The state of the world after World War Two and before the Cold War
The USA entered World War Two against Germany and Japan in 1941, creating the Grand Alliance of the USA, Britain and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - collection of states, also known as the Soviet Union.. This alliance brought together great powers that had fundamentally different views of the world, but they did co-operate for four years against the Germans and Japanese. The Grand Alliance would ultimately fail and break down into the Cold War.
The alliance of the USA and the USSR brought together two sides that were divided by their political and economic A set of beliefs or ideas that someone follows or believes in.. The USA and Britain were An economic system based on privately owned, as opposed to state-controlled, businesses and the creation of profit. countries, while since its foundation after the 1917 Russian Revolution the USSR had been A classless society where all property is owned publicly..
However, the actions of Nazi Germany is a common name of a period of history in Germany between 1933 to 1945, under the control of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. and its ally, Japan, in World War Two had driven these two political enemies together.
- Britain had been at war with Germany since Germany鈥檚 invasion of Poland in 1939.
- The USSR allied itself with Britain in 1941 when Germany began to invade its territories.
- In December 1941, Germany鈥檚 ally, Japan, launched a surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. This action brought the USA into World War Two on the same side as Britain and the USSR.
Revision tip
It's important to know the difference between:
Politics
| Democracy | Dictatorship |
| Several political parties representing different sectors of society | One-party state |
| Governments are chosen by democratic elections | No democratic elections and no opportunity to change the government by election |
| Democracy | Several political parties representing different sectors of society |
|---|---|
| Dictatorship | One-party state |
| Democracy | Governments are chosen by democratic elections |
|---|---|
| Dictatorship | No democratic elections and no opportunity to change the government by election |
Economics
| Capitalism | Communism |
| People are free to set up private businesses and make money for themselves | All businesses and factories are owned by the state |
| Individual rights and freedoms are important | Individual rights and freedoms are less important than obedience to the state |
| Capitalism | People are free to set up private businesses and make money for themselves |
|---|---|
| Communism | All businesses and factories are owned by the state |
| Capitalism | Individual rights and freedoms are important |
|---|---|
| Communism | Individual rights and freedoms are less important than obedience to the state |