From Peace to the Cold War

1. From Peace to the Cold War

2. Results of World War II • About 55 million dead (including missing); 22 million in USSR alone. • Holocaust resulted in deaths of 6 million Jews and 6 million others. • Millions homeless and millions relocated (especially Germans living outside Germany) • Much of Europe lay in ruins: would take years to rebuild economy • Women played even larger role in the war economy than in WWI (gained more rights after war) • The U.S. and Soviet Union emerged as the two dominant powers in the postwar world.

3. Roots of the Cold War • Teheran Conference, 1943: USSR guaranteed to be only power to liberate Eastern Europe • Yalta Conference, 1945: • Stalin pledged to allow democratic elections in E. Europe (but later reneged) • Germany would be divided into four zones controlled by U.S., France, Britain and USSR • After war, Soviets dominated their zone and did not allow reunification of Germany

4. Securing the Peace • Yalta Conference, 1945: "Big Three" met again • Stalin agreed to enter Pacific war within 3 months after Germany surrendered • Stalin agreed to a “Declaration of Liberated Europe” which called for free elections. • Called for United Nations to meet in U.S. beginning in April 1945 • Soviets would have 3 votes in General Assembly • U.S., Britain, USSR, France & China to be permanent members of Security Council. • Germany to be divided into occupied zones and a coalition government of communists and non-communists was agreed to for Poland. • U.S.S.R. allowed to keep its pre-1939 territory. • FDR accepted Soviet control of Outer Mongolia, the Kurile Islands, the southern half of Sakhalin Island, Port Arthur (Darien), and partial operation of the Manchurian railroads.

5. Securing the Peace • Potsdam Conference, July 1945: Stalin, Harry Truman and Clement Atlee • Issued warning to Japan of unconditional surrender or face utter devastation • Stalin reversed his position on eastern Europe stating there would be no free elections • Approvals given to concept of war-crimes trials and the demilitarization and denazification of Germany. • Reparations from Germany could be taken from each respective zone. • During conference Truman ordered dropping of atomic bomb on Japan

6. International Cooperation • Following the war, nations met in San Francisco to sign the United Nations Charter (building upon the Atlantic Charter) and the UN was established in New York. • In 1945, the Nuremberg war crimes trials began, trying the Nazi leaders for crimes against humanity. Goering takes the stand

7. American Perspective • Stalin seemed intent on creating "spheres" of influence in Eastern Europe • Broke pledges at Yalta; refused to allow reunification of Germany • Churchhill's "Iron Curtain" speech in 1946 alerted Americans to a future conflict • U.S. wanted democracy spread throughout the world with a strong international organization to maintain global peace

8. Soviet Perspective • Democracies traditionally hostile towards communism and the USSR • e.g., Archangel expedition during WWI; non-recognition by U.S. until 1933 • US & Britain did not open western front in Europe early enough; millions of Soviet soldiers were dying fighting the brunt of Nazi armies alone until mid-1944. • The US and Britain froze Russia out of the atomic bomb project. • US terminated lend-lease to Moscow in May 1945 but gave Britain aid until 1946. • Wanted "buffer zone" for the Soviet western border esp. in Poland

9. Partition of Germany • USSR, U.S., Britain & France would each occupy a part of Germany but would allow for German reunification once she was no longer a threat. • Germany was to pay heavy reparations to USSR in form of agricultural and industrial goods.

10. Partition of Germany • Soviets dominated their Eastern German zone • Did not want revitalized Germany that could once again pose a threat. • Stripped E. Germany of much of its resources. • U.S. and W. Europeans felt German economy vital to recovery of Europe

11. Partition of Germany • 1949, West Germany became an independent country when US, France and Britain gave back each of their zones • Federal Republic of Germany – led by Konrad Adenauer • 1949, East Germany formally established – Democratic Republic of Germany led by Walter Ulbricht (1883-1973); communist regime influenced by Moscow Konrad Adenauer

12. Containment • By 1947, US pledged to prevent further spread of communism • Truman Doctrine, 1947: U.S. gave aid to Greece and Turkey to defeat communist forces there. • Marshall Plan, 1947: Massive aid package to help war-torn Europe recover from the war • Purpose: prevent communism from spreading into economically devastated regions • Result: Western and Central Europe recovered economically -- the "economic miracle" • Soviets refused to allow U.S. aid to countries in eastern Europe

13. Containment • Berlin Crisis (1948-49): Soviets attempted to remove Allies from Berlin by cutting off access • One of high tension points of the Cold War; close to World War III • U.S. instituted a massive airlift; Soviets lifted blockade in 1949

14. NATO • North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) formed in 1949 • Collective security organization consisting of democracies in Europe, U.S. & Canada to prevent against Soviet expansion in Europe. • Radio Free Europe & Voice of America set up to send pro-democracy messages to countries behind the "iron curtain"

15. Eastern Bloc • Countries in Eastern Europe dominated by Soviet Union after WWII • Included Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Rumania, Bulgaria • Communist parties of eastern Europe established one-party states by 1948, with help of Red Army and KGB (Soviet secret police). • The Warsaw Pact was established in 1955 to counter NATO in west. • Only Yugoslavia, led by Marshal Tito, is not dominated by Soviets. Marshall Tito

16. Eastern Bloc • Postwar economic recovery in eastern Europe proceeded along Soviet lines. • Changes went forward at slow & uneven pace; came to almost a halt by the mid-1960s. • Five-year plans in USSR reintroduced to tackle massive economic reconstruction • Stalin reinstitutes oppressive rule • Great Patriotic War of the Fatherland had fostered Russian nationalism and a relaxation of dictatorial terror.

17. Eastern Bloc • Stalin’s new foe, the U.S., provided an excuse for re-establishing harsh dictatorship. • After war, Stalin repressed millions of Soviet citizens living outside Soviet borders when the war ended. • Stalin revived many forced labor camp, which had accounted for roughly 1/6 of all new construction in Soviet Union before the war • Culture and art were also purged

18. Czechoslovakia • Czechoslovakia the economic exception in E. Europe: industrialized, strong middle class and industrial working class and experience of political democracy between the wars. • During “dualist period", President Benes and Foreign minister Jan Masaryk proposed to govern a social democracy while maintaining close voluntary relations with the USSR. • In response to Marshall Plan in 1947, Stalin replaced gov’t in 1948 with 1-party communist rule to prevent nation from courting the West.