The Yalta and Potsdam Conference
Directions: Read pp. 128-131 and answer the following questions.
The Beginning of the Cold War
1. Define the term Cold War.
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The Superpowers: From Friend to Foe
2. The origin of this Cold War can be traced back to the intervention of the Western democracies
in the Russia _________________ war. It was here that countries such as the USA and Canada sent a
small number of troops to help the ________________ Russian forces overthrow the new communist
regime.
3. In the 1920s and 1930s, the West feared that communism would spread throughout Europe.
List three examples of how the West politically isolated the Soviets at this time.
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b.___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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c.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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The Yalta and Potsdam Conference
Bitter Allies
4. The Soviet Union had suffered terrible losses in 1941-1942 and Stalin appealed to the Allies
to open up a second front in Western Europe to relieve some of the pressure on his forces. How
did the Allies respond to this request and how did Stalin feel about this response?
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5. After the Germans were defeated at Stalingrad and the Soviet army advanced toward
Germany, the Allies began to worry about a new scenario. Explain.
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Yalta
6.(a) Identify the key players at the Yalta Conference held in February 1945?
_______________________, _________________________, ______________________
(b) What did the Allies agree to do with Germany (and Berlin) once it was defeated?
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The Yalta and Potsdam Conference
(c) What did Stalin want to do with the Eastern European states? _________________________
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(d) What is a buffer zone and why did Stalin want one? __________________________________
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(e) How did Churchill and Roosevelt feel about Poland? Why? ____________________________
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7. Define the term sphere of influence. _______________________________________________
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8. What pledge did Stalin make to Roosevelt and Churchill before leaving Yalta? How did Stalin
really feel about this pledge? ____________________________________________________________________________
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The Yalta and Potsdam Conference
Truman Takes Office
9. Who replaced Roosevelt as president of the U.S. after he passed away? How did this person
feel about the Soviet Union? _____________________________________________________________________________
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Potsdam
10. (a) Who were the main players at the Potsdam Conference held during July and August of
1945?
__________________________________, ________________________, __________________
(b) What decision was reached on Germany during this conference?________________________________
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(c) What decision was reached on Poland during this conference?__________________________________
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(d) What were the American and Russian perceptions of Eastern Europe at the conclusion of
this conference? __________________________________________________________________________________________
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