Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Attitudes of main powers to
situation in Europe in 1945
- SOVIET ATTITUDES
- Stalin's main aim: safeguard & rebuild USSR after devastation of WWII
- 20 million dead
- traditional-believed what USSR got after
1945 should be determined by degree of
what it had suffered
- Expected economic assistance from USA
- foreign policy based on taking advantage of military
situation in Europe & prevent invasion from West
- occupied as much of E. Europe as possible (buffer zone)
- Stalin's aims would result in domination over large parts of Europe
- unacceptable to USA (dvlpd. own foreign policy to account for this in 1945)
- US ATTITUDES
- 1945: Truman replaced Roosevelt: moved
from accomodation to confrontation
- policy of contaiment
- 'Iron Fist' approach as a reaction against policy of appeasement
- wanted to revive economy
- spread of communism and subsequent closure of free
markets needed to be avoided
- Failed to understand Soviet demands for security
- saw it as attempt to spread communism
- Much of US public favoured isolationism
- US foreign policy in the balance in 1945
- BRITISH ATTITUDES
- 1946: Attlee replaced Churchill
- foreign policies of GB & USA more in step with need to stand firm against USSR
- war produced tripling of national debt & bankrupt economy
- impossible to limit Soviet influence in Europe without USA
- US=isolationist
- little West could do to prevent Stalin acting as he wished
- hope that personal agreement with Stalin might limit his actions