US, Britain And USSR Relations In 1945 Flashcards
Who were the leading capitalist democracies when WW2 broke out?
USA and Britain
According to the USA what was liberty based on?
Free market economies?
What is a free market economy?
An economic system where prices of goods are set by the supply and demand. Allows competition with minimal interference by the state.
What do capitalist democracies promote?
Political freedom - free elections
When was the Russian Revolution?
1917
What did Stalin develop when he first came to power?
Cult of personality
When was the Yalta conference?
4 -11 February 1945
Why were there tensions at Yalta?
Cracks in the Grand Alliance began to show:
- Roosevelt committed to a post war reconstruction based on unity between victorious powers.
- Stalin wanted to guarantee security through a network of European allies.
What were the West’s objectives at Yalta?
- cooperation through the UN
- long term cooperation with the USSR
- reconstruction of Germany
- no spheres of influence
- world economic reconstruction through creation of IMF and the World Bank
What were the East’s objectives at Yalta?
- USSR to be in control of own destiny
- cooperation with US and Britain
- guaranteed security through spheres of influence
- Germany remain weak
- economic reconstruction of USSR at Germanys expense
What was agreed at Yalta?
- Germany and Berlin divided into four zones
- UN would be formally ratified
- USSR gain land from Poland, Poland be expanded to north and west
- Declaration of Liberated Europe should be created
What were Stalin’s priorities in Europe?
- ensuring Eastern Europe lay within a sphere of influence
- turning Germany into a communist state at some point, keep it weak economically
What were Roosevelt’s intentions?
- committed to cooperation
- post war world should reflect American democracy
- believed he could make Eastern Europe non communist and thought Stalin shared the same views
What were Churchill’s thoughts?
- convinced Stalin’s intention was to expand Soviet power into Eastern Europe
- USSR would threaten Britain’s imperial interests so needed a close relationship with the USA
- created the percentages agreement
What was the percentages agreement?
Established the percentage of predominance Britain and USSR had in Eastern Europe.
When was the percentages agreement?
1944
Give some examples of the percentages agreement.
In Romania USSR would have 90%
In Greece Britain would have 90%
In Hungary both would have 50%
Why did relationships deteriorate after Yalta?
Disagreements over the Declaration on Liberated Europe and how it would be applied to Poland specifically.
When was the Potsdam conference?
17 July - 1 August 1945
Who replaced the Big Three at the Potsdam conference?
Atlee
Truman
Stalin remained
What decisions were made at Potsdam regarding Germany?
- Germany disarmed and demilitarised
- de-Nazification
- decentralisation of political system
- freedom of speech, free press and religious tolerance restored
- single economic unit
- USSR receive reparations from own zone and 25% from Western zones
What had happened the day before the Potsdam conference?
USA successfully tested the atomic bomb.
Why was the USA’s dropping of the atomic bomb significant?
Truman believed it would provide diplomatic leverage needed to ensure Stalin stayed loyal
What were Truman’s intentions?
- post war world based on self determination
- international economic cooperation
- world economic reconstruction (IMF and the World Bank)
- prevent spread of communism
