Early tension between East and west

Capitalism

• USA and UK

• Several political parties

• Democratic elections

• Free to setup private businesses

• Individual freedoms are important

• Freedom of speech

• Freedom of media

Communism

• One party state

• No democratic elections

• Businesses and factories owned by state

• Individual freedoms less important than obedience

• Censorship and state controlled media

Tehran conference - 1943

Objectives:

• Plan liberation of France

Outcomes

• USA and UK to invade France in May 1944

• USSR to join USA and UK in war against Japan

Yalta conference objectives - 1945

Main goal was to decide what to do with Germany after allied victory

Yalta conference outcomes - 1945

1. Germany to be divided into 4 zones

2. Berlin to be divided into 4 zones

3. Countries freed from Nazi control to guaranteed free, democratic elections

4. Stalin to join war against Japan

5. Put Nazi's on trial

6. Set up the UN

Potsdam conference - 1945

Main objective was to finalise a post-war plan and put everything agreed at Yalta into place however it was rife with disagreements

Potsdam disagreements - New US president

• Roosevelt died

• Was replaced by Harry Truman

• Truman openly disliked communism and Stalin

• Truman was a lot harsher than Roosevelt

Potsdam disagreements - nuclear threat

• 16 July 1945 = USA successfully explode the atomic bomb

• USA didn't tell USSR

• Stalin knew already anyway through spies

• Caused tension between USA and USSR

Potsdam disagreements - expansion of communism

• Stalin broke agreement of Free elections in liberated Nazi territory

• Red army controlled Poland

• USSR setting up communist government there