Starter quiz
- Who were the winners of World War Two (WW2)?
- Germany
- USSR ✓
- Britain ✓
- Japan
- USA ✓
-
- Put the following events in chronological order.
- 1⇔WW1
- 2⇔WW2
- 3⇔Cold War
- Who was on the side of Germany in WW2?
- Italy ✓
- Britain
- Japan ✓
- USA
-
- What was the USSR also known as?
- the United States of America
- the United Kingdom
- the Soviet Union ✓
- the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ✓
-
- Match the country to the wartime leader during WW2.
- USA⇔Franklin Roosevelt ✓
- Britain⇔Winston Churchill ✓
- USSR⇔Joseph Stalin ✓
- Germany⇔Adolf Hitler ✓
- WW2 finally ended on September 2, 1945 following the surrender of which country?
- USSR
- Britain
- Japan ✓
- USA
- Italy
-
Exit quiz
- Which keyword describes the period of intense rivalry and tension between the USA and the USSR that took place between c. 1945 and c. 1991?
- 'Cold War' ✓
- What was the ideology of the USSR during WW2?
- 'communist' ✓
- What was the ideology of the USA during WW2?
- 'capitalist' ✓
- Put the events in the correct chronological order.
- 1⇔the Tehran Conference
- 2⇔the Yalta Conference
- 3⇔the Potsdam Conference
- Why was there a change in leadership at the Potsdam Conference?
- Because Roosevelt died in April 1945 and was replaced ✓
- Because Churchill died in April 1945 and was replaced
- Because Churchill's party lost the 1945 election so he was replaced ✓
- Because Roosevelt's party lost the 1945 election so he was replaced
-
- What did Truman announce the day after the Potsdam Conference began?
- that the USA was pulling out of the conference as he hated Stalin
- that the USA had successfully developed the world’s first atomic bomb ✓
- that the USSR had successfully developed the world’s first atomic bomb
- that Britain was pulling out of the conference due to the election result
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Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The Grand Alliance put aside their differences during the Second World War to defeat their common enemy, Nazi Germany.
- Tensions emerged amongst the Grand Alliance because of different ideologies and priorities.
- Important agreements were made at the Tehran Conference and the Yalta Conference about the post-war world.
- Tensions increased at the Potsdam Conference for a range of reasons including a change in US President.
- The Soviet occupation of eastern Europe remained a source of significant tension between the USA and USSR.
Common misconception
There was only significant tension between members of the Grand Alliance at the Potsdam Conference when the war had ended and Roosevelt had been replaced by Truman as US President.
Although tensions increased significantly by the Potsdam Conference, there was a high level of mistrust between the members of the Grand Alliance from early on. This is illustrated by Stalin's concern about the delays in opening a second front.
Keywords
Cold war - a period between c. 1945 and c. 1991 of intense rivalry and tension between the USA and the USSR
Ussr - a collection of states known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; also known as the Soviet Union
Ideologies - sets of beliefs and ideas
Communist - relating to a system of government where all property is owned by the state and resources are shared equally
Capitalist - relating to an economic system where businesses and resources are owned privately for profit