Origins of the Cold War 1941–58
Wartime alliances and conferences
The USA, USSR, UK were allies during WW2 against Nazi Germany — but had ideological tensions (capitalism vs communism). Three conferences shaped post-war Europe:
Tehran (Nov–Dec 1943): Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin. Agreed: Allied invasion of France (1944); USSR would join war against Japan after Germany defeated; Poland's borders to shift westward.
Yalta (Feb 1945): With Germany clearly losing. Agreed: Germany + Berlin to be split into 4 zones (US, UK, USSR, France); free elections in liberated Eastern Europe; UN to be set up.
Potsdam (Jul–Aug 1945): Truman replaced Roosevelt; Attlee replaced Churchill mid-conference. Stalin pressed for Soviet "sphere of influence" in Eastern Europe. Truman, who had just learned of the atomic bomb, hardened toward USSR. Tensions visible.
Stalin's Eastern Europe — the Iron Curtain
By 1948, Stalin had installed pro-Soviet governments in:
- Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany
Salami tactics: opposition parties weakened slice-by-slice (e.g. coalition cabinets → communist domination → one-party rule).
Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech (Fulton, Missouri, March 1946): "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent." First public framing of the divide.
US containment — Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan
Truman Doctrine (March 1947): USA pledged to "support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." Triggered by Greek civil war + Turkish situation. Effectively a policy of containment — communism could exist where it was, but not spread.
Marshall Plan (June 1947 → enacted 1948): $13 billion (massive sum) of US aid to rebuild Western European economies. Aim: prosperous democracies = unattractive ground for communism. 16 countries accepted; Stalin forbade Soviet bloc to participate.
USSR responses — Cominform and Comecon
Cominform (1947): Soviet-led "information bureau" coordinating European communist parties.
Comecon (1949): Soviet equivalent to the Marshall Plan — economic coordination of the Eastern bloc, but actually drained satellite economies for Soviet benefit.
Berlin Blockade and Airlift 1948–49
In June 1948, the West introduced a new currency (Deutsche Mark) into West Berlin. Stalin saw this as economic warfare and blockaded all road, rail and canal access to West Berlin — 2.5 million people in a city deep inside the Soviet zone.
Berlin Airlift (Operation Vittles): For 11 months, Allied planes flew round-the-clock supplies — peak ~8,000 tonnes/day at Tempelhof airport. Stalin lifted the blockade May 1949.
Outcomes:
- USA + Allies stood firm without firing a shot
- Germany formally split: West (FRG) + East (GDR), September 1949
- NATO formed April 1949 — military alliance (USA, Canada, UK, France + 8 others)
NATO and Warsaw Pact
NATO (1949): collective defence — attack on one = attack on all (Article 5). Anchored US military commitment to Europe.
Warsaw Pact (1955): Soviet response after West Germany joined NATO. Mutual defence treaty between USSR + 7 satellite states.
By 1955, Europe was divided into two armed camps. The Cold War "frozen" structure was complete.
⚠Common mistakes
- Mixing up Yalta and Potsdam — Yalta = optimistic alliance language (Roosevelt). Potsdam = visible tension (Truman + atomic bomb).
- Calling the Marshall Plan "humanitarian" — it was strategic. Stalin was not wrong to view it as containment by economic means.
- Saying NATO came first then Warsaw Pact in the same year — NATO 1949, Warsaw Pact 1955. 6-year gap.
- Forgetting the Berlin Airlift was peaceful — no military conflict; it was logistical resolve that broke Stalin's will.
AI-generated · claude-opus-4-7 · v3-edexcel-history