Question

record your notes in the space below (key information only) in bullet points written like a 8th grader
After World War II global politics became polarized as countries around the world allied themselves with either the United States or the Soviet Union. The East-West divide between communism and capitalism dominated world events for the next 40 years.
W hen the Allied powers met at
partisans Stalin's insistence that Soviet borders be extended to cover eastern Poland and the Baltic states raised anxieties about his expansionist ambitions. Between 1945-47, the Soviets gained in influence as communist governments were founded in other Eastern European states (jointly known as the Eastern Bloc). With Britain's status as a world power damaged by six years of war, it became clear that the only Western power with comparable strength to the Soviet Union was the United States. In 1947 the British prime minister, Winston Churchill, had to request US support in Greece, where a civil war was raging between the royalist government and communistThe request prompted US President Truman to pledge assistance to all states trying to defend democracy against external threat. This became known as "The Truman Doctrine." Truman argued that the spread of communist regimes must be combated or America's national security would ats be at risk. This marked a new phase in US foreign policy called "containment." Over the next few years, through measures such as the Marshall Plan (see p.452), the US poured millions of dollars in financial and military aid into non-
communist European states. bolstering their economic recoveries. The Soviet Union saw US containment measures
Berlin Wall
The peace of a Sunday morning in 1961 was shattered as Berliners woke up to the sounds of military vehicles unloading coils of barbed wire and concrete posts in the streets. In central Potsdamer Platz, men used pneumatic drills to break up the cobblestones and set up concrete pillars. These disturbing scenes were the first signs of a physical division of Berlin. conformity of easter blox regimes with moscow's party line. THe first conrontation of the cold war occured in berlin. a
In February 1945, the leaders of the US, USSR, and Britain met in Yalta (now in Ukraine but once part of the Soviet Union) to plan Europe's future after the defeat of Nazi Germany. They agreed to partition Germany and its capital, Berlin, into four zones of occupation divided between their three countries and France. Berlin lay deep inside the Soviet zone, but access between the western zones of the city and the three western zones of Germany was guaranteed along specified land and air links.
The agreement fell apart as the Cold War (see pp. 406-07) gained pace in 1946-47. The election of an anti- communist mayor for Berlin in early 1948 and the planned creation of a federal state with a common currency in the western zones of Germany annoyed the Soviets. On June 24, 1948, they blocked traffic from entering the city from the west. The British and Americans responded with a massive airlift of supplies to sustain West Berlin until an agreement with the Soviets was reached in May 1949. For the next 12 years, Berlin remained the uneasy epicenter of the Cold War. The western half became

e
S
linked with West Germany, while the eastern half became the capital of communist East Germany, both created in 1949. Economic disparities between west and east led thousands of East Germans and Berliners-
almost 200,000 in 1960 alone-to cross the open frontier between east y and west in search of a better life. In 1961 the East German
1
government decided to act. Crossing points between East and West Berlin were sealed off with barbed wire and concrete posts. In places, this barrier ran down the middle of streets to keep from touching West Berlin's soil. It even bisected a cemetery. The border between East and West Germany was sealed. Russian tanks waited outside the city, while the Americans sent 1,500 troops to reassure West Berlin.
Over the next 19 years, the wall was strengthened with reinforced concrete blocks 12 ft (3.6 m) high and set back from the original fence to create a heavily armed "no-man's land" in between. The wall became the symbol of a divided world, but ultimately
symbolized the futility of such confrontation. Its fall on November 9,
1989, ended the Cold War.

Answer 1

- After World War II, global politics split into two sides: the United States and the Soviet Union (East vs. West).
- The division between communism (Soviet Union) and capitalism (United States) shaped world events for about 40 years.
- Stalin wanted Soviet borders to expand, which worried other countries and showed his desire for power.
- The Eastern Bloc formed, where communist governments were created in Eastern Europe.
- Britain weakened after the war; only the U.S. could match the Soviet Union's power.
- In 1947, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill asked for U.S. help in Greece, where a civil war was happening.
- President Truman responded with the "Truman Doctrine," promising support to defend democracy against communism.
- The U.S. started a policy of "containment" to stop the spread of communism.
- The Marshall Plan gave financial and military aid to non-communist European countries for recovery.
- In 1945, leaders from the U.S., USSR, and Britain met in Yalta to discuss post-war plans and divided Germany into four occupation zones.
- The Cold War began in 1946-47, straining relations and leading to tensions in Berlin.
- In June 1948, the Soviets blocked Western access to Berlin, leading to the Berlin Airlift by the U.S. and Britain.
- For 12 years, Berlin was a central point of conflict, with West Berlin linked to West Germany and East Berlin to communist East Germany.
- Many East Germans fled to the West for better lives.
- In 1961, East Germany built the Berlin Wall to stop the crossings, sealing off East and West Berlin.
- The wall was heavily fortified and became a symbol of the divided world.
- The wall fell on November 9, 1989, marking the end of the Cold War.