the potsdam conference 1945 - consequences and importance

impact on US - Soviet relations (detail)

• The conference at Potsdam had a negative impact on the relationship between the USA and Soviet Union:

  • Truman had mentioned to Stalin that the USA had successfully tested the atomic bomb through the Trinity test, which increased tensions between both countries

  • Stalin wanted harsher reparations against Germany, while Truman wanted to protect the German economy

  • Truman was concerned with the USSR’s control over Eastern Europe and the spread of communism

  • Stalin wanted to keep his Red Army in Eastern Europe as protection against future threats

importance on US Soviet relations?

• Increased tensions - Stalin worked well with Roosevelt, not Truman who was trying to assert his authority by taking a tough approach

consequence to Europe agreements

• They committed to working for the peace of Europe

consequence as a result of the reparations compromise

• Stalin was unhappy with the compromise on reparations as the USSR sector was poorer than that of Western Allies with significantly less industry.

importance of clarity of issues

• It was made clear at the Potsdam conference that there were significant issues that couldn’t be agreed on, and this increased tensions further

consequence on Truman’s suspicions of Stalin

• Truman gained more suspicion on Stalin due to the fact that Stalin wanted to gain control of Eastern Europe. He believed that Stalin’s goal was to spread communism

importance of the defeat of Germany

• The defeat of Germany took away the need to work against a common enemy

consequences regarding the Germany agreement

• There was an agreement on how Germany would be dealt with in terms of land and reparations, and they had somewhat agreed on the terms of democracy regarding the government

• Germany was now divided into 4 zones