Tension Between the Allies

Capitalism:

• Free elections.

• Goods were produced and sold in a free market.

• Businesses are privately owned.

• Many people can be unemployed.

• Inequality in wealth.

• Individual freedom of speech, expression and religion.

Communism:

• One party state.

• Planned economy.

• Businesses are state owned.

• Almost everyone is employed.

• Wealth is shared equally.

• Individuals must do what’s right for the country, human rights may be abused.

USSR:

• Union of Soviet Socialist Republic.

• In 1917 the Tsar of Russia was overthrown during the Russian Revolution.

• Lenin created a socialist state.

Western Allies:

• USA, UK and France.

• Under a capitalist system.

• Democratic.

• February 1945.

• Big 3: Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, Josef Stalin.

• Germany had to surrender.

• Germany would be divided into four sections government by each Ally.

• Russia would help defeat Japan.

• They created the United Nations.

• Russia would allow free elections in Eastern Europe.

• Churchill and Roosevelt distrusted Stalin.

• The race to Berlin: The Allies tried to invade Berlin quickly to end WWII and they all wanted to be first to get credit.

• 17 July - 2 August 1945.

The Big Three:

• Clement Atlee with Winston Churchill.

• Harry Truman.

• Josef Stalin.

The Leaders Agreed on:

• Land boundaries.

• Punishments.

• The German economy.

• Surrender of Japan.

Increased Tensions:

• Russia refused to withdraw from Eastern Europe.

• He claimed it was defensive.

Britain:

• There were elections in Britain. Clement won over Churchill.

• Clement deeply distrusted Stalin.

USA:

• Roosevelt died, Truman took over.

• He was suspicious of Stalin.

• America was testing an Atomic Bomb in New Mexico.

USSR:

• Truman didn’t tell Stalin about the bomb.

• Stalin knew because he had spies (KGB).

• 26 July the Potsdam Declaration threated Japan with destruction unless they surrendered.

The Truman Doctrine:

• 1947.

• Doctrine - set of beliefs or a government policy.

• Truman promised things to any country threatened by communist take-over.

  • Advice.

  • Money.

  • Equipment.

  • Support.

Marshall Plan:

• Many Americans believed poor countries liked communism.

• The struggling European countries post-war were favoring socialist parties.

• US Secretary of State - George Marshall made a plan:

  • Provide money to rebuild Europe.

• The US paid over 13 billion dollars.

• Stalin believed the USA was trying to make Europe dependent on them.

Division of Germany:

• Yalta and Potsdam conferences decided on the fate of Germany.

• The Western Allies governed West Germany, USSR governed East Germany.

• The Western Allies combined their economies.

• The USSR imposed communism on East Germany.

Division of Berlin:

• Located in the Soviet region, but still divide into quarters.

• In 1948 the Western Allies combined their zones and introduced a new currency.

• Western Berlin benefited from the new currency and received Marshall Aid.

• East Berliners noticed the difference, 3 million people moved to West Germany.

• This humiliated the USSR.

The Berlin Airlift:

• East Germany was threatening to take over West Berlin.

• In 1948 a Soviet blockade was made to starve the Western Allies out of the city.

• The Allies airlifted supplies to their sector.

• The Airlift lasted for over a year. 2.3 million tons of food, fuel, etc. was delivered.

• The blockade was called off in 1949.

The Berlin Wall:

• Between 1948 and 1960 Berlin developed differently.

  • West was modern and rich.

  • East was poor and run down.

• In August 1961 The USSR under Khrushchev built a wall to stop East Berliners from leaving.

• It had barbed wire and was under surveillance.

• In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the USSR.

• The Russian economy was inefficient.

• Reform were introduced:

  • Perestroika - change of the economy (include some capitalism).

  • Glasnost - policy of openness.

  • New freedoms.

• The new government lifted travel restrictions in East Germany.

• Thousands gathered at the border and stormed the gates and climbed the walls.

• Huge celebrations followed.

• East Germany soon collapsed.

The Arms Race:

• Creation and development of nuclear machinery.

• In 1945 only the US had a nuclear weapon, named “The Manhattan Project”.

• The Soviets soon after started working on their own atomic bomb.

• The two superpowers built nuclear weaponry until the late 1980s.

Staggering Power of Machinery:

• In August 1945 US warplanes dropped Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

• 100 000 were killed.

• The Arms Race was dangerous.

• The world was scared of mutually assured destruction (M.A.D.) from Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.

The Space Race:

• Rockets were being developed to carry nuclear weapons long distances.

• In 1957 the USSR sent the first satellite, Sputnik, into space.

• Later they sent the first dog, Laika..

• The USA’s space race progress was public, the USSR’s wasn’t.

• 1961 - Yuri Gagarin was the first person in space. He was a cosmonaut (Russian astronaut).

• President Kennedy changed the space race goal to reach the moon.

• 20 July 1969 Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon.