This book details the early development of the Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union from the closing actions of Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency through the first months of the Truman administration. It starts by describing the Yalta Conference, Roosevelt’s actions there, and U.S.-Soviet cooperation at the time. It then traces the decline of good relations between the two nations, and analyzes Truman’s views on working with the Soviet Union. Discussions between the Americans and Soviets at the Potsdam conference are detailed, as well as negotiations over the Far East. One chapter deals with the atomic bombing of Japan, focusing on its political and diplomatic aspects.