yalta + potsdam

BTW - DON'T NECESSARILY BELIEVE ME AB THE TENSION FLASHCARDS BC THEYRE MADE UP

what was happening towards the end of ww2

allies were holding meetings determining nature of post-war world

3 reasons for mistrust between ussr and west pre-war

communism vs capitalism

russia withdrew from ww1

nazi-soviet pact 1939

5 western aims post-war

1. west + USSR cooperate

2. germany rebuilt - independant, democratic

3. liberatred countries in eastern europe = self-determination, no spheres of influence

4. UN formed

5. intl economic cooperation - World Bank, IMF

5 USSR aims post-war (same categories diff points)

1. USSR cooperate w USA + UK

2. germany remain weak - never threaten USSR

3. spheres of influence for USSR security

4. german industry pay for USSR rebuilding

5. USSR make own decisions:

   • no IMF, no World Bank

   • UN to a degree

first major meeting between ussr uk and america

tehran 1943

next meeting after tehran

only churchill and stalin

oct 1944 in moscow

what happened in the 1944 moscow meeting

percentages agreement - written by churchill, agreed by stalin

(how liberated eastern europe was gonna be divided)

when was the yalta conference

feb 1945

who was at the yalta conference

winston churchill

franklin roosevelt

joseph stalin

churchill approach to yalta

• limit soviet expansion

• look after british interests

  • close US relationship

  • shown in percentages agreement

• got on w stalin but not much compromise

roosevelt approach to yalta

• work w USSR to rebuild europe

• europe capitalist = no war

• may have misunderstood stalin (thought they wanted same thing)

stalin approach to yalta

• no war again

• recognised need for USA + UK

• prepared to negotiate despite idealogical diff

6 points agreed between the ‘big three’ at yalta

• stalin enter japan war

  • help control japan post-war future

• divide germany + berlin into 4

• punish ppl responsible for genocide

• liberated west + central europe = free elections

• join UN

• eastern europe = ‘soviet sphere of influence’

main disagreement at yalta

about poland

stalin ops on poland

wanted USSR border to extend into it

said it could then move its other border into germany

churchill ops on poland

didn’t approve of stalins plan

couldnt do anything as red army (stalin’s) controlled poland + east germany

said USSR cant interfere in greece (british tryna prevent communist takeover) - accepted

roosevelt ops on poland

didnt approve of stalins plan

churchill convinced him to agree

yalta overall effect on tension

short term = countries close + cooperative

long term = responsible for things that led to tension later (eg. germany split, soviet sphere of influence)

when was potsdam

july 1945

potsdam aim

action plans made at yalta

3 changes at potsdam compared to yalta

leaders

stalin’s armies in eastern europe

stalin’s discovery of USA atomic bomb

who was at potsdam

harry truman (USA)

clement attlee (UK)

joseph stalin

truman approach to potsdam

similar to roosevelt:

• europe countries self-determination

• intl cooperation

diff to roosevelt:

• unfriendly w stalin

  • thought he didnt wanna cooperate

  • worried ab USSR power in e-eu

• willing to use force to achieve aims

  • US had worlds first atomic bomb

attlee approach to potsdam

• worried ab USSR expansion in e-eu

• stay close to USA to keep power

• keep germany safe from attack

stalin approach to potsdam

• didnt trust USA

  • europe power rival

  • truman not roosevelt

  • atomic bombs

• war won + red army in e-eu = less compromise

potsdam key agreements (4)

• germany divided (like yalta)

• nazi party banned - leaders = war criminals

• germans in poland, hungary, czechoslovakia back to germany

• poland lose some land to USSR

3 major disagreements potsdam

germany

reparations

soviet policy e-eu

disagreement on germany

STALIN

• cripple germany, protect USSR

TRUMAN

• not repeat treaty of versailles

disagreement on reparations

STALIN

• $10bn from germany

TRUMAN

• dont repeat treaty of versailles

disagreement over soviet policy in e-eu

STALIN

• pro-soviet gvts in e-eu

  • ‘unite’ them

  • protect USSR

TRUMAN

• stalin wants soviet empire in eu

• no

potsdam overall effect on tensions/relations

short term: increase tension as countries less agreement BUT did action some prev agreed plans + moral plans like nazi party banned

long term: handling of e-eu leads to future tensions