Reasons for the Cold War
Soviet-US Rivalry
The Revolution
- In WWI, Russia (USSR) fought on the same side as GB/FR/USA until
October 1917
- A revolution in Russia and the Bolsheviks taking over meant Russia had
to step out of war
- They signed a peace treaty with Germany. GB/FR/US were angry about
this and the Bolsheviks
- So, they sent forces to support the White Russians to defeat the
Bolsheviks to get Russia in war
- They failed and, by 1922, USSR (new name) was fully communist, to the
West’s disapproval
1920s/30s
- 1928 – GB/FR/Italy allowed Hitler to take over German ethnic parts of
Czechoslovakia
- It was close to the Soviet border and Stalin wasn’t even told – he knew
the West didn’t care
- 1939 - GB/FR knew Hitler wanted Poland but knew the USSR also wanted
it, so he couldn’t
- In fact, the Nazi-Soviet Pact signed by Stalin and Hitler meant they split
Poland between them
- Both Soviet and German forces entered and took control – GB/FR
declared war on Germany
- GB/FR felt betrayed by Stalin – but they soon joined together when Hitler
invaded USSR 1941
WWII
- The USSR (Stalin), US (FDR), and GB (Churchill) all fought against
Hitler’s Germany
- They had joined together to form ‘The Grand Alliance’, who were close to
winning the war
- They helped each other in need (e.g – Germany invaded USSR and they
gave weapons/food)
- April 1945 – the forces reached Berlin and Germany was defeated – Hitler
surrendered
- The US and USSR, as allies, became suspicious of each other, which soon
worsened within a year
- 70, 000 of Stalin’s men died when attacking Berlin, only because he
wanted to reach it before US
Soviet-US Rivalry
The Revolution
- In WWI, Russia (USSR) fought on the same side as GB/FR/USA until
October 1917
- A revolution in Russia and the Bolsheviks taking over meant Russia had
to step out of war
- They signed a peace treaty with Germany. GB/FR/US were angry about
this and the Bolsheviks
- So, they sent forces to support the White Russians to defeat the
Bolsheviks to get Russia in war
- They failed and, by 1922, USSR (new name) was fully communist, to the
West’s disapproval
1920s/30s
- 1928 – GB/FR/Italy allowed Hitler to take over German ethnic parts of
Czechoslovakia
- It was close to the Soviet border and Stalin wasn’t even told – he knew
the West didn’t care
- 1939 - GB/FR knew Hitler wanted Poland but knew the USSR also wanted
it, so he couldn’t
- In fact, the Nazi-Soviet Pact signed by Stalin and Hitler meant they split
Poland between them
- Both Soviet and German forces entered and took control – GB/FR
declared war on Germany
- GB/FR felt betrayed by Stalin – but they soon joined together when Hitler
invaded USSR 1941
WWII
- The USSR (Stalin), US (FDR), and GB (Churchill) all fought against
Hitler’s Germany
- They had joined together to form ‘The Grand Alliance’, who were close to
winning the war
- They helped each other in need (e.g – Germany invaded USSR and they
gave weapons/food)
- April 1945 – the forces reached Berlin and Germany was defeated – Hitler
surrendered
- The US and USSR, as allies, became suspicious of each other, which soon
worsened within a year
- 70, 000 of Stalin’s men died when attacking Berlin, only because he
wanted to reach it before US
