10.1: the aftermath of WW2

• History
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 3

10. The Time of Television and Computers

1. The aftermath of World War 2

and the beginning of the Cold War

What is this lesson about?

After a devastating war, the Allied Powers agreed to help Europe repair the damage to infrastructure and get its economy back on track. 

However, different political views resulted in a divided Europe. How could this happen?

Tensions in the post-war period between the USA and the Soviet Union led to the Cold War. This divided Europe into two parts: the democratic Western countries (including West Germany) and the Eastern Bloc countries: East Germany and the Soviet satellite states. The free market economy of Western Europe prospered with the Marshal Plan aid, while the communist economy in Eastern Europe failed to promote prosperity.

people in this lesson

Roosevelt

president

USA

Churchill

prime minister

UK

Stalin

Leader

USSR

Truman

president

USA

Word Duty

Yalta Conference: the meeting of US President Roosevelt, the British Prime Minister Churchill and Soviet leader Stalin in February 1945, where they discussed Europe’s post-war reorganisation

satellite state: a state that is officially independent but is under heavy political, economic and military control of another country

Iron Curtain: 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 policy to stop Soviet expansion during the Cold War by supporting countries threatened by the Soviet Union

Cold War: state of political and military tension after World War II between the West (the USA and its NATO allies) and the East (the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies)

Marshall Plan: American aid programme to help rebuild European economies after World War II

Berlin Blockade: the blocking of all traffic to West Berlin by Stalin from 24th June 1948 to 12th May 1949

NATO: abbreviation of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; military alliance established in 1949

Warsaw Pact: military alliance of the USSR and its satellite states

Berlin Wall: barrier (1961-1989) constructed by East Germany, that completely cut off West Berlin 

from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin

WORD DUTY

Important dates in this lesson:

1945:  Yalta Conference (Feb)

           Roosevelt dies and is succeeded by president Truman (Apr)

           VE-Day (May)

1947:  Truman announces Truman Doctrine

1948:  Marshall Plan

           Berlin Blockade

           forming of NATO 

1949:  forming of Western Germany (FRG)

           forming of Eastern Germany (GDR)

           first Soviet atomic bomb tested

1955:  West Germany becomes a member of NATO

           forming of Warsaw Pact

1961:  construction Berlin Wall

Consequences for Germany

When it became clear that Hitler would lose the war, the leaders of the three Great Powers met in February 1945, in Yalta, to talk about how to organise the world when the war ended. At this Yalta Conference, Stalin, US President Roosevelt and the British Prime Minister Churchill agreed that they would divide and control post- war Germany in four occupation zones. Among other things, they decided also to establish democracies in all the liberated European countries – including those liberated by Stalin - by holding free elections. When the war was over, the Allied leaders carried out the division of Germany and of Berlin.

The three Allied leaders at the Yalta Conference. From left to right: Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin. 9th February 1945.

1. Write down two decisions made in Yalta

2. Compare the decisions in Yalta to those of the Treaty of Versailles after WW1.

A. In both agreements Germany was occupied by allied forces

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

Compare the decisions in Yalta to those of the Treaty of Versailles after WW1.

B. In both agreements Germany was to become democratic

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

Compare the decisions in Yalta to those of the Treaty of Versailles after WW1.

C. In both agreements Germany needed to give up all its colonies

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe

Before World War II, there was distrust between the USA and the Soviet Union. During the war, whilst fighting a mutual enemy, this distrust had been buried. But at the end of the war, hostilities between the old enemies were renewed, especially when Stalin refused to allow free elections in the Eastern European countries, as he had promised at the Yalta conference. Instead, Stalin persisted in occupying the countries his Red Army had liberated, turning them into Soviet satellite states.

A satellite state is officially independent but is under full political, economic and military control of another country. Both World War I and II were fought for a large part on Russian territory and the Russians had suffered huge losses. In Stalin’s view, his country needed these satellite states as a buffer against new European attacks. 

although liberated by the Soviets, the new Yugoslav peresident Tito was able to break his country free from Stalin's control in 1948.

3a. Why did Stalin not keep his promises made during the Yalta Conference? Use the key word ‘satellite states’ in your answer.

