The Potsdam Conference : After the surrender of Germany, a conference was held at Potsdam, in Germany by the Allied powers Britain, Soviet Union and the U.S. The main subject of discussion at Potsdam was Germany. At this conference, an agreement was reached on banning fascist organizations, destruction of military power of Germany, reorganization and division’of Germany into four occupation zones. The council of foreign ministers set up at Potsdam Conference signed treaties with Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland but no agreement could be arrived at on the question of Germany and Japan. The disagreement over Poland and the differences over Germany became a major source of conflict between the West bloc and Soviet Union. 

Formation of NATO : The war war brought to an end on 10th August without Russian Help. 

1. The NATO was formed in April 1949. 

2. The Berlin Blockade exposed the military unreadiness of the West and compelled them to make definite preparations. 

3. In March 1948 Britain, France, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg had signed the Brussels Defence Treaty promising military help in the case of war. 

4. Now they were joined by the USA, Canada, Portugal, Denmark, Eire, Italy and Norway. They signed the North Atlantic Treaty. 

5. They regarded an attack on one of them as an attack on all of them, and. 

6. Placing their defence forces under a joint NATO command organisation which would coordinate the defence of the west. 

7. The Americans had abandoned their policy of ‘no entangling alliances’ and pledged themselves in advance to military action. 

8. To stop the spread of communism.