What this lesson teaches
I can weigh up how World War II left Europe weak, divided and open to rivalry between the USA and the USSR.
Syllabus K336, The Cold War, Learning Outcomes. Assess the immediate impact of World War II on Europe.
Make a guess
Europe lay in ruins in 1945. Which countries do you think gained the most influence there?
- Britain and France, as the main winners and empires in Western Europe.
- Germany, because its surviving factories were quick to rebuild after 1945.
- The USA, through its wealth, and the USSR, through its army.
Show the answer
The USA, through its wealth, and the USSR, through its army.
Britain and France were weakened. Countries that needed American money or faced the Red Army gave these two superpowers a bigger say.
Europe was wrecked in 1945, so the USA, with its wealth, and the USSR, with its army, gained huge influence.
The Cold War was the rivalry between the United States (USA), the Soviet Union (USSR) and their allies after 1945. They competed through aid, pressure, weapons and alliances, not open war with each other.
In 1945, Europe was in ruins. Homes, factories and railways were destroyed. Millions had lost their homes, and food and fuel were short. Germany was occupied by the Allies. Britain and France were weakened.
The USA was rich and could lend on a huge scale. At first, it was the only country with atomic bombs. The USSR was badly damaged, but its huge army stayed across Eastern Europe. Both were superpowers, able to shape events far from home. Countries that needed their help gave them a bigger say.
- Cold War
- USA-USSR rivalry after 1945, without direct war between them.
- USA's strength
- Wealth, loans and, at first, the only atomic bombs.
- USSR's strength
- A huge army across Eastern Europe.
Real examples to use
Soviet losses
About 27 million Soviet people died in the Second World War, more than any other country, which made Soviet leaders desperate for security.
America's atomic lead, 1945 to 1949
The USA was the only country with atomic bombs until the USSR tested its first on 29 August 1949.
Worked example: How fixing a railway shapes politics
A government needs outside help to repair its railways after the war.
- Without trains, food and goods cannot reach people, and anger grows.
- Outside aid repairs the line and makes the government look reliable.
- The country giving aid gains influence over that government.
Watch out for this
The USSR came out of the war undamaged and as rich as the USA.
The USSR suffered massive destruction. Its power came from its army, not its wealth.
Check your understanding
Where did Soviet power in Europe mainly come from in 1945?
- Its early lead in atomic bombs, which no rival could match.
- Its wealth and its ability to lend money to ruined states.
- Its large army stationed across Eastern Europe.
Show the answer
Its large army stationed across Eastern Europe.
Yes. The USSR was damaged but militarily strong.