In this lesson, you will learn about some of the key trends, issues, and events immediately following WWII that shaped the world as we know it, from the formation of an international community to the United States assuming a new role as a global superpower. You will see how the Allies worked hard to rebuild both friends and former enemies, even as deepening distrust between the U.S. and Russia planted the seeds for the Cold War.
You will be prompted to take notes on the development of U.S. foreign policy during this period, gather and analyze evidence, and organize this information in order to write an essay that answers the question:
How did U.S. foreign policy change in the aftermath of WWII, and what influenced these changes?
To help you answer that question, the lesson will focus on these aspects of U.S. foreign policy in the late 1940s: