Rebuilding Europe (post WWII)

Post-War

  • They have a problem → “What to do with Europe now?“

  • US and Stalin deciding what to do

  • They don’t know how to start rebuilding

  • Unlike WWI, Germany has allied soldiers everywhere

Immediate Effects of WWII

  • The Berlin Wall was put up to keep the east and west divided so they ca’t get back home

    • Eastern Berlin was communist → it was all Russian communism

  1. Soviet Satelites are Established

    • Satellite: a country that followed the Soviet Union after WWII and became communist, not done by choice

      • Poland, Hungary, Romania, and East Germany

    • The Soviet Union are still fearful of an attack from the west, so it established a buffer zone using Eastern European countries

      • Sometimes called the “iron curtain“ by Churchill

  2. Truman Doctrine

    • Issued by Pres.Truman

    • US policy that states will contain and restrict the spread of communism

    • The US pledged to help any country prevent a communist take over if they asked for help

    • A policy of containment- keep it where it is, don’t let it spread

  3. Marshall Plan

    • Issued by the secretary of state, George Marshall

    • An economic aid package to help rebuild Eastern Europe

      • again, the US wants to make sure it has allies to “fight“ communism

    • $1.3 billion

  4. Europeans Lose Colonies

    • Europeans can’t afford to maintain their overseas empired following the war

      • many colonies were inspired to seek their independence

    • Regents: one immediate after effect of WWII was many European colonies in Asia and Africa gained their independence

  5. The Division of Germany

    • West Germany remains a free democratic nation

    • East Germany becomes a communist nation led by the Soviet Union

      • we cave into the demands of communist Russia

    • Capital of East Germany, Berlin, was also divided into East and West zoned

    • The Soviet Union blocked West Berlin so nothing could come in, especially food

      • the idea was that West Berlin would slowly starve and give up the entire city

  • Result: The Berlin Airlift

    • Food, medical, and other supplies were flown into West Berlin and dropped

    • Over 278,000 flights over 11 months saved West Berlin from starvation

    • Many families were split up and thousands dies trying to escape

  • Cold War

    • First “test“ by the Soviets in the Cold War to see if the Western Democracies would back down

    • An exampe of international cooperation as English and US planes flew food and supplies daily

  1. Nuremberg Trials

    • an international court established in the German City of Nuremberg to prosecute Nazi war criminals captured at the war’s end

    • Tried for crimes against humanity

    • Nuremberg Principles: defines what is a war crime

    • Nuremberg Code: established how future trials would be handled dealing with doctors who use humans as subjects

  2. Occupation of Japan

    • US took over Japan to establish a democracy in an area of the world under heavy communist influence

    • US wanted to ally in Asia

      • feared the “Domino Effect“- as one country fell to communism, so too would others

    • Occupation forced led by Gen. MacArthur

Long Term Effects

  1. Cold War

    • Hostilities between Communist and Democratic countries

    • Mainly a competition between the US and the Soviet Union for military and technological superiority

      • nuclear arms race, space race, sports (olympics)

    • Will last until the Soviet Union breaks up in 1991

  2. Military Alliances are Formed

    • NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)- western democracies; if one is attacked, all must defend

    • Warsaw Pact- an answer to NATO; communist East Europe

    • Nonalignment- countries chose not to take sides during the Cold War; India and China