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Ap Euro Pgs 690-700 U10
- World War II Aftermath and the Cold War
- Transition from WW II to Cold War
- After WWII, Allies faced challenges of rebuilding Europe, addressing Nazi crimes, and establishing lasting peace.
- Rising tensions between the United States and Great Britain versus the Soviet Union.
- By 1949, Europe was divided into the Eastern Bloc (Soviet-aligned) and the Western Bloc (U.S.-aligned).
- The Cold War emerged as both superpowers competed for global political and military dominance for 40 years.
- Destruction in Europe Post-War
- Extent of Ruin
- WWII resulted in widespread destruction across Europe, with cities and infrastructure heavily damaged.
- Major cities like Leningrad (now St. Petersburg, Russia), Warsaw (Poland), and Dresden (Germany) were left in ruins.
- Surviving cities such as Prague (Czech Republic) and Paris (France) were fortuitously spared from extensive damage.
- Human Cost of the War
- Casualties in Europe
- Death toll in Europe exceeded that of WWI, with at least 20 million Soviets dead (military and civilian).
- Between 9-11 million civilians murdered by German forces, including approximately 6 million Jews during the Holocaust.
- One in five Poles died during the war, including 3 million Polish Jews.
- Overall casualty estimate stands at around 50 million deaths globally.
- Displacement and Refugees
- Migration Due to War
- The post-war period saw mass displacement due to territorial changes and destruction.
- Millions were uprooted (25 million in the USSR, 20 million in Germany).
- 13 million ethnic Germans fled west; many forced laborers sought to return home.
- Displaced Persons (DPs) faced unique problems; Jewish DPs especially struggled with antisemitism and community loss.
- UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration) established camps, aiding millions of refugees from 1945 to 1957.
- War Crimes and Denazification
- Retribution Process
- Germany and Austria were divided into occupation zones governed by the Allies (USA, UK, France, Soviet Union).
- Each zone attempted to punish Nazi war criminals, with approximately 100,000 Germans and Austrians convicted.
- The Nuremberg Trials (1945-46) were pivotal in addressing Nazi atrocities, resulting in death sentences for 12 prominent Nazi leaders.
- The Cold War delayed thorough denazification efforts in both East and West.
- Political Dynamics and the Seeds of the Cold War
- Shifts in Alliances
- Post-war tension arose from ideological differences between the USSR (communism) and the U.S./UK (capitalism).
- The Tehran Conference (1943) and Yalta Conference (February 1945) laid groundwork but revealed diverging interests.
- Soviet post-war influence expanded, especially in Eastern Europe, as communist governments began to take hold in countries like Poland, Hungary, and East Germany.
- The Potsdam Conference (July-August 1945) saw President Truman confront Stalin over free elections in Eastern Europe, leading to heightened tensions.
- Emerging Cold War Hostilities
- Containment Strategy
- The U.S. initiated the Truman Doctrine (March 1947) to contain communism's spread.
- The Marshall Plan (April 1948) provided approximately $13 billion in economic aid to Western Europe to counter communist influence.
- Berlin became a flashpoint: tensions escalated after the U.S. introduced new currency in Western zones, leading to the Berlin Blockade (June 1948 - May 1949).
- The Berlin Airlift (June 1948 - September 1949) ensured West Berlin's survival, showcasing successful containment and strengthening U.S. resolve.
- Formation of Military Alliances
- NATO and Warsaw Pact
- In 1949, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was formed as an anti-Soviet military alliance, while the USSR countered with the Warsaw Pact (May 1955).
- Europe was divided politically and militarily, establishing two hostile blocs.
- Cold War Developments Globally
- WW II Legacies
- Cold War conflicts extended beyond Europe, with the Korean War (1950-1953) as a prime example of U.S.-Soviet tensions in non-Western territories.
- Both sides engaged in an arms race, revolutionizing military technologies and leading to crises including the space race (1957 - launch of Sputnik).
- Impact of Science and Technology
- Transformation of Science
- Advances in military technology during the war fostered what is termed "big science," which combined research with extensive funding to solve complex problems.
- Following the war, one-quarter of Western scientists focused on weapon development; a significant shift towards applied sciences for both military and consumer goods occurred.
- While military needs drove advancements, there were also significant benefits, such as increased agricultural productivity during the postwar green revolution (1945-196
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