CH 4: The Cold War
Although the USA and USSR fought together during the Second World War, it was more of a strategic
wartime alliance instead of a long-lasting one. This is because they were united by a common enemy -
Hitler, but once the war was over and Germany had been punished, it was not long before the two
countries remembered their differences.
The USSR had been communist for more than 30 years but the majority of American politicians and
business leaders hated and feared communism (this also made the USSR wary of the USA).
Both countries believed that their way of life was superior to all the others, which led to a clash in
ideological beliefs.
USA USSR
The USA was capitalist, meaning The USSR was communist meaning that all industry was
that business and property were owned and run by the state
privately owned
It was a democracy → the It was a one-party dictatorship → elections were
government was chosen in held, but all candidates belonged to the
free democratic elections Communist Party
America was the world’s The USSR was an economic superpower because of a rapidly
wealthiest country, but with increasing industry in the 1920s and 30s, but the general
extreme wealth inequality (some standard of living in the USSR was much lower than the USA
people were very wealthy while (however, unemployment and extreme poverty was rarer)
other very poor)
For Americans, being free of For communists, the rights of individuals were seen as less
control by the government was important than the good of society as a whole, therefore
more important than everyone individuals’ lives were tightly controlled
being equal
Most American firmly believe that Most Soviet people believed that other countries should be
other countries should be run in run in the communist way
the American way
In February 1945, Germany’s imminent defeat called for a meeting of the Allied leaders (Stalin,
Roosevelt, Churchill) which was held in Yalta, Ukraine. It seemed that, although they could not all agree,
they were still able to negotiate and do business with one another.
Although the USA and USSR fought together during the Second World War, it was more of a strategic
wartime alliance instead of a long-lasting one. This is because they were united by a common enemy -
Hitler, but once the war was over and Germany had been punished, it was not long before the two
countries remembered their differences.
The USSR had been communist for more than 30 years but the majority of American politicians and
business leaders hated and feared communism (this also made the USSR wary of the USA).
Both countries believed that their way of life was superior to all the others, which led to a clash in
ideological beliefs.
USA USSR
The USA was capitalist, meaning The USSR was communist meaning that all industry was
that business and property were owned and run by the state
privately owned
It was a democracy → the It was a one-party dictatorship → elections were
government was chosen in held, but all candidates belonged to the
free democratic elections Communist Party
America was the world’s The USSR was an economic superpower because of a rapidly
wealthiest country, but with increasing industry in the 1920s and 30s, but the general
extreme wealth inequality (some standard of living in the USSR was much lower than the USA
people were very wealthy while (however, unemployment and extreme poverty was rarer)
other very poor)
For Americans, being free of For communists, the rights of individuals were seen as less
control by the government was important than the good of society as a whole, therefore
more important than everyone individuals’ lives were tightly controlled
being equal
Most American firmly believe that Most Soviet people believed that other countries should be
other countries should be run in run in the communist way
the American way
In February 1945, Germany’s imminent defeat called for a meeting of the Allied leaders (Stalin,
Roosevelt, Churchill) which was held in Yalta, Ukraine. It seemed that, although they could not all agree,
they were still able to negotiate and do business with one another.
