Post-WWII Europe and Soviet Influence

Stalin agreed to let the people of Eastern Europe choose their leaders before the UN meeting in San Francisco.

Stalin broke this promise and wanted Eastern European countries to become communist.

Truman's response:

By 1947, President Truman thought the Soviet Union and Stalin needed to be stopped.

Western European countries were too weak to stand up to the Soviets after the war.

Truman said the U.S. would help.

Division of Europe:

With help from America, Western European countries became strong again.

The Soviets tightened their control over Eastern Europe.

By 1948, communist governments were in power in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary.

Albania and Yugoslavia were also communist but did not follow the Soviets.

Europe was split into the Soviet bloc and the Western bloc.