Early Differences and the Formation of the Grand Alliance, 1917-42

About the lecture

In this module, we explore the early differences between the US and USSR and the formation of the Grand Alliance from 1917 to 1942. In particular, we will focus on: (i) the question of when the Cold War began; (ii) the effect of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution on the United States, including the first Red Scare; (iii) the effect of the rile of Stalin on the relationship between the two powers, including the existence of the Comintern; (iv) the effect on the relationship of the Molotov-Ribbentrop (Nazi-Soviet) Pact; (v) beliefs in the US about the threat from communism; (vi) the Soviet invasion of Finland; (vii) the effect of Operation Barbarossa and the supply of aid to the Soviets by the US; (viii) the Atlantic Charter and how its principles conflicted with the Soviet vision for the post-war world; and (ix) the US entry into the war and the formation of the Grand Alliance.

About the lecturer

Dr. Andrew Johnstone is Associate Professor of American History at the University of Leicester. He specialises in 20th-century U.S. foreign policy, particularly on the theme of U.S. internationalism, and on relations between the state and private spheres in creating and mobilising support for U.S. foreign policy. He has written and edited a number of books along this theme, including US Presidential Elections and Foreign Policy: Candidates, Campaigns, and Global Politics from FDR to Bill Clinton (Co-edited with Andrew Priest) and Against Immediate Evil: American Internationalists and the Four Freedoms on the Eve of World War II.