Was The Cold War Happened - 1602 Words

From 1947-1991 what is known as the Cold War happened. The Cold War was between two world powers, the USA and the Union of Soviet Republics (USSR). However, the war before the Cold War, World War II (WWII), was what led to the Cold War. The USA was not involved in WWII however, until the Japanese decided to make an attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Since they were attacked, they could no longer ignore what was happening in the world and joined forces with the USSR to stop the war. The USA decided to drop an atomic bomb on the Japanese making WWII â€Å"the deadliest war in history†(Boyer, PG. 828). This bomb also ended the war. Once the two forces were victorious they then began their own quarrel. â€Å"The mass destruction of the war and†¦show more content†¦832). In February of 1945, the â€Å"Big Three† leaders- U.S. president Franklin Roosevelt, British prime minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet premier Joseph Stalin-convened at Yalta in the So viet Crimea. This was the leadership of the world powers at the beginning of the end of WWII and the beginning of the Cold War. At the Yalta conference the world powers discussed the agreements on Poland and Japan. Stalin believed that Poland should fall under Russia’s rule. â€Å"He considered a Soviet Sphere of influence in Eastern Europe essential to Russian security†(PG. 832). Stalin believed that by controlling Poland he could stop invasions from the west with Poland being the barrier. However, Franklin and Churchill had different plans, they believed that Poland should have their own government. At the Yalta conference that is what the agreement was between the three powers, for Poland to be its own democracy. Though Poland had it’s own government Stalin decided to go his with his own plan. â€Å"Ignoring the Yalta Declaration of Liberated Europe, Stalin barred free elections in Poland and brutally suppressed Polish democratic parties†(PG. 833 ). Harry S. Truman, who became president after Roosevelt died, viewed Stalin’s ways as â€Å"a betrayal of democracy, and a cover for communist aggression†(PG. 833). Stalin was outraged at Truman’s assertiveness, which fueled his mistrust with the