6. Potsdam and Grand Alliance Relations

(Potsdam) Where was the Potsdam Conference?

In the city of Potsdam, Germany (near Berlin)

(Potsdam) When was the Potsdam Conference?

17th July-1st August

(Potsdam- Changes) When did WW2 end in Europe?

May 1945

(Potsdam- Changes) When had Hitler commit suicide?

30th April

(Potsdam- Changes) When did Roosevelt die?

April 12th

(Potsdam- Changes) What did Roosevelt die of?

A huge brain haemorrhage

(Potsdam- Changes) Why did Churchill have to leave Potsdam prematurely?

Because he had to return in order to supposedly be voted back in as Prime Minister

(Potsdam- Changes) When did Churchill lose the election?

26th July

(Potsdam- Changes) Who did Churchill lose the election to?

Clement Attlee

(Potsdam- Changes) What had changed in terms of the USA's nuclear capabilities?

A day before Potsdam began the US had successfully detonated their first atomic bomb in New Mexico

(Potsdam- Changes) How did this change Truman?

It made him believe that he had more leverage over Stalin (who was determined not to be intimidated

(Potsdam- Agreements) What was more certain now that the war was won?

The future of Germany and the allies (as Europe was under their control)

(Potsdam- Agreements) What type of plans wasn't there a lot of after Potsdam?

Medium or long-term blueprints for the future of Germany and international relations in the 'New World'

(Potsdam- Agreements) What was agreed about Germany's army?

Germany will be disarmed and demilitarised

(Potsdam- Agreements) What was agreed about Nazism in Germany (4 things)?

- De-Nazification will be carried out
- War crimes will be judged
- Nazi Party members will be removed from public office
- The education system will be purged of any Nazi influences

(Potsdam- Agreements) What was agreed about German local governments and why?

More responsibility will be given to local governments as this spreads out German power (reduces the likelihood of authoritarian rule)

(Potsdam- Agreements) What would be restored in terms of human rights?

Freedom of speech, press and religion

(Potsdam- Agreements) What was agreed about Germany's economic future?

That it would become a single economic unit with common policies on industry and finance

(Potsdam- Agreements) What was agreed about the USSR?

That it would receive reparations from its own zone and an additional 25% from the western zones

(Potsdam- Agreements) How could these agreements lead to tensions in the future?

Because of a difference in future international agendas

(Potsdam- Agreements) What were the differences in the USSR's, UK's and US's international agendas?

The USSR wanted a weak Germany (as this made it more susceptible to falling under Communist control) and the UK and USA wanted to economically build Germany to retain peace and trade

(Relations- Truman) What did Truman want to flourish in the world and why?

World trade, reconstruction and economic cooperation (through organisations such as the World Bank and the IMF)

(Relations- Truman) What did Truman believe these things would reduce the possibility of?

- The USA returning to the conditions experienced in the Great Depression
- Tyrannical regimes (i.e. communism) growing (as he believed that they stem from economic hardship)

(Relations- Truman) Whose views was this similar to?

Roosevelt

(Relations- Truman) What did Truman want to limit?

The territorial expansion of the USSR into geostrategic states such as Poland

(Relations- Truman) What did Truman believe in more than Roosevelt?

Confrontation towards Stalin

(Relations- Truman) Why may Truman have been more confrontational (2 things)?

- Truman had seen Stalin's actions after Yalta
- Truman felt he needed to impress the US voters (he was less self assured)

(Potsdam- Truman) What did Truman hope the possession of nuclear weapons would do?

Make Stalin more receptive to comply to US demands (as Truman believed that Stalin wasn't receptive to diplomatic solutions)

(Relations- Truman) What did Truman fear?

The 'barbaric' expansion of Soviet control in Eastern Europe and the removal of anti-communist leaders

(Relations- Stalin) What did Stalin believe about the US and their allies?

That they were potential rivals for dominance in Europe

(Relations- Stalin) What did this belief lead Stalin to do?

Increase his efforts towards increasing security (partly through the presence of the Red Army in Europe) and installing pro-communist governments in Europe to mirror the USSR's

(Relations- Stalin) Why did Stalin want governments in USSR satellite states to mirror the structure in Moscow?

Because he believed that unity created strength and therefore security for the USSR

(Relations- Stalin) What had now passed for Stalin?

The time for cooperation with the US (who he believed had a clear anti-Soviet agenda)

(Relations- Stalin) What agreements were acceptable to Stalin?

Those made at Potsdam concerning Germany

(Relations- Stalin) Despite this, what did Stalin still have?

An unspoken agenda to ensure that Eastern Europe states formed the basis of the USSR's security system

(Relations- Attlee) What did events since Yalta (such as the failure of Poland and the Declaration of Liberated Europe) do to Attlee?

Confirmed for him that the USSR was a large threat that intended to expand into Europe (also made the fact that there was no long-term plan for Germany more urgent)

(Relations- Attlee) What concerned Attlee about Potsdam?

That the decisions weakened Germany in the short term and offered no long-term plans

(Relations- Attlee) What did Attlee know about Germany?

That it was geostratigically an incredibly important area

(Relations- Attlee) Who did Attlee see as the German West Zone's primary defender?

The USA

(Relations- Attlee) What did British foreign policy become after Potsdam?

Clearly anti-Soviet