To What Extent Were The Yalta And Potsdam Conferences Responsible For The Grwoth Of Cw Ensions In The Years 1945 To 1946? Flashcards
Both conferences exacerbated tensions between the west and the east
E.g Truman’s abrasive and pragmatic personality in the Potsdam conference where he dropped two bombs to intimidate Stalin intensified the hostility. The USA atomic monopoly set the tone for their future relationship, more confrontational than collaborative. Skeptical of the ussr and quickly abandoned the notion of working with them.
Cp= Roosevelt and Stalin had a good relationship. Grand alliance as a pillar for international peacekeeping and order, optimistic and diplomatic but criticised to a degree of naivety for underestimating Stalin.
Different aims for post war Europe
E.g different ideologies, Truman’s aim for post war Europe was based on national self-determination based on free and fair elections, creation of imf and world banks for open world trading systems to minimise conditions experienced in gd[ hence mp to strengthen Europe’s economy] Stalin’s cult of personality/ infallible interpreter of communism >and aspirations for buffer zone based on satellite states where there were often rigged elections in Poland with the installation of the Lublin govt, pro-Moscow states to consolidate a monolithic eastern bloc , Germany 4 zones
Cp=there were already growing ideological tensions beforehand, and the conferences where they were unable to come to a conclusive decision on what to do with Europe [poland and Germany] only made them more clear and refined, tensions would’ve accelerated about post war Europe without the conferences anyways bc Europe was structurally weak so imperialistic ambitions was the bigger picture.
Stalin violated the terms made at the conference
E.g less committed to honour de-nazified countries the right to free and fair elections. 11million red army members to set the scene for his aggressive occupation without telling the members= already pursuing decisions unilaterally,his actions in Eastern Europe made tensions even more noticeable, especially between Churchill and Roosevelt.
Cp= lack of militarisation and direct conflict between them since there was still cooperation under the grand alliance and the ussr was still invited to conferences by the other members
