Causes of The Cold War Page 2

Last updated
Save as PDF

Page ID: 187248

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

"This nation will remain a neutral nation, but I cannot ask that every American remain neutral in thought as well."

- President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1939

Brief Process

Review the tensions during and immediately after World War II that ultimately played a role in causing the Cold War. These include:
1. Stalin’s mistrust of Churchill and Roosevelt, especially their refusal to open a second front in France until 1944
2. The Soviet loss of life compared to losses suffered by Great Britain and the United States
3. The desire for a buffer between the Soviet Union and western Europe
4. The issue surrounding Poland and Eastern Europe after the war
5. The US development of the atomic bomb
6. The American Marshall Plan
  Please Note: While most of the major tensions between the United States and Soviet Union surfaced during World War II, some of the roots of the conflict stretch back even further. This lesson ONLY discusses World War II and its immediate aftermath.
Research the background of the topics listed in step one, including how each topic created tension between the two nations.
Determine potential solutions to each individual topic and the overarching mistrust that developed as a result of such a larger group of factors.
Create a narrative that outlines and explains what steps the United States and Soviet Union should have taken to avoid the Cold War.
Develop a creative presentation of your narrative. If possible, you should utilize a multimedia tool using images and available video.

Go to the next page for resources.