3b. Which of these answers best describes the Buffer Zone that Stalin wanted?

1. countries that will be communist in order to spread communism more easily across Europe
2. countries acting as a safety zone, catching the first blow during an enemy attack.
3. countries that can supply resources to the Soviet Union during an attack from the West.
4. countries that are willing to attack Germany in a future war

The Allied Powers were unable to wage war to drive out the Soviets from Eastern European countries, the so-called Eastern Bloc. The result was a division of Europe between East and West. Many Eastern Europeans fled to Western Europe and to stop this continuing, the Soviet Union fortified the Eastern Bloc border with barbed wire and watchtowers. This border barrier was part of the Iron Curtain: the political, military and ideological barrier that the Soviet Union established, to block itself and its satellite states from open contact with the democratic countries of Western Europe and North America.

Red is eastern and blue is western. Little error in the map

4a. Watch the video clip.
Who is the man giving the speech?

1. Stalin
2. Roosevelt
3. Truman
4. Churchill

4b. Watch the video clip.
Which eastern European capital is NOT mentioned?

1. Berlin
2. Prague
3. Moscow
4. Budapest

4c. In the speech what is made clear about the power of countries behind the Iron Curtain?

4. True or False?

The Iron Curtain is a figure of speech. It is not really a large curtain made of iron.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

5. What do you think the word "iron" in Iron Curtain refers to?

The United States and Western Europe

The USA wanted to prevent more countries falling into communist hands, so in 1947, the American President Truman announced a new foreign policy: the so-called Truman Doctrine. With this policy, the USA would give economic and military support to countries or peoples threatened by Soviet forces or communism. Historians see the speech in which Truman announces his doctrine as the start of the Cold War.

A few months later, the American Secretary of State, George Marshall, devised a plan to help Europe. Marshall saw that poverty was a pathway to communism, so to cut off this danger, it was decided that the USA would stimulate the economies of Western Europe. This plan, the so-called Marshall Plan, became operative in 1948, when the USA donated twelve billion dollars to Western Europe. Marshall Aid boosted Western Europe’s economy and also increased cooperation between Western European countries. Marshall offered the same help to Stalin, but he refused and even forbade his Eastern Europe satellite states from accepting Marshall Aid.

One of a number of posters created by the US government, to sell the Marshall Plan in Europe, 1950.

6a. True or False?

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

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

6b. True or False?

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

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

6c. True or False?

According to Marshall, poverty could lead to communism.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

6d. True or False?

Marshall refused to offer Marshall aid to Eastern bloc countries.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

A: Berlin in 1948

B: Germany in 1948

Map A

Map B

7. Study map A and B.
Explain the situation in both maps in your own words

8a. True or False?

Capitalist West Berlin was surrounded by a communist state.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

8b. True or False?

People who lived in West Berlin could travel freely to the western occupation zones

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

8c. True or False?

People who lived in the Soviet Zone of Berlin could not travel to any of the western zones

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

East vs West

In 1948, it was decided to unite the American, British and French occupation zones in Germany. They did the same in Berlin, so West Berlin became a capitalist island inside the Soviet zone. Stalin tried to take over West Berlin by blocking all traffic, preventing food and supplies of entering West Berlin. The USA responded to this Berlin Blockade by starting an airlift: over the next three hundred days, thousands of Allied airplanes flew to West Berlin and landed food and fuel supplies there. Eventually the blockade was lifted. Because of this crisis, the USA and Western Europe formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The members of this Euro-American alliance agreed to support each other if one of them was attacked by another country. The Soviet Union responded by creating the Warsaw Pact, a similar military alliance of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc countries.

West Berlin children cheering an American airplane bringing supplies as part of the Berlin airlift operation

9a. Watch the video about the American Airlift
How often did American airplanes land in West Berlin?

1. once every 30 seconds
2. once every 30 minutes
3. once every 30 hours
4. once every 30 days

9b. Why do you think Stalin tried to take
control over West Berlin?

9c. How did the USA respond to the Berlin Blockade?

Two German States

By 1949, the Allied forces in the occupation zones of West Germany had gradually given back control to its inhabitants. On 23rd May 1949, West Germany became the Federal Republic of Germany - or simply: West Germany - with the city of Bonn as its capital. As a response, the Soviet Union decided to turn occupied Eastern Germany into a satellite state. On 7th October 1949, the German Democratic Republic - or East Germany - was established, with East Berlin as its capital. The differences between East and West Germany became increasingly marked: West Germany had a free market economy and became a strong economic country, while East Germany had a communist planned economy, which was very inefficient. Side by side, these two nations offered a perfect way to compare the two major economic systems in the world.

West Germany: Bundes Republic Deutschland (BRD)

East Germany: Deutsche Democratische Republic (DDR)

10. Read "Two German States"
A sentence from the text:
"Side by side these two nations offered a perfect way to compare the two major economic systems in the world. "
Explain this sentence in your own words.

Construction of the Berlin Wall

In East Germany, the Berlin Wall was called: The Anti-Fascist Protective Wall. This implied that the East German authorities considered the Western world as equal to fascists.

Even though the occupation zones of Berlin had borders, people could cross them, to work in a different zone for instance. Many East Germans saw this as a hole in the Iron Curtain and fled to the West. In this way, East Germany lost 2.6 million of its inhabitants between 1949 and 1961. To end this depopulation, the East German government gave the order to build a wall between East and West Berlin during the night of 13th August 1961. The Berlin Wall had an enormous impact on the lives of many Berliners: people lost their jobs or were separated from their families.

11a. Why was the Berlin Wall built?

1. To prevent people from West-Berlin entering East Berlin
2. To protect East Berlin against possible invasion.
3. To prevent people from East Berlin entering West Berlin.
4. To protect the communist economy of East Germany.

11b. True or False?

The Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain are two different words for the same barrier

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

source A

The brother of the deceased is standing with his family on a ladder in West Berlin and, in this way, takes part in the funeral. The widow, who lives in East Berlin, has chosen a plot near the control strip. Dated 31st May 1963.

'On what became known as "Barbed Wire Sunday", some awoke to find themselves suddenly trapped in the Soviet sectors, seperated overnight from family, friends and loved ones who happened to live on the other side of the Wall.'

source B

 Article in the Sydney Morning Herald. Date unknown.

12. Read source B and study source A.
Describe the impact of the Wall on the Berlin people.

13a. Though the wall was heavily guarded,
many people tried to flee to West Berlin.
Use the Internet to find out how many
people died crossing the wall.

1. between 10 and 50
2. between 50 and 100
3. between 100 and 300
4. more than 300

13b. US President John F. Kennedy travelled to
West Berlin to show his support to the
inhabitants. Which famous phrase did
Kennedy say at the Wall?

10.1 the Aftermath of WW2

At Yalta, (when_____) the Allied leaders (names______) decided how to deal with post-war Germany and Europe. 

They agreed to: 1________________& 2________________.

But Stalin turned the eastern European countries into ________________ (= what?) because_____________.

The border between the Eastern Bloc (= what?) and the western countries was callled the ____________ (= what?).

In 1947 Truman announced the ___________(= what?) because __________. Some historians see this as the beginning of the ____________ (= what?).

In 1948 the USA came with the ______________ (= what?) to help Europe. They did this because____________.

The Marshall help was also offered to ________ but he refused. He also forbade the satellite states to accept American help.

Later that year the western allies decided to unite the occupation zones in Germany and ________. West Berlin became a capitalist island inside the _________ zone. Stalin did not like that. He tried to take over Berlin with the _____________              (= what?). The USA responded with the ____________ (= what?). Eventually _______ gave up.

Because of this crisis the USA and western Europe formed ________ (= what?). The Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc responded by creating the ____________ (= what?).

In 1949 the western allies gave Germany back to its inhabitants. The occupation zones became West Germany with _______ as its capital. Later that year East Germany was created, with ________ as the capital.

West Germany had a ____________ economy while East Germany had a ___________ economy.

In Berlin, people could still cross the borders from east to west. Millions of East Germans used this to flee to the west.

In 19__ the East German government decided to build a ______ around West Berlin. Many Berliners lost their _______ and were separated from their _________.

You can use this to make your own summary if you want to...

That's it. All clear?

Write down one question about something in this lesson that you still don't fully understand.

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