Post WW2 Flashcards
Tensions at Yalta
Grand alliance between USSR, Britan and USA was begining to show cracks.
Many Eastern European states had been liberated by the USSR
Roosevelt commited to post-war reconstruction based on unity among victorious powers
Stalin guarentee of security through network of Eastern European allies was in fundamental conflict with this view
Yalta Conference
4-11 February 1945
Stalin, Roosevelt and Stalin
Key players objectives weren’t in line
Roosevelt and Churchill objectives
-Collective security founded on the United Nations
- Long term cooperation with the USSR
-Right to national self determination and no spheres of influence
- Germany’s reconstruction and re education as a democratic nation
-World economic reconstruction through the creation of IMF and World Bank
Stalin Objectives
- USSR to be in control of its own destiny
- Cooperation with Anglo-Americans
- USSR’s security guaranteed through Soviet sphere of influence
- Germany to remain weak for the indefinite future
- Economic reconstruction for the USSR at expense of Germany
What was agreed at Yalta
- Germany divided into four zones
- Berlin split into two
- United Nations would be formally ratified
- USSR would gain land from Poland and Poland would be expended to North and West
- Declaration of Liberated Europe should be created
Relations between Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill
Stalin
- 25 million soviets had died during WW2 with destruction of destruction of cities and agriculture
- He and Vyacheslav Molotov viewed the Grand Alliance as anti-soviet.
- Wanted to ensure that Eastern Europe was under Soviet sphere of influence
- Dismemberment of Germany not in USSR’s interest but keeping it economically weak enough so can fall into communist state
Roosevelt
- Post war agreement should be on the basis of democracy
- Not only in interest for USA but for all states - Roosevelt convinced that Stalin shared the same view.
- Certain that could secure a democratic non-communist future for all Eastern European states
Churchill
- Convinced that it was Stalin’s intention to expand Soviet power in post war Europe
- He believed that Soviet Union could threaten Britans imperial interests and essential to form close relationship with USA
- October 1944 to protect Bristish interest in Eastern Europe and the Balkans arrived at the “ percentages Agreement “
The Percentages Agreement 1944
Was to establish the percentage of predominance Britan and the USSR would each have in European states.
Romania USSR would have 90% Britan would have 10%
Greece Britan had 90%
Hungary 50% each
Deteriorating relationships after Yalta
Disagreemnt quickly happened over how the Declaration of Liberated Europe was interpreted and applied specifically to Poland
Lublin Government
Polish government in WW2 existed in exile in London.
USSR supported a pro communist government set up upon Poland’s liberation
Stalin encured non-communist leaders who resisted the Nazis were eliminated so could not put the government back into place
Potsdam Conference
17 July to 1 August 1945
War in Europe ended in May but Japan continued fighting and Stalin continued to provide aid for the West
Consisted of Stalin, Truman and Clement Attlee
Decisions at Potsdam
-Days before Potsdam first successful detonation of USA’s atomic bomb had taken place, hoped to be used as diplomatic leverage
-No medium or long term plan had been resolved
It was agreed that:
- Germany completely demilitarised and disarmed
- de-nazification was to be carried out
- Decentralisation of the political system
- Freedom of speech and press to be restored
- Germany to become a single economic unit
- USSR to receive reparations from its own zone and also 25% from Western zones
Relations Between Truman, Stalin and Attlee
Truman
-Truman similar to Roosevelt and wanted world based on national self determination an open trading system and world economic restoration through IMF and World Bank
- Minimise possibilty of the Great Depression happening again
-It would ensure USA’s geostrategical interest by limiting expansion of territorial influence of other states
- US ambassador warned Truman of expansion of USSR would be “A barbaric invasion of Europe”
Stalin
- By Potsdam Stalin convinced USA and its allies were rivals for dominance of Europe
- This reinforced obsession with Soviet security
- Stalin needed to ensure that Eastern European states would form under USSR long-term security plan
Attlee
- Events had confirmed to Britain that Stalin was expansionist in Europe
- Vital USA act as main protector of Europe
- British foreign policy became focused on an anti-communist stance
- Potsdam didn’t offer a long term plan for Germany
