IGCSE HISTORY CHAPTER 4 HOW THE COLD WAR BEGAN

CIE IGCSE HISTORY 2026

Why were the USSR a part of the allies?

-Alliance of convenience

• The USSR was wary of the US and its allies because they supported the White Army during the November revolution and civil war

• USA, France, and Britain’s ruling class despised the USSR

How was the USSR ideologically?

-Communist

-One Party

-Less Wealth but Less extremes

-Individuals were less important than the whole

-They would encourage communist revolution

-Thought the USA was building an empire

How was the USA ideologically?

Capitalist

Democracy

Extreme Wealth inequality

Freedom more important than equality

Scared of revolution

What were the major changes after the second world war?

Two world powers emerged

USA were now interested in the global theater

What were the agreements at the Yalta conference?

Stalin Agreed to attack japan

Germany would be divided into zones of influence

Liberated countries would hold elections

All agreed to join the UN

Agreed to punish war criminals

Eastern Europe would be Stalin’s zone of influence

What were the main disagreements at the Yalta Conference?

Poland

-Stalin wanted to control Poland

-Roosevelt and Churchill agreed as long as the Soviet did not interfere in Greece

What were the Major changes between Yalta and Potsdam?

-Stalin occupied most of Eastern Europe

• Set up communist governments there

• Stationed troops across Eastern Europe

• People were fleeing

-New US president

• Roosevelt died

• Truman was more anti-communist

• Rivalry between him and Stalin sparked up

-Atomic Bomb Test

• Truman informed Stalin of the test

-Churchill replaced by Clement Attlee

What were the new Disagreements at Potsdam Conference?

-Germany

• Stalin wanted to destroy Germany

• Truman didn’t want another Versailles

-Reparations

• Stalin lost more than 20 million people to the war and demanded compensation

• Truman didn’t want another Treaty of Versailles

-Eastern Europe

• Truman went back on the USA’s words to allow Stalin to control Eastern Europe

• Truman thought a united Eastern Europe would be unstoppable and so was extremely anti-Stalin

How did Stalin gain control over Eastern Europe?

-Secret police to suppress and expel anti-communists

-COMINFORM to maintain control over governments

• Network of communist Governments

• Allowed Stalin to install the most loyal leaders

How did each nation in the Eastern Bloc become communists

Germany-Allies given to the USSR 1945

Poland-Communist joined coalition government then exiled leaders of other parties in 1947

Czechoslovakia-1945 coalition of left-wing parties; 1946 became largest party; exiled others 1948

Hungary-became largest party in 1947; imprisoned church leaders, opposition leaders

Romania-1945 elected PM; 1947 abolished monarchy

Bulgaria-Won election in 1945

Yugoslavia-Tito was an anti-fascist resistance leader. Elected in 1945, left Cominform 1948

Albania-Immediately after War

Greece-UK, USA crushed communist

Italy and France- Powerful communist parties

What was the Truman Doctrine?

-Contain communism

-Started after Greek intervention

-Send money and equipment to stop communist expansion

What was the Marshall plan, why was it approved, and why was it created?

-Gave aid to destroyed nations in Europe

• Truman believed communism would grow in poverty stricken nations

• Shortages of goods, bread, coal and rampant unemployment, refugees, and homelessness in Europe

• Europe owed the USA 11.5 billion dollars

• 17 billion dollars of US aid

-1948 Czechoslovakian intervention and purge of anti-communist led congress to approve the Marshall plan

-Why

• New markets

• No communist influence

• Selfish interest

• Wanted to enforce free market and democratic policies

• enforced “Open Door” policies forcing nations to not put tariffs on US goods (no protectionism to grow domestic industries)

What were the events of the Greek intervention by the United Kingdom and USA?

-Greek communist and Royalist fought over control of the nation

-1945 British installed King

-1946 Fought Royalists

-1947 British troops withdrew but some stayed with US funding

-1950 Royalist in power but constantly threatened with crises

Why did the Berlin Blockade happen?

-result of growing distrust

-Stalin wanted to show that he would fight against encroachment

What actually happened during the Blockade?

-Planes flew supplies in

-No shots fired

-blockade lifted after 10 months

What were the main consequences of the Berlin Blockade?

-Powerful Symbol for Both sides

• A powerful symbol for democracy against tyranny

• Cancer to communist nations

-Flashpoint

• one of the few times USSR and USA came close to war

-Patterns

• the first conflict direct

• Signs of following mistrust and close calls

• Constant propaganda

NATO and Warsaw Pact members?

Warsaw Pact

• USSR, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Poland, Hungary

NATO

• USA, UK, France, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, West Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway, Portugal, Turkey, Netherlands