HISTORY
SUPERPOWER RELATIONS &
THE COLD WAR
(REVISION GUIDE)
Orla Sullivan
, ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR
CAPITALISM VS COMMUNISM
CAPITALISM –
Capitalists believe everyone should be free to own property & businesses to generate own wealth.
Some people will have more power than others (family background, wealth, educa on,
achievements etc.)
There is a societal hierarchy.
Several poli cal par es and free elec ons which are run democra cally to choose governments.
Freedom of the individual is valued but limited by majority opinion.
Trade with other countries is encouraged and most industry/business/land is privately owned
COMMUNISM –
Based on the wri ngs of Karl Marx, the belief that all property (e.g. homes, businesses etc.) should
belong to the state and be shared fairly amongst everyone in society.
This means there is a classless society with everyone equal (i.e. no upper, middle, or lower class).
The needs of many outweigh the needs of few and individual rights are not priori sed.
There is only one choice of poli cal party (so therefore no choice).
Communism encourages the spread of this ideology in other countries.
TEHRAN CONFERENCE NOV 1943 (WW2)
LEADERS PRESENT: Stalin, Roosevelt, & Churchill
AIM: To work out how to defeat Hitler and win WW2
KEY DECISIONS:
Britain & USA to open second front so Germany must split army, reducing pressure of USSR.
Once Hitler is beaten, USSR will declare war on Japan & help the USA win.
Once Germany is defeated, Poland will get most of its land back, but USSR will keep some
The United Na ons will be set up to prevent WW3
CONSEQUENCES:
Causes tension between Churchill & Roosevelt over where the second front should be. Churchill
wants the Balkans but Stalin wants France – Roosevelt sides with Stalin.
Roosevelt raised his dislike of the Bri sh Empire and cited future problems.
, YALTA CONFERENCE FEB 1945 (WW2 STILL ACTIVE)
LEADERS PRESENT: Stalin, Roosevelt, & Churchill
AIM: How to win WW2 and how Stalin can keep hold of territories he gained.
KEY DECISIONS:
Germany split into 4 zones (USSR, USA, Britain & France)
Germany to pay $20 billion in repara ons (50% goes to USSR for figh ng)
Nazi party to be banned and war criminals punished
Stalin to join war against Japan 3 months a er winning WW2
Stalin promises free elec ons in Eastern Europe in the future
Confirms the United Na ons will be set up
CONSEQUENCES:
Stalin wants all Soviet States to have individual UN seats but USA & GB worried it would grant the
USSR too much power
Russia, Belarus, & Ukraine granted seats in the UN
GB & USA want free elec ons in Poland, but USSR hopes for communism
Britain pushes ‘London Poles’ poli cians to bring Polish democracy causing tension with Stalin
POTSDAM CONFERENCE JULY/AUG 1945 (GERMANY HAS SURRENDERED)
CONTEXT: USA just developed atomic bomb so have threatening power. UN has 51 countries & veto power.
A lee is focussed on Britain and Truman doesn’t get on with Stalin at all.
LEADERS PRESENT: Stalin, Truman, & A lee
AIM: To sort out post-WW2 se lement and put Yalta/Tehran into prac ce.
KEY DECISIONS:
Germany is divided into the 4 zones agreed upon at Yalta
Berlin is also divided (despite being in USSR’s zone)
Each power is to take their own repara ons from their zone and Stalin takes ¼ from all zones too
No agreement made over eastern Europe
Truman disagrees over Poland as he wants new democra c government
CONSEQUENCES:
Truman began to see the Soviet Union’s Red Army as an army of occupa on; however, he couldn’t
do much without risking a war.
The rela onship between the Grand Alliance is strained
SUPERPOWER RELATIONS &
THE COLD WAR
(REVISION GUIDE)
Orla Sullivan
, ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR
CAPITALISM VS COMMUNISM
CAPITALISM –
Capitalists believe everyone should be free to own property & businesses to generate own wealth.
Some people will have more power than others (family background, wealth, educa on,
achievements etc.)
There is a societal hierarchy.
Several poli cal par es and free elec ons which are run democra cally to choose governments.
Freedom of the individual is valued but limited by majority opinion.
Trade with other countries is encouraged and most industry/business/land is privately owned
COMMUNISM –
Based on the wri ngs of Karl Marx, the belief that all property (e.g. homes, businesses etc.) should
belong to the state and be shared fairly amongst everyone in society.
This means there is a classless society with everyone equal (i.e. no upper, middle, or lower class).
The needs of many outweigh the needs of few and individual rights are not priori sed.
There is only one choice of poli cal party (so therefore no choice).
Communism encourages the spread of this ideology in other countries.
TEHRAN CONFERENCE NOV 1943 (WW2)
LEADERS PRESENT: Stalin, Roosevelt, & Churchill
AIM: To work out how to defeat Hitler and win WW2
KEY DECISIONS:
Britain & USA to open second front so Germany must split army, reducing pressure of USSR.
Once Hitler is beaten, USSR will declare war on Japan & help the USA win.
Once Germany is defeated, Poland will get most of its land back, but USSR will keep some
The United Na ons will be set up to prevent WW3
CONSEQUENCES:
Causes tension between Churchill & Roosevelt over where the second front should be. Churchill
wants the Balkans but Stalin wants France – Roosevelt sides with Stalin.
Roosevelt raised his dislike of the Bri sh Empire and cited future problems.
, YALTA CONFERENCE FEB 1945 (WW2 STILL ACTIVE)
LEADERS PRESENT: Stalin, Roosevelt, & Churchill
AIM: How to win WW2 and how Stalin can keep hold of territories he gained.
KEY DECISIONS:
Germany split into 4 zones (USSR, USA, Britain & France)
Germany to pay $20 billion in repara ons (50% goes to USSR for figh ng)
Nazi party to be banned and war criminals punished
Stalin to join war against Japan 3 months a er winning WW2
Stalin promises free elec ons in Eastern Europe in the future
Confirms the United Na ons will be set up
CONSEQUENCES:
Stalin wants all Soviet States to have individual UN seats but USA & GB worried it would grant the
USSR too much power
Russia, Belarus, & Ukraine granted seats in the UN
GB & USA want free elec ons in Poland, but USSR hopes for communism
Britain pushes ‘London Poles’ poli cians to bring Polish democracy causing tension with Stalin
POTSDAM CONFERENCE JULY/AUG 1945 (GERMANY HAS SURRENDERED)
CONTEXT: USA just developed atomic bomb so have threatening power. UN has 51 countries & veto power.
A lee is focussed on Britain and Truman doesn’t get on with Stalin at all.
LEADERS PRESENT: Stalin, Truman, & A lee
AIM: To sort out post-WW2 se lement and put Yalta/Tehran into prac ce.
KEY DECISIONS:
Germany is divided into the 4 zones agreed upon at Yalta
Berlin is also divided (despite being in USSR’s zone)
Each power is to take their own repara ons from their zone and Stalin takes ¼ from all zones too
No agreement made over eastern Europe
Truman disagrees over Poland as he wants new democra c government
CONSEQUENCES:
Truman began to see the Soviet Union’s Red Army as an army of occupa on; however, he couldn’t
do much without risking a war.
The rela onship between the Grand Alliance is strained
