The Cold War
Tensions and growing suspicions resulted from the end of World War II between the Soviet Union and the United States. This period was called the Cold War, which lasted for most of the second half of the twentieth century. Tensions developed due to technological competition, broken promises, and fear of a Communist takeover. This split Europe in two and eventually engaged many other parts of the world in the war as well. The two countries came to a head as suspicions heightened and a series of international incidents brought the world closer to nuclear disaster.
Yalta Conference
In 1945, the leaders of the world powers, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, and United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, came together in the Crimea for the second wartime meeting at the decline of World War II. The leaders began to make plans for a post-war world, which were kept secretive. They came to the conference knowing that an Allied victory was assured. Also, the U.S. and Great Britain knew the Pacific War would prolong, however the involvement of the Soviets could give them an advantage. The three leaders agreed to demand the unconditional surrender of Germany and set up four occupational zones to be run by the three nations and France. Stalin agreed to allow free elections in eastern Europe and enter the war effort against Japan in return for Russian lands lost to Japan in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905 and for special rights in Chinese Manchuria. Some agreements in Yalta were eventually breached as the Cold War began. Stalin ultimately broke his promise at Yalta and created a Soviet dominated eastern Europe. Roosevelt died two months after the conference and was attacked for allowing Stalin to do this.
Causes
- The United States abandoned their isolationist policy and struggled to oppose the expansionism of Communism and the Soviet influence when Soviets began to dominate governments in eastern Europe.
- The outbreak of the Red Scare, domestic fears of Communism in the United States, and the fear of the American government of politically driven workers' organizations.
- Stalin was angered that millions of Russians had died during World War II due to the delay of the United States' and Great Britain's delay of opening a front in France, which would have relieved the pressure on Russia from Germany.
- The Soviet Union breached agreements made in the Yalta Conference -- the agreement to enter the Asian war against Japan in return for former Russian territorial concessions in Japan and special rights in Chinese Manchuria.
- Heightened tensions and mistrust resulted from the Soviet Union entering the war while the United States no longer needed their aid. The Soviets entered the war still expecting the concessions and rights the U.S. promised them in Yalta.
- The "iron curtain" or division of the continent descended when puppet Communist regimes began to take over eastern Europe and Stalin began efforts to create a buffer zone to prevent future invasion of Russia.