The Breakdown of the US–Soviet Alliance (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History)

The Grand Alliance in the Second World War

• The Grand Alliance was also called the ‘Big Three’

  • Its members were the USA, the USSR and the UK

  • They united in the Second World War to defeat the Axis powers of Germany and Japan

• The members of the Grand Alliance were suspicious of each other:

  • Communism and the strength of the USSR concerned UK and the USA

• Historians call the Grand Alliance a ‘marriage of convenience’ 

  • The members worked together to defeat a common enemy

  • When they had achieved this, there was nothing to keep the Grand Alliance together

• After the defeat of the Axis powers by August 1945, the political atmosphere changed

  • ‘Old powers’ like UK and France decreased in power

  •  The new ‘superpowers’ of the USA and the USSR increased in power

The Yalta Peace Conference

• The Grand Alliance met two years later at Yalta 

  • Yalta was a city in the USSR 

  • The meeting occurred in the final few months of the Second World War

How Did Yalta Affect the US-Soviet Alliance?

• The Yalta Conference had a positive impact on the US-Soviet alliance because:

  • The USSR declared war against Japan in August 1945

  • The USSR would gain half of the $20 billion reparations

  • The three main states of the USSR -  Russia, Ukraine and Belarus - joined the United Nations

  • Stalin agreed to free elections in Eastern Europe

The Potsdam Peace Conference

• The Grand Alliance met a few months later at Potsdam, a city in Germany

• Several events had happened between the conferences at Yalta and Potsdam:

  • Roosevelt had died and Harry S. Truman replaced him as president

    • Truman wanted a tougher approach to Stalin

  • Clement Attlee replaced Churchill following a general election

  • Germany had surrendered in May 1945

  • The USA had developed a new, devastating weapon - the atomic bomb

  • 51 members had joined the United Nations

How Did Potsdam Affect the US-Soviet Alliance?

• The Potsdam Conference had a negative impact on the US-Soviet alliance because:

  • The Trinity test increased tensions between both countries

  • Stalin wanted harsher reparations against Germany

    • Truman wanted to protect the German economy

  • The USSR’s control over Eastern Europe concerned Truman

    • He believed that Stalin was spreading communism

  • Stalin wanted to keep his Red Army in Eastern Europe as protection against future threats

The Atomic Bomb

• The USA dropped two atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945:

  • The first exploded in Hiroshima

  • The second exploded in Nagasaki

• Both bombs killed roughly 120,000 Japanese civilians

• The USA had several justifications for using the atomic bombs on Japan:

• President Truman believed that the use of atomic bombs on Japan would:

  • Persuade Western European countries to support the USA

  • Encourage Eastern European countries to resist Soviet expansion and ally themselves with the USA

Why Did the Atomic Bomb Damage the US-Soviet Alliance?

• Stalin heard about the success of the Manhattan Project during the Potsdam conference in July 1945

• After the bombing of Hiroshima, Stalin:

  • Wanted to create a buffer zone between Germany and the USSR

    • The communist countries would protect the USSR from any potential invasions from the West

  • Accelerated the USSR’s atomic bomb project

    • The USSR successfully tested an atomic bomb on 29th August 1949

• The atomic bomb increased Cold War tensions because:

  • Truman wanted to show his power to the USSR

    • He hoped that this would prevent war and protect Eastern Europe from Communism

  • Stalin saw the USA’s actions as aggressive

    • He believed the USA wanted to destroy Communism

    • He became willing to do whatever it took to protect the USSR, including Eastern Europe

The Telegrams and the Iron Curtain

The Long Telegram

• George Kennan was the USA’s ambassador in Moscow:

  • His opinion on the USSR was highly respected

• In February 1946, Kennan sent a telegram from Moscow back to President Truman:

  • Its name refers to the length of the telegram

    • It contained around 8,000 words, far more than a typical telegram message

• The telegram contained Kennan’s assessment of Soviet attitudes towards the USA:

  • Stalin wanted to destroy capitalism as it was a threat to Communism

  • The USA should aim to ‘contain’ the USSR and Communism

  • Peace would not be possible between the USSR and the USA

The Novikov Telegram

• Nikolai Novikov was the Soviet ambassador in Washington:

• In September 1946, Novikov sent a telegram from Washington back to Stalin:

  • The USSR were aware of the Long Telegram and wanted to make a similar report on the USA

• The telegram contained Novikov’s assessment of American attitudes towards the USSR:

  • The USA wanted to build up its military strength to achieve world domination

  • Following Roosevelt’s death, the USA no longer wanted to cooperate with the USSR

  • The American people would support a war against the USSR

How Did the Telegrams Impact the US-Soviet Alliance?

• Both sides believed the other was untrustworthy and planning their destruction

  • The telegrams confirmed these fears

• The telegrams led to both sides adopting policies toward the other:

A British Perspective: Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ Speech

• Winston Churchill was no longer the British Prime Minister

  • He was still a very influential figure

• In March 1946, Churchill delivered a speech about the threat of the USSR:

• The ‘Iron Curtain’ refers to the impenetrable divide between capitalism in the West and Communism in the East

• Churchill gave the speech in the USA

  • Stalin believed that Churchill’s speech reflected the beliefs of the US government 

• The ‘Iron Curtain’ speech increased tensions further between the USA and the USSR

  • Both countries built up their military forces, leading to an arms race