Final Year Of War

Question 0

What’s next for Europe?

Answer 0

Framework established in conferences in 1944.
Entangle US in a way they’ve never been and was unthinkable before
Embracing alliances, shaping world in own image
Conferences can be separated into economic and political
Complex because FDR & Churchill often disagreed with Stalin

Question 1

D-Day: The Second Front

Answer 1

When the war starts to go well. Autumn 1944 finally establish a second front, Germany on the retreat.
Start to look at what Europe will look like - structure, organisation, peace

Question 2

Brettonwoods Conference

Answer 2

July 1944
Wanted open, economic capitalism to survive
No closed systems, no more depressions, eager to avoid the suffering again.
World Bank set up with American money - develop countries to stave off threat of revolutions & to rebuild Europe
Stabilise world economy & avoid tariffs
Anti-Soviet elements to this

Question 3

Dumbarton Oaks

Answer 3

August-September 1944
Blueprint for UN is drafted : all nations represented in general assembly but some would be more important. Great Powers would be in charge of security council - France, Britain, USA, China, Soviet Union - & would have veto on important decisions.
Different to WW’s ideals but recognition that great powers needed power.
Veto appealed to Stalin but would not be part of IMF or World Bank. Ideological objection to free market capitalism, wanted closed sphere of influence for Soviets

Question 4

Quebec Conference

Answer 4

British not as keen on economics either but have to go along with it.
September 1944
FDR had radical plan for Germany - strip it of industrial power and manufacturing capability and make it farmland.
Churchill didn’t want strong Germany but their economy was important for the future of Europe
FDR also criticised by own admin, reverts to another plan to spilt up Germany
Meet without FDR - Moscow: Stalin and Churchill October

Question 5

Yalta

Answer 5

February 1945
UN successful: Stalin agrees to join, wants other countries to have representation because realises he is outnumbered but this rejected

Question 6

Germany issues at Yalta

Answer 6

Soviet Union wants TOV like reparations, doesn’t want France to have full power in Germany, wants Germany smaller so that Poland can be moved
Poland is moved so that Soviet Union can be enlarged
Buffer state between Germany and S.U. - been at war with them twice, wanted a barrier

Question 7

Declaration of Liberated Europe

Answer 7

Repeats Atlantic Charter principles
Free political systems
Self determination
Open economic systems

Why GB and US went to war but not Stalin

Question 8

Pacific War

Answer 8

Manages to convince S.U. to help in war against Japan only 3 months after European war
Gets territory as payment for this

Yalta criticised as FDR selling out to Russia, what more could he have done though?

Question 9

Truman

Answer 9

No experience in f.p.
Only just become FDR’s v.p.
Follows hard line against the Soviets

Question 10

Potsdam

Answer 10

July - August 1945

Question 11

The atomic bomb

Answer 11

Argued that it was to end war, save the lives of those who would have died in Japanese mainland attack.
Full effect of the bomb not understood
Some argue it was also used to intimidate Soviet Union

Question 12

Revisionist view of Yalta

Answer 12

Estimate casualties would have been low
Dropped to scare
Japan looking for surrender

Question 13

Surrender

Answer 13

Accept Japanese conditional surrender when unconditional surrender was set out at beginning of war