
  resulted was a cold war
• During World War Two the USA, USSR and Britain
  were on the same side
• At the end of the war they fell out over the way
  in which Europe was to be ruled after the war

6
The Yalta Conference Feb 1945

• Churchill Britain
• Stalin USSR
• Roosevelt USA
• Agreed to divide Germany into four zones
• The USSR would have influence over eastern Europe
  but each country would be allowed free elections

7
Points of conflict

• Poland had been liberated by Soviet troop and a
  communist government had been established. West
  did not like this
• Exiled Poles in London wanted free elections as
  promised by the British and Americans
• Stalin refused to allow elections and did not
  trust the USA and Britain after this

8
The Potsdam Conference July 1945

• Germany defeated
• Churchill replaced by Atlee
• Roosevelt replaced by Truman
• Stalin the only survivor from Yalta tried to
  take advantage of this
• Truman and Stalin did not get on the start of
  the cold war

9
Growing divisions

• Germany the USSR wanted to keep her weak
  Britain and the USA realised that she needed to
  be strong to stop the spread of Communism
• Stalin demanded reparations of Germany and he
  stripped East Germany of money and equipment
• Stalin broke and agreement to sent coal and oil
  to Britain and the USA in return for industrial
  goods