Ending WWII Beginning of a New Era

Yalta Conference  In February 1945 (before the end of the war), the “Big Three” leaders Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt met in Yalta, USSR to decide on the fate of Germany and the post-war world.

 The two greatest agreements that come from the meeting:  Roosevelt successfully gets the go-ahead to create a new peacekeeping organization to replace the League of Nations – the United Nations (UN). The biggest difference is the addition of “peacekeepers” from each member nation an international court of justice with members of all nations.  Stalin gets his way and they agree to temporarily divide up Germany

Potsdam Conference  July-August 1945, the “Big Three” countries of Great Britain, the U.S. and the Soviet Union met in Potsdam to decide on how to deal with post- war Germany, and how to make peace again in Europe.  The decisions at Potsdam were:  to divide Germany into four occupied zones (occupied by the U.S., Britain, France, and the USSR), and the capital Berlin, was divided into four zones as well.  Have Germany give back all annexed territory, and all Germans within the outer borders were to return home  Keep Germany economically stable, but not wealthier than any other European country, they would pay overages as reparations to the USSR  This would be the last conference among the allies, as tensions would quickly spring up among them.

Beginning of Hostilities  By the Potsdam Conference, Stalin had already installed communist governments in Eastern European nations “as protection”, trading Nazi rule for communist. He then made some of those nations “satellite” nations of the Soviet Union.  Truman, more anti-communist than FDR, saw this action as the beginning of Soviet domination of Eastern Europe.  The U.S. had already tested the atom bomb, a fact which the Soviets knew about from their spies – leading the Soviets to work on constructing their own.

How are Soviet beliefs different from America’s? Capitalism = Where all factors of production (industry, business and agriculture) are owned by private individuals or firms who run them for their own profit. Communism = Where all factors of production (industry, business and agriculture) are owned by the state for the good of everyone.

Communism There should only be one political party There should be a variety of political parties for people to choose between Everyone must work for the state People should be free to start their own businesses and make a profit We should only make as many products as we need We should make as many products as we can and sell them for profits Capitalism Fairness and equality for all - Socialism! Freedom and opportunity for all! We will enforce strict censorship – no-one should criticise the state. We believe in people having freedom of speech on political matters.

Leadership Capitalist - Democracy One leader, voted for by the people Works with Parliament to pass laws Could be from a variety of political parties Communist Ideally no need for a leader - Run by a committee – so no voting Oversees day to day business Only one political party

Factories Capitalist Owned by individuals or companies Develops/ mass produces Sells as much as possible for profit Communist No need for an owner – factory owned by the Government Only makes what is needed by the state Not for profit

Farmers Communist Farmers produce for the state All produce is taken and given out to the people – not for profit Machinery/ equipment is provided by the state Capitalist Farmers produce for own gain Sells food for as much as possible - for profit Personally buys equipment and tools to make work more efficient.

"We must take immediate and resolute action.“ H arry Truman, March 12, 1947, "The Truman Doctrine" So, if keeping the world safe for democracy becomes a priority again, how did the U.S. propose to respond to the Soviet threat?

Truman Doctrine  According to Truman – “it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.”  At the time, he was trying to get $400 million in aid for Greece and Turkey, two countries struggling economically, and easy targets for Soviet takeover.

Our Next Hurdle - Post War Destruction in Europe Frankfurt

Post War Destruction London

Russia

Hamburg

Post War Destruction – How Can We Help?? Ask this man – George Marshall, US Secretary of State He proposed giving financial aid to war-torn countries so they could rebuild their land, and then their economies – called the Marshall Plan

European countries that accepted Marshall Plan aid – the red columns are the relative amounts of aid each country received.

Hamburg Before the Marshall Plan

Hamburg only a few years after…

Iron Curtain  Stalin forbids any nation under his control to take Marshall Plan aid.  Winston Churchill, no longer Prime Minister, travels to Fulton, Missouri and gives a speech about the division between East and West. He coins the term “Iron Curtain,” which describes the separation of Europe.Iron Curtain

The Struggle over Germany

Differing Ideologies  Stalin viewed his Soviet occupied zone of Germany as a reparation, to be used for financial means, and prevent further German threat to the Soviet Union. His zone remained under Soviet control until 1989, and was called East Germany.  The other three occupants believed that Germany should be unified so they could build an economically sound and peaceful nation again. These three united their territories into one, creating West Germany. The capital, Berlin, was also unified on the western side only.

Stalin believed he could at least control all of Berlin by holding Berlin hostage, not allowing any travel to or from, which basically left those people in West Berlin to starve…do we allow Stalin to bully us into giving up Berlin?? How Do We Respond? With the Berlin Airlift How Do We Respond?