The Grand Alliance

Stalin's Attitudes in 1945

Over 20 million Soviet citizens had died in WW2 so Stalin wanted to safeguard and rebuild his country. Stalin aimed to take advantage of the weakened military situation in Europe and assert communist influence and power there.

Buffer zone

Russia had been invaded three times from the West in the twentieth century:
- Germany in WW1
- Non-communist forces helping the Whites during the Russian Revolution
- Germany in WW2
Stalin, therefore, wanted to create a buffer zone to protect Russia from Western attack.
This buffer zone would come from various satellite states made up of Eastern European countries (Baltic States) that would be under control by the USSR.

Polish lands

In order to help Stalin to create this buffer zone, he wanted to keep all of the Polish land that he had gained during WW2 through the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
During the war, the Polish government had gone into exile in London. Stalin stated that this government should have no support.
The USSR severed relations with the Polish government who blamed the USSR’s secret police for murdering thousands of Polish officers.

Soviet sphere of influence

Stalin also wanted to use his Red Army to maintain his power-base in Europe and protect the Soviet Sphere of Influence in Europe and Asia.
This stance was not welcomed by the other Allied powers who saw Stalin’s beliefs as simply a way to try and spread Communism.

Roosevelt's Attitudes in 1945

Roosevelt was a realist and he knew that the USA and USSR needed to work together at the end of the war despite their differences in ideology.

United Nations

Roosevelt wanted the four most powerful countries (Great Britain, China, USA and USSR) to act as ‘policemen’ that would maintain world peace.
He supported the idea of the United Nations which would maintain world peace and provide a strong Security Council which would work to ‘police’ disputes.

Self-determination & decolonisation

In opposition to Stalin, Roosevelt believed that Poland should be given self-determination and should be able to be free to govern itself.
He also believed that decolonisation should be a big part of post-war ideology including the USA decolonising its territory in the Philippines.
He also wanted to promote the idea of free trade and demobilise the USA as soon as possible.

Roosevelt's death

Some historians believe that the stance of Roosevelt could have well worked with Stalin however he died in April 1945 and was replaced by Harry S Truman.
Truman wasn’t prepared to be so heavily involved in foreign affairs and was perceived as weak by anti-communist groups in America.
In a bid to not look weak Truman became more hostile towards the USSR.

Churchill's Attitude in 1945

Britain after the war was economically ruined and really was a great power in name only. Churchill, however, wanted to maintain a high level of influence and limit the influence from the USSR.

Polish self-determination

Churchill, like Roosevelt, wanted to protect the territorial integrity and self-determination of Poland.
In fact, this was why Britain became involved in the Second World War, due to the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland.
Churchill wanted to establish free and fair elections in Poland as well as fair borders between Germany and Poland.

The Percentages Agreement (1944)

Churchill met Stalin in Moscow in 1944 as the war was coming to a close. He drew up a list of interests for countries in Europe and this is known as the Percentages Agreement.
He stated that in Greece, Britain would have 90% interest to the USSR’s 10%.
In Romania, the percentages would be USSR 90% and Britain 10%.
For Hungary and Bulgaria, Churchill agreed to 20% interest to USSR’s 80%. Churchill was keen to stick to this agreement in 1945.

Maintaining power

Churchill wanted to maintain the existing colonial power that both Britain and France had.
Churchill feared that the USA would return to their pre-war policy of Isolationism which saw them refusing to participate in European affairs so wanted to maintain a close relationship with the USA.
Churchill knew the power that Stalin had in Europe so was keen to make a deal with him which was partly why he met Stalin in 1945.
In July 1945 Churchill was replaced by Clement Atlee who had no sympathy with communism.

1Origins of the Cold War, 1945-9

1.1Events of 1945

1.1.1The Grand Alliance

1.1.2Yalta Conference

1.1.3Potsdam Conference

1.2The Collapse of the Grand Alliance

1.2.1Communism in the 20th Century

1.2.2Relations between Roosevelt, Stalin & Attlee

1.2.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Origins of the Cold War

1.3Developing Tensions

1.3.1USSR Actions

1.3.2Long Telegram & Iron Curtain Speech

1.3.3Cominform

1.3.4Greek Civil War & the Truman Doctrine

1.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Developing Tensions

1.4US Involvement in Europe

1.4.1US Policy Towards Britain & Europe

1.4.2US Attitudes Towards Germany & Berlin

1.4.3The Marshall Plan

1.5Conflict over Germany

1.5.1Sectors & Bizonia

1.5.2The Berlin Blockade

1.5.3The Formation of NATO, April 1949

1.5.4A-A* (AO3/4) - US Involvement in Europe

2Widening of the Cold War

2.1US Containment in Asia

2.1.1Japan

2.1.2China & Taiwan

2.2The Korean War

2.2.1Causes & Military Action in Korean War

2.2.2Attitudes of the USSR, China & the USA

2.2.3Panmunjon Armistice & Impact of the Korean War

2.2.4A-A* (AO3/4) - Widening of the Cold War

2.3Increasing Cold War Tensions, 1949 -1953

2.3.1McCarthyism & The 'Red Scare'

2.3.2USA Dominance in the United Nations

2.4Global Alliances

2.4.1Global Alliances in Europe & Asia

2.4.2Eisenhower, Brinkmanship & Domino Theory

2.4.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Tensions & Alliances

3The Global War

3.1Khrushchev

3.1.1Polish & Hungarian Uprisings 1956

3.1.2East-West Relations

3.2Cold War Rivalries

3.2.1Arms Race & Space Race

3.2.2Berlin Crisis & The Berlin Wall

3.2.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Khrushchev

3.3Conflict in Asia

3.3.1Indo-China

3.4Confrontation Between Superpowers

3.4.1Relations Between the USA & Cuba

3.4.2The Cuban Missile Crisis & its Significance

4Confrontation & Cooperation

4.1Vietnam

4.1.1Johnson

4.1.2Nixon

4.1.3Paris Peace Talks

4.2Cooperation

4.2.1Khrushchev & Kennedy

4.3Pressures on the USSR

4.3.1Czechoslovakia

4.3.2A-A* (AO3/4) - Confrontation & Cooperation

5Brezhnev Era

5.1Detente

5.1.1Settlements

5.1.2Detente up to 1979

5.2Second Cold War

5.2.1Renewed Hostilities

5.3Developments in Africa & Americas

5.3.1Angola, Ethiopia, Chila, Nicaragua, Grenada

5.3.2A-A* (AO3/4) - Brezhnev Era

6Ending of the Cold War

6.1Gorbachev

6.1.1Gorbachev & Reforms

6.2Cooperation between US & USSR

6.2.1Key Figures & Summits

6.3Collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe

6.3.1Significance of 1989

6.4End of Tensions Across the World

6.4.1Africa, Afghanistan & the Americas

6.4.2Malta Summit & the Aftermath

6.4.3A-A* (AO3/4) - Ending of the Cold War

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