Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
The USA, Grate Britain and the USSR fought together as allies during the
Second World War. That was a strategi to defeated Hitler but, the majority of
politicians and business leaders in Britain and the USA hated and helped the
enemies of the communist and the USSR had been a communist country more
than 30 years.
Rivals with differing world views
Most Americans people think and said that their way of life was best and they
were justifiably proud of the leading role the USA took in defeating Nazim.
At the same time most Soviet people were equally proud of their countrys
critical role in defeating Germany. They too believed their way of life was
superior.
USA USSR
Capitalist Communism
Democracy One party dictatorship
In capitalist country were extremes. The general standard of living was
Some people were very wealthy much lower than in the USA but
while others were very poor unemployment was rare
Being free of control by the The right, of individuals were seen as
government was more important less important than the good of the
than everyone being equal society as a whole
Other country should be run in the Other country should be run in the
American way communist way
Were alarmed by communist theory, The role of the communist state was
which talked of spreading revolution to encourage communist revolution
worldwide. The leaders tended to
take practical decisions rather than
be led by this ideology
Americans generally saw their Saw the USAs actions as selfishly
policies as “doing the right thing building its economics empire and
“rather serving the interest of the political influence
USA
Superpowers
The USA and the USSR had emerged from the war as the two world 'Superpowers'.
In the 1930s, the USA had followed a policy of isolation - keeping out of European and
world affairs. Roosevelt had set the Americans firmly against a policy of isolation and this
effectively meant opposing communism.
Yalta conference, February 1945
In February 1945nit was clear that Germany was losing the European war, so the
allies leaders met at Yalta to plan what would happen to Europe after Germany
defeated. Despite their difference, the big three agreed in some important matters:
o Japan
Staling agreed to enter the war against Japan once Germany had
surrender
o Elections
They agreed that as country were liberated from occupation by the
German army, they would be allowed to hold free elections and to
choose the government that they wanted
o War criminals
They were agreed to hunt down and punish war criminals who were
responsible for the genocide
o Germany
Germany would be divied into four zone
France
Britain
Americans
Soviet
o United Nations
They agreed to join in new United Nations organisation, which
would aim to keep peace after the war
o Eastern Europe
The big three agreed that eastern Europe should be seen as “Soviet
sphere of influence”
Disagreement of Yalta
o The only disagreement in Yalta mas Poland
Stalin argued that Poland, in turn, could move its border westwards
into German territory.
Churchill was not agreed, but he know that he couldn’t do anything
because the red army was on the border of Poland and Eastern
Europe
Roosevelt was also unhappy but Churchill persuaded him to accept
it. Also, the USSR agreed not to interface on Greece where the
British attempting to prevent the communist talking over.
The Potsdam Conference, July 1945
After three month of Yalta conference, Germany loosed the European war and the
alliance troops reached Berlin. However, in the five months since Yalta a number of
changes had taken place which would greatly affect relationships between the
leaders.
Changes since Yalta agreement
o Stalin army were occupying most of eastern Europe
Soviet troops had liberated country after country in eastern Europe, but
Soared of withdrawing his troops Stalin had heft them there. Stalin had
seen A communist government in Poland, ignoring the wishes of the
majority of Poles.
o Americans had a new President
After the died of Roosevelt, he was replaced by his vice Truman.
Truman was a very different man from Roosevelt. He was very anti-
communist and was very suspicious of Stalin.
o 3 The Allies gad tested an atomic boom
On 16 July 1945 the Americans successfully tested an Atomic
Bomb at a desert site in the USA. At the start of the Potsdam
CONFERENCE, Truman informed Stalin about it.
Disagreements as Potsdam
o Germany
Stalin wanted to completely paralyze Germany in order to protect
the USSR from future threats. Truman did not want to repeat the
mistake of the TREATY OF VERSAILLES.
o Reparations
o Eastern Europe
At Yalta, Stalin had won agreement from the Allies that he could set
up pro-Soviet governments in eastern Europe.
Stalin V. Truman
The Potsdam Conference finally got underway on July 17, 1945. Winston Churchill
was defeated, so halfway through the conference he was replaced by a new prime
minister, Clement Attlee. In Churchill's absence, the conference was dominated by
rivalry and suspicion between Stalin and Truman.
USA reaction
Roosevelt and Churchill had agreed that the eastern Europe would be a Soviet
“sphere of influence” and that Stalin would heavily influence this region. But,
they had not expected such a complete communist government. Americans
Knew that the spreading on communism was imminent. They knew that some
countries like France, Italy, Greece and Czechoslovakia were vulnerable to
communism.
Greece 1947
After the German control there were two rival groups that wanted to rule the
country, the monarchists and the communists. The communists wanted a
soviet republic and the monarchist wanted the king of Greece to return.
In 1945 Churchill sent troops to restore order and supervise free elections. This
was all a lay, the British wanted the monarchist to have the power. Then over
1946 the USSR appealed to the United Nations but there was no action.
Immediately the USSR sent troops to helped the communist. A civil war had
develop. In 1947 the British withdraw their troops, but Truman stepped in. They
tried to prop up the kings return. Finally by 1950 the royalists were in control of
Greece.
Czechoslovakia
The Americans attitude change when the Czechs government was under
communisms. Czechoslovakia had been ruled by a coalition through years, but
on 1948 the communists came hard. In march the anti-Soviet leaders were
purged, one pro American minister was found dead.
As the congress saw this, they decided to do the Marshall Plan.