Postwar Tensions

By bloodwater22

  • Bolsheviks to Power

    Two revolutions ended the rule of Tsar Nicholas II and brought the communist Bolsheviks to power.

  • Americans led Campaign

    American officials led a campaign—through propaganda and police and legal action—against socialist and communist influences.

  • The United States Superpower

    The United States had a growing economy and a powerful military almost unmatched in the world.

  • Soviet Spying On U.S.

    The Soviets had been spying on the United States’ nuclear program since 1941.

  • Allied Victory

    An Allied victory in Europe was in sight, though war still raged in the Pacific.

  • Nuclear Age Began

    the United States dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities, compelling Japan to surrender. World War II was over, but the nuclear age had begun.

  • Potsdam Conference

    Following Germany’s surrender, the three nations’ leaders met again at Potsdam in Germany.

  • Failure of Yalta and Potsdam Conferences

    From 1947 to 1955, the failure of the Yalta and the Potsdam agreements became apparent.

  • British Government Stopped Supporting Greek

    The British government had been providing economic and military support to the Greek government. However, later it was announced that it could no longer afford to do so. This meant that the Greek government would not have support against the Greek Communist Party.

  • Truman Makes Truman Doctrine

    In a speech given on March 12, 1947, Truman announced a new policy that became known as the Truman Doctrine.

  • United States Proposed the Marshall Plan

    the United States’ commitment to containment influenced Secretary of State George C. Marshall to propose what became known as the Marshall Plan.

  • The Three Powers Merge

    Great Britain, France, and the United States merged their occupation zones.
  • Soviet Ended Berlin Blockade

    Soviet Ended Berlin Blockade

    The Berlin Airlift continued until May 1949, when the Soviet Union ended the blockade.
  • Soviet Tests Their First Nuclear Bomb

    Soviet Tests Their First Nuclear Bomb

    The Soviet Union successfully tested its first nuclear bomb. The world had not one, but two superpowers—and neither wanted to share that status with the other.

  • The Allies Playing Nice

    The western Allies rejected a Soviet plan to reunite Germany under one government without armaments, or weapons. Instead, they signed an agreement with West Germany that permitted the nation to rearm.
  • NATO

    NATO

    The result was the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) among the United States, Canada, and 10 European nations. Three more joined by 1955.

  • Solidified Soviet Influences

    The Soviet Union responded in kind. With seven Eastern Bloc, or Eastern European, nations, it formed the Warsaw Pact.