4.1 - The aftermath of World War II

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Today

Paragraph 4.1 - The aftermath of World War II 

Goals 

• What happened after peace has been established in Europe
  
• Why distrust between East and West has its roots in WWII and is not removed during or after WWII, but intensifies
  
• What was decided at Yalta and at Potsdam

Yalta Conference

February 1945

• The Allies meet in Yalta to discuss what needs to happen after the war
• The Big Three are: Churchill (UK), Roosevelt (US) and Stalin (SU)
  

Yalta conference

1. Four occupation zones (SU, USA, Fr. and UK) of the whole of Germany AND Berlin
   
2. Democracies would be established in ALL liberated countries by holding free election
3. Poland: land change (gain west, lose east)
   
4. SU declare war on Japan three months after end war Germany
   

Name one big difference between the decisions the Treaty of Versailles and those made at the Yalta conference

Instructions

In the next question you see a list of some of the agreements made at Yalta. Which ones were similar to those made at Versailles? 

What was the treaty of Versailles again? Watch the clip below

JUST LIKE AT VERSAILLES

Germany was to be demilitarised 

Reparations were partly in the form of forced labour

Nazi war criminals were to be found and put on trial

Germany had to pay war reparations

Germany was split into four occupation zones 

Distrust 

Before WWII: SU and the other allies didn't trust each other

During WWII: 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' 

After WWII: distrust resurfaced

What is NOT a reason why the Soviets distrust the West ?

1. Intervention of the Allies directly after Russian Revolution
2. No willingness to join in alliance by France and United Kingdom
3. It took a rather long time to establish a serious second front in the West during WWII
4. The Soviets did not want another dictator installed in Germany

Free elections? 

In the end Stalin did hold elections in the Soviet occupied countries, but they were not free, or least, all countries 'miraculously' made a socialist choice 

Satellite states

The countries the Soviets 'liberated' became satellite state states 

The main goal for the SU? 

Creating a buffer against new European attacks

Satelitte state

a state that is officially independent, but is under heavy political, economic and militairy control of another country.

The Iron Curtain 

From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in many cases, increasing measure of control from Moscow. (...) The Communist parties, which were very small in all these Eastern States of Europe, have been raised to pre-eminence and power far beyond their numbers and are seeking everywhere to obtain totalitarian control. Police governments are prevailing in nearly every case, and so far, except in Czechoslovakia, there is no true democracy.

The Iron Curtain - Winston Churchill

Literal and figurative 

The Iron Curtain Winston Churchill mentions here was also an almost literal curtain where the border between the East and the West was constantly watched from watchtowers and barbed wire seperated two parts of Europe.

‎Usually is is meant ‎figuratively:

 political, military and ideological barrier created by the Soviet Union to block itself and its satellite states from open contact with the West

Truman doctrine

USA wants to prevent more countries falling into communist hands. President Truman therefore states: 

1. I believe it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.
2. I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.
3. I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.

To prevent the spread of...

In order to prevent the spread of communism George Marshall, Secretary of State, came up with:

The Marshall plan

American aid programme to help rebuild European economies after WWII (and thus preventing the spread of communism) 

The Truman Doctrine was meant to avoid more
countries having a communist government.

1. True
2. False

The Truman Doctrine stated that the USA would
wage war against every communist country.

1. True
2. False

According to Marshall, poverty could lead to communism.

1. True
2. False

Marshall refused to offer Marshall aid to Eastern bloc countries.

1. True
2. False

Why did the Marshall aid did not reach Eastern Europe? (no, I haven't covered it in the lesson, but guess (and it is not bad WIFI))

The Marshall aid in the Netherlands

What did you learn this lesson? Are the things you do not fully grasp yet?