Postwar politics and the beginnings of the Cold War By: Julio Avila!
Ending WWII
World War II The Allied powers consisted of : the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, China, and France.! The Axis powers consisted of : Germany, Japan, and Italy.!
V-E and V-J Day. V-E Day marked the Allied victory in Europe on May 8th, 1945 as Adolf Hitler's successor, Karl Dönitz signed Germany's surrender.! V-J Day marked when Japan announced their surrender on August 15, 1945 soon after the Enola Gay had dropped Fat man and Little boy.!
International politics
The Yalta Conference Codenamed the "Argonaut Conference" and was held in Livadia Palace near Yalta in Crimea.! Seven day conference beginning on February 4th 1945.! Meeting between the "Big Three" (Great Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union).! The Big Three were represented by the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt.!
Results of the Yalta Conference All Agreed to demand the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and Japan.! Germany was to be divided into four zones run by, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and France in order to conclude war time trials, and reparations to their own governments.! Stalin promised free-elections in Eastern Europe, to reorganize the Polish Lublin government, and to enter war against Japan, to regain lands lost to them in the RussoJapanese war of 1904 and 1905.! Stalin later broke this promise and denied free-elections in Europe and even sought spheres of influence dominated by the USSR (The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics).! Another meeting was planned in Los Angeles, United States which created the United Nations.!
The Potsdam Conference Held near Berlin, Germany on July 17th through August 2nd 1945.! Meeting between Great Britain's Winston Churchill whom was replaced by Clement Attlee on July 28th, the U.S.S.R.'s Joseph Stalin, and the United State's Harry S. Truman.! Was seen as a continuation of the Yalta Conference.!
Results of the Potsdam Conference! Redrew Germany's borders in favor of Poland by request of Stalin.! Nazi institutions which controlled the German economy were to be decentralized.! Predominantly dealt with assisting post-war Europe with other small decisions.! Truman had kept the success of the Nuclear bombs in Japan a secret to Stalin.!
Views of De Gaulle, Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle Leader of Free France, which were troops who had survived when Germany overtook France in 1940.! Believed strongly in the liberation of France, and eventually did so when liberating Paris on August 25th of 1944.! Founded the Fifth Republic of France, as he was elected their 18th president. The fifth republic still stands today.!
Views of Charles de Gaulle Huge advocator of French independence.! Believed in his "Politics of Grandeur" which was the belief that since France was a major power, it should not have to rely on other countries, especially the United States for stability and prosperity.! This belief led him to resign from NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and allowed France to be the fourth nuclear power.!
Winston Churchill Conservative! Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945.! Pushed for British independence from the European Coal and Steel Community.! Ultimately wanted the United Kingdom to survive at all costs as they viewed themselves as extremely vulnerable during WWII.! Believed it was necessary to establish agreements with the United States in order to limit Joseph Stalin's power after WWII.!
Views of Joseph Stalin Communist! Dictator of the Soviet Union from 1929 until his death in 1953.! Stalin's main goal after WWII was to preserve his rule and ensure that nothing would ever come close to ending his reign which WWII almost accomplished.! Believed in massive wartime expenditures no matter the cost in order to gain back the land he lost to Germany.!
Views of Joseph Stalin continued Believed another global recession would occur after WWII and expected the United States to pay the USSR large amounts of money since this theoretical depression would leave the United States in search of markets for their products to only then be found in the USSR.! Believed this recession would also break the United Kingdom's ties with the United States, allowing him to have closer relations with the United Kingdom.! Ultimately believed with the fall of Germany, and having the United States and the United Kingdom on his side he could dominate Europe with Communism as Hitler had attempted to do.!
Views of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Wanted the United States to have a more active role in global politics.! Was in accordance with Woodrow Wilson, that the United State's security could be affected by something happening halfway across the world.! Had four main WWII priorities:!!!!!!!!!! 1) The only way to achieve victory in WWII was to keep the Allies united. 2) Allied settlement after war was a necessity to keep a lasting peace. 3) A powerful enough collective organization settlement to deter war and economic recession. 4) The settlement would have to be light and subtle not to push the American people beyond their limitations.!
The transition from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Harry S. Truman:
Harry S. Truman Elected in November of 1944, as Roosevelt's Vice President.! Only served 82 days as vice president until Roosevelt suffered from a massive stroke in 1945.! Was sworn into office on April 12, 1945.!
Harry S. Truman continued Due to Roosevelt's sickness Truman never saw the president and was uniformed of atomic development and the developing difficulties with Soviet Russia.! Presidential term: April 12, 1945 January 20, 1953.! After V-E day, Japan pleaded to surrender, and Truman rejected their plead dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.! In June of 1945 he signed the charter of the United Nations, to fulfill