1945-1953: From World War to Cold War

PBS: Starts Monday 7 July at 6.30pm

In early 1945, the Big Three world leaders –Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin– were all optimistic: victory over Nazi Germany was in no doubt, and the accord that they had achieved seemed likely to preserve the values they had fought for.

However, in just a few months, nothing would remain of their alliance except irreconcilable differences. United in war, the Allies would soon reveal themselves as divided rivals in peace.

Plans for a new world order drawn up by three men led inevitably to the Cold War. How can such a rapid failure of a real effort at entente be explained? Combining archive footage, photographs, original letters and unique testimonies, this two-part documentary revisits a crucial period in modern history.