wanted Germany to suffer and
create a buffer zone of friendly
states around Russia
Believed that America and Britain had
delayed opening the second front
(attacking France) to let Germany and
Russia destroy each other on the eastern
front.
Franklin Roosevelt
wanted Germany to recover as a trading partner
Angry about the Nazi-Soviet
Pact that was a major factor in
starting the Second World War.
Winston Churchill
Principles of peace settlement
Germany was to be divided into four
zones: Britain, France, USA, USSR
Berlin was also to be divided as it was
unfair to have the capital in the Soviet
zone
Stalin was to have some
influence in Eastern Europe
the countries would
chose their government
under free elections
Declaration of Liberated Europe
Germany would pay reparations
Potsdam (July)
New "Big Three"
Roosevelt had died and was
replaced by Harry S. Truman
Truman became president in 1945,
determined to confront Communism
"The Russians only understand one language - how many armies
have you got? I'm tired of babying the Soviets." - Harry S Truman,
1945
Churchill had lost the
general election and
was replaced by
Clement Atlee
hostile environment
In Poland, Stalin had arrested the non-communists
and refused democratic elections to take place
Reparations were to be taken from the allied zones
At Yalta it was
agreed Russia would
help against Japan
Japan surrendered
before Russian
troops arrived
Truman had not
told Stalin of the
bomb technology
Soviets felt threatened - USA
ensured their global domination
Truman Doctrine, March 1947
As Soviet power continued
to spread in Eastern Europe,
communists in both Greece
and Turkey were threatening
to take control
Britain announced they could not longer help
USA was not willing
to stand by while
their European
trading partners fell
to communism
Truman declared in a
speech that USA would
help any nation threatened
by communism
according to this policy, Europe had
been forced into communism by the
Soviets
$400 million was
given as aid to
Greece and Turkey
Marshall Plan, June 1947
US general George Marshall visits Europe
returns convinced the war-torn
countries will turn communist
so came up with the
Marshall plan to help
them recover so would
be strong enough to
resist communism
strong European trade
Congress hesitated at first
February 1948, Stalinist
communist organised a
strike in Czechoslovakia
and seized power. Jan
Masaryk, the only
remaining
non-communist leader,
was found dead
Congress approved of Marshall Aid on 31
March 1948
Marshall Aid
set up a fund of
$15 billion
These nations included allies such
as Britain - who got the most, France and Italy. They
also included former enemies such
as West Germany
Dollar Imperialism
Stalin realised that Marshall Aid would
make the countries of eastern Europe
more dependent on USA than USSR
Stalin claimed tbe USA was trying
to build an empire, controlling
European industry and trade
Between 1948 and 1950,
industrial production rose by
25%
communists lost their influence
Cominform and Comecon
Cominform
1947 - communist leaders from all over
the world were summoned to a
conference in Warsaw
the Communist
Informaion Bureau was
created
designed to reestablish information
exchanged among communist countries and
protect communist states from US aggression
1948, Stalin expelled Tito of
communist Yugoslavia as he
would not give in to Stalin's
wishes
this suggested to the West that
Stalin wanted complete control of
the communist world
Comecon
1949 Stalin introduced the Molotov plan
established the council of
Mutual Economic Assistance
(Comecon)
Bulgaria, Romania, Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, Poland, East Germany
the USA saw Cominform and Comecon
as serious threats as it secured Stalin's
control over communism and his
satellite states, as they could no longer
accept Marshall Aid