Who was to blame for the Cold War?

Why did the US–Soviet alliance begin to break down in 1945?

Capitalism vs Communism

• The relationship between the USA and the Soviets first started to decline as their ideologies were extremely different. The USA was capitalist, whereas the Soviet Union was communist.

  
  

• America was a democracy with free and various party elections, freedom of the press, large gaps between rich and poor, privately owned businesses, and personal freedom. In Russia, there were small gaps between the rich and the poor. TV was censored to only show certain programs, and the country had a single ruler with total control. The government owned all businesses, and there was little to no freedom.

  
  

• American citizens had freedom of speech and rights that were protected by the American Constitution. Additionally, they were free to believe any religious or political belief. However, in Soviet Russia, citizens had few rights, and millions were oppressed for holding religious beliefs.

  
  

Why Stalin distrusted the West

• Stalin distrusted the West as the Treaty of Versailles did not reward Russia in any way.

  
  

• Western powers did not let Russia join the League of Nations after the First World War.

  
  

• During the First World War, Winston Churchill would not share his knowledge about the Enigma codes with Stalin.

  
  

• During the Russian Civil War in 1918, the West (Britain, France, and America) sent soldiers to try to defeat the communists in Russia. Thus, this led the Soviets to fear attacks from capitalist countries.

  
  

• Britain and France had given Hitler what he wanted to try to avoid another war.

  
  

Why the West distrusted Stalin

• The USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

  
  

• Stalin was secretive during the war and would not share battle plans.

  
  

• There were many laws placed by Stalin which were not seen as ethically moral towards his people, such as the formation of prison camps.

  
  

• During the First World War, soldiers from the West were not allowed to move freely around Russia.

  
  

• In August 1944, the Soviets wouldn’t help the Polish resistance to fight the Germans because they were anti-Communist. They died in large numbers.

  
  

• Western leaders feared that the Soviet Union would share similar ambitions as the Tsars, in which they wanted to expand into Central Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.

  
  

  The Yalta Conference (February 1945)

  
  

• Hosted in Ukraine in February 1945, before the end of the Second World War.

• In attendance were Roosevelt representing America, Churchill representing Britain, and Stalin, who was representing Russia.

  
  

What was decided:

• It was decided that Germany and Berlin would be split into four occupational zones (for Britain, France, the USA, and Russia) and their eastern borders would move westwards.

  
  

• As well as this, they would cap reparations at $20 billion, with the USSR getting 50% and soldiers would hunt down and punish war criminals.

  
  

• The United Nations would form, and the members would be Germany's opponents.

  
  

• In the United Nations, the Security Council would have five permanent members and the power of veto, which meant they had the power to stop a legal action.

  
  

• The United Nations would be set up in San Francisco in June of 1945.

  
  

• Once Germany was defeated, Russia would help the USA fight Japan in order to get back the land they lost in the Russo-Japanese War.

  
  

• The Soviets would make Manchuria and Outer Mongolia their sphere of influence.

  
  

• A provisional government would be formed in Poland, made up of the London and Lublin Poles, and free multi-party elections would be held.

  
  

• At the Yalta conference, there was respect between Roosevelt and Stalin; however, Churchill was extremely anti-communists and believed Stalin was trying to spread communism.