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A World Divided: Superpower Relations, 1943-72 - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Informal Agreement between Stalin (Russia), Churchill (Britain) and Roosevelt (USA)
        
        During WW2 USA and Britain provided aid to the Soviets after Germany's invasion (e.g. food, weapons etc...)
        
        The forces together attacked Germany from different fronts to reach Berlin and defeat the nation
      - Even though they were Allies, the USA and Soviet Union were very suspicious of each other.
        
        Stalin was determined that Soviet forces should enter Berlin before USA forces
        
        This caused the deaths of around 70,000 Soviet soldiers in a rushed, ill-prepared attack
        
        This had no physical purpose, as the division of Berlin had already been decided in all nations' favour.
    - - November 1943
        
        Tehran Conference: Big Three met to plan war strategy
      - February 1945
        
        Yalta Conference: Big Three met to discuss post-war arrangements
      - May 1945
        
        VE Day: Allied defeated Hitler's Germany
      - July 1945
        
        Potsdam Conference: Big Three met and agreed to split Germany
      - August 1945
        
        Atomic Bombing: USA dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan
    - - Relations between the Soviet Union and USA worsened rapidly after WW2, resulting in a 'Cold War'
        
        The Cold War was a non-military conflict, where both nations used their words (propaganda, spying, threats) to attack the other.
        
        Many military alliances were formed during the 'war' granting both nations huge amounts of weapons (conventional and nuclear) although neither side directly fought the other.
      - Before WW2, the relations between the states had been poor due to lack of trust (e.g. Russian Revolution and Communist Government etc...)
    - - The East and West fundamentally distrusted each other because of their opposing ideological beliefs.
        
        The Soviet Union feared the West were imposing their beliefs on Soviet People
        
        The West (US) feared the Soviet Union were trying to spread their beliefs globally.
        
        Their most prominent disagreement was over how countries should be run
        
        The USA and Britain had a Capitalist ideology
        
        The Soviet Union had a Communist Ideology
      - Differences Between Nations
        
        Politics
        
        Soviet Union: Single Party Rule
        
        USA and Britain: Free elections with a choice of people to vote for
        
        Social Structure
        
        Soviet Union: Classless Society, everyone equal
        
        USA and Britain: Some people had more power (family background, wealth, educations, achievements etc...)
        
        Economy
        
        Soviet Union: All property owned by the state (no individual ownership
        
        USA and Britain: Private ownership and a competition between businesses
        
        Rights
        
        Soviet Union: Rights of all workers more important that individual rights
        
        USA and Britain: Individual freedoms valued but limited by majority opinion
    - - The Russian Revolution:
        
        During WW1, the Bolshevik (Communist) government overthrew the Soviet (Russian) Tsar, stopping the Russians from fighting with the Allies, as they had to focus on a civil war.
        
        This meant that the Russians signed a peace treaty with Germany and withdrew from the war, angering France, Britain and the USA
        
        Not only were the Allies angry at the Russian withdrawal, but they disliked the Bolshevik ideologies, and sent forces to help the rebels against the communist government
        
        Although the rebels failed, the Bolsheviks now knew the Allies wanted them overthrown
    - - In 1922 the Bolsheviks won the civil war (Russia became the Soviet Union), further weakening the relations due to their communist ruling, especially running up to WW2
        
        In 1938, Britain, France and Italy allowed Germany to take over some parts Czechoslovakia (due to the high numbers of ethnic Germans
        
        This angered the Soviet Union as they hated the Germans, and Czechoslovakia was very close to the Soviet border, and Stalin hadn't even been consulted.
        
        This led Stalin to believe that the Western powers hated Russia, and wanted Germany to attack and overthrow their communist government
        
        Relations became worse after the outbreak of WW2 because of the Nazi-Soviet pact between Hitler and Stalin, agreeing to split Poland.
        
        The Allies felt betrayed by Stalin, but Stalin already knew that the Allies did not want to help the Soviet Union
        
        In September 1939, Soviet and German forces entered Poland and took control, leading the Allies to declare war on Germany.
    - - The Big Three's (Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin) beliefs and ambitions dominated global politics and reinforced the suspicions the West (US and UK) had of the East (Soviets Union)
        
        These suspicions played a major role in the breakdown of relations as WW2 ended.
      - The West feared the Soviets installation of communism in countries conquered by Germany.
        
        The Soviets believed that the US and UK were intentionally drawing out the war to decrease the Soviet-Nazi resources, and weaken the countries, as well as delaying opening a second front to take pressure off the Soviets