HI021: AOS 1 IDEAS AND POLITICAL POWER: THE COLD WAR The end of WW2: The Origins of the Cold War

Learning Intention: Explain what happened at the end of the Second World War Describe what happened at the end of the war Describe what is meant by the term ‘iron curtain’ Dealing with the defeated Explain the ‘social’ impact of the war Explain the ‘economic’ impact of the war Explain the consequences for Germany

Britain, France and the USA The End of the War Soviet forces Allied forces: Britain, France and the USA

The End of the War May 1 1945: Hitler declared dead, commits suicide in a bunker in Berlin as the Soviet forces attack city May 8 1945: Unconditional German surrender Meanwhile in Japan, Americans dropped first atomic bomb on Hiroshima The Japanese soon surrendered and stopped the expansion of their Empire in the Pacific

The End of the War Coalition of communist Soviet Union and Western liberal capitalist countries made this possible Between 1945 and 1949, relationship began to break down Developing misunderstandings Mutual distrust Different understanding about how society and politics should by organised

The Iron Curtain Proposed new order: Establishment of United Nations, economic reform of Europe and mutual cooperation While these were established, tension developed over the occupation of the defeated land and the economic and social reconstruction By 1948, an ‘iron curtain’ had descended across Europe Symbolically, this was between the USA and USSR and, by extension, the ideologies of Communism and Capitalism A military and political ‘stand-off’ Signalled the beginning of the Cold War Would dominate politics until early 1990

The End of the War

Over 60 million deaths (more than any conflict since) Impact of the war Social Impact Material/economic impact Over 60 million deaths (more than any conflict since)

The Impact of the War - Social 48 million were relocated Mainly from Eastern and central Europe 9 million in Germany Massive number of children became orphans 50,000 in Czechoslovakia 280,000 in Yugoslavia 60,000 in Holland 30,000 homeless in Bucharist, Romania Psychological devastation for an entire generation of people

The Impact of the War – Economic and material Europe was devastated due to bombing campaigns, scorched earth policies, door to door street fighting Germany: 25% of all houses had been destroyed (similar in Yugoslavia, Poland, Greece , Soviet Union. Some damage in Britain) Massive destruction of infrastructure (trains, roads, hospitals, bridges) Agricultural output had virtually ceased. Food rationing remained in place, sometimes more restrictive

Before and after: The Brandenberg Gate in the centre of Berlin 1945 1938

... and after

Dealing with the defeated Led by the ‘big three’ Stalin (USSR), Trueman (USA), Atlee (Britain, replacing Churchill) Sought to avoid tensions that emerged from the Versailles treaty Excluded the French Focused on ‘four Ds’ Denazification Demilitarisation Demostractisation Decartelization (dismantling large companies that provided for the German military)

Dealing with the defeated: The occupation of Germany Because Germany was in ruins, demilitarisation was straightforward Soviet occupation zone: 240,000 POWs were held in concentration camps and Gulags. 95,000 died In Western zones, many also died: ‘significant proportion may have died from neglect’.

Dealing with the defeated: The occupation of Germany German civilians: Stunde Zull (zero hour) Severe food and housing shortages Huge influx of people into occupied zones Massive increase in crime and theft (stealing no longer a mortal sin according to Catholic Church) Economic collapse: Sex and cigarette butts became prized commodities Occupying forces faced with challenge: How to deal with perpetrators of war and help civilian population?

Dealing with the defeated: The occupation of Germany Agreed at the Berlin (Potsdam) Conference that occupying powers should administer Germany jointly and there should be one economy. This failed to happen. Soviets and Western powers both sought to create a new Germany in their own image: Communist and Western liberal capitalist Berlin Blockade: Soviet Union attempted to block Allied access to Berlin in 1948 and 1949. Ultimately, the Berlin Blockade turned out to be a total political failure for the Soviet Union. This event was one of the first major conflicts of the Cold War 

Dealing with the defeated WESTERN ZONE French, British and American zones of occupation were integrated into a single nation state: Federal Republic of Germany (1949) SOVIET ZONE Democratization through communist society Established Socialist Unit Party (Basis for East German dictatorship after 1949) Many Germans who favoured communism return from years of exile

Communist countries during the Cold War era U.S.S.R Cuba China North Korea Poland Czechoskovakia Albania Bulgaria Romania East Germany Hungary Yugoslavia