From the Grand Alliance to the Cold War
What Was the Grand Alliance?
Definition: The Grand Alliance was an alliance between the three major powers fighting against World War II during the war:
Why Was the Grand Alliance Formed? Although the three countries had very different political systems and ideas, they shared one main goal:
Common Aim
Key Features of the Alliance Cooperation:
Tehran Conference (1943)
Problems Within the AllianceEven though they cooperated, there were serious disagreements.
Different Ideologies
End of the Grand AllianceThe alliance weakened after Germany was defeated in 1945.
Reasons
Definition: The Grand Alliance was an alliance between the three major powers fighting against World War II during the war:
- United Kingdom led by Winston Churchill
- United States led by Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Soviet Union led by Joseph Stalin
Why Was the Grand Alliance Formed? Although the three countries had very different political systems and ideas, they shared one main goal:
Common Aim
- Defeat Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.
- In 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa.
- Later in 1941, Japan attacked the United States at Attack on Pearl Harbor.
- These events brought the USSR and the USA fully into the war.
Key Features of the Alliance Cooperation:
- Shared military plans
- Sent supplies and weapons
- Coordinated attacks on Germany
Tehran Conference (1943)
- Agreed to open a second front in Europe (D-Day plans)
- Discussed post-war Europe
- Agreed to divide Germany temporarily
- Tensions increased between the USA and USSR
Problems Within the AllianceEven though they cooperated, there were serious disagreements.
Different Ideologies
- USA and UK = capitalism and democracy
- USSR = communism
- Stalin believed Britain and the USA delayed launching the Second Front (June 1944) against Germany
End of the Grand AllianceThe alliance weakened after Germany was defeated in 1945.
Reasons
- The common enemy was gone.
- Disagreements over Eastern Europe grew.
- Mutual suspicion increased.
