Reasons For The Collapse Of The Grand Alliance Flashcards
US Atomic monopoly.
Facts: Nuclear bomb in Japan during Potsdam 1945. Moscow knew about bomb bc of spies and so does the USA = culture of spying e.g Molotov
Impacts: Truman turned cooperation into confrontation, didn’t tell ussr, culture of mistrust, irresponsible agreements exacerbates fear n sus, positioned us and ussr as rivals
Problems over Poland
Facts: Lublin gov supported by ussr , gov in exile supported by uk. Polish corridors unclaimed = rivalry bc stalins wants security.
Impacts: Roosevelt said that if Lublin gov were installed then yalta will fail which exposes ideological differences. USA wanted it liberal whilst Stalin wants it communist.
Ideological differences
Facts: capitalism = little to no censorship, democracy, free market economics. Communism = totalitarian and gov owned.
Impacts= less trade= no cooperation and aspiration for peace ,world/ global domination. Did nothing to heal the ideological rift, instead it widens it as it did nothing to lay the foundations of a viable n non confrontational west n east.
US commitment to post war liberal democracy
Facts = many Eastern European states ‘liberated’ by ussr. USA wanted self determination + freedom whilst ussr wanted a sphere of influence. Free n fair elections to countries that were once nazified.
Impacts = Stalin was less committed to honour this during Potsdam n haven’t accepted yalta and Potsdam fully.
Tension n sus
No long term plan for Germany
Facts = splitting of Germany into 4 zones, denazified. Berlin is in ussr territory
Impacts = uncertainty no long term plan for Germany , 2 systems in one country = Berlin is a flashpoint , did nothing to reinforce the notion of international cooperation at reconstructing a long term post war Europe.
Was the grand alliance doomed or destroyed?
Already doomed from the offset due to differing perspectives of the world but this crippling tension was exacerbated during the conferences.
Ideological ward are was incentivised by them almost evangelising their ideologies due to them being so conservative n self righteous in their own , intensifying this already existing tension derived from global domination.
Tension was tangible due to Truman’s abrasive atomic deterrent to secure stalins loyalty.
Escalate culture of mistrust , Stalin weaponises n euphamises his language to skill fully mask his own imperialistic interests , further destroying this doomed marriage of convenience.
