It is worth remembering that in Britain and the USA 1939-40 Stalin appeared to be just as much a villain as Hitler.

• Some would argue that the Cold War started when the Allied Powers sent troops in to Russia against the Reds (1918-1922) and the alliance during the Second World War just an “intermission”

•The USSR was still isolated as the world’s only communist country.

•The turmoil of the Purges and Stalin’s reputation.

•In August 1939 Soviet leader Stalin signed a Non- Aggression Pact with German leader, Adolf Hitler.

•In September 1939 Hitler and Stalin both attacked Poland and divided the country up between them.

•In November 1939 the USSR attacked Finland.

•In June-July 1940 the USSR invaded and took control of Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia.

But in June 1941 everything changed. Hitler turned on Stalin and invaded the USSR. The decisive conflict of World War II began, which Stalin won, but at a terrible cost.

• Read p. 848-849 in Stearns “From Hot War to Cold War” • Identify moments of tension between the Allies or moments of premonition of

future conflict between them (UK, US vs USSR) or as Stearns says “(how) the stage was set” toward the end of the war and just after.

What was the true nature of the wartime alliance between Britain, the USA and the USSR? How strong was the wartime alliance?