starter activity

In July 1945, Truman met with Stalin and Churchill at Potsdam. Think of suitable thought bubbles for Stalin & Truman – i.e. what were they hoping to achieve at the end of the War. Think of a US /USSR caption for this photograph.

Did the Yalta and Did the Yalta and Potsdam Potsdam

conferences conferences heighten or reduce heighten or reduce Cold War tensions?Cold War tensions?

To identify evidence of rising tensions To identify evidence of rising tensions at the wartime conferencesat the wartime conferences

To reach a judgement on whether To reach a judgement on whether conferences strengthened or conferences strengthened or

heightened Cold War differencesheightened Cold War differences

LOs

Teheran, Nov 1943

Yalta, February 1945

Potsdam, July-August 1945

Watch the clip from the Channel 4 series, ‘Cold War’ and answer the

accompanying questions.

Your taskYour task Read Phillips, p.23-4 andRead Phillips, p.23-4 and Give examples of growing tensions Give examples of growing tensions

between the Grand Alliance members at between the Grand Alliance members at these conferencesthese conferences

List any evidence of areas of agreementList any evidence of areas of agreement

Yalta Potsdam

Growing tensions – Yalta, Growing tensions – Yalta, Feb 1945Feb 1945

Terms of the Atlantic Charter upheld Terms of the Atlantic Charter upheld liberal democratic (not Communist) liberal democratic (not Communist) principlesprinciples

Character clashes: ‘…I don’t decry Character clashes: ‘…I don’t decry algebra, but I prefer arithmatic’algebra, but I prefer arithmatic’

Poland: Communist govt in Lublin v. Poland: Communist govt in Lublin v. Polish govt in exile; free elections?Polish govt in exile; free elections?

Death of RooseveltDeath of Roosevelt

Growing tensions – Growing tensions – Potsdam, July-Aug 1945Potsdam, July-Aug 1945

Personalities: Truman used ‘language Personalities: Truman used ‘language of a Missouri mule driver’; Churchill of a Missouri mule driver’; Churchill ousted by Attleeousted by Attlee

Poland: boundary changes, Poles Poland: boundary changes, Poles deported, Oder-Niesse new W frontierdeported, Oder-Niesse new W frontier

Eastern European govt: Communist Eastern European govt: Communist takeoverstakeovers

Atomic bomb: Manhattan kept secret Atomic bomb: Manhattan kept secret from Stalinfrom Stalin

ExtensionExtension

Study the extracts your teacher provides Study the extracts your teacher provides and note down in different colours and note down in different colours evidence that the West and evidence the evidence that the West and evidence the USSR were to blame for rising tensions USSR were to blame for rising tensions at the wartime conferencesat the wartime conferences

After Yalta and Potsdam was the glass of international relations half full or half empty? One side of the class must make a case that the conferences achieved very little and indeed raised tensions, the other side must argue that they made significant advances

given the potential for disagreement.

Extension taskExtension task

Produce a case study on the Soviet Produce a case study on the Soviet foreign minister, Vyacheslav Molotovforeign minister, Vyacheslav Molotov

PlenaryPlenary

List areas of agreement and tension List areas of agreement and tension at the Yalta & Potsdam conferencesat the Yalta & Potsdam conferences

On balance do you think they played On balance do you think they played a major role in increasing Cold War a major role in increasing Cold War tensions?tensions?

HomeworkHomework Complete your reading of the extractsComplete your reading of the extracts Read Stages 2 & 3 (p.25-6) and note down Read Stages 2 & 3 (p.25-6) and note down

evidence of growing tensions between the evidence of growing tensions between the West and USSR.West and USSR.