As World War II drew to a close in Europe in May 1945, the Allied powers, primarily the United States, the United Kingdom, and...

As World War II drew to a close in Europe in May 1945, the Allied powers, primarily the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany. However, beneath the surface of this victory lay growing tensions between the Western democracies and the Soviet Union. The alliance had been one of convenience rather than shared ideology. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, in particular, harbored deep mistrust of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and feared that the USSR would not honor its commitments made during wartime conferences, such as the Yalta Agreement. Churchill was especially concerned about Poland, whose postwar fate was being shaped by Soviet occupation and influence. These anxieties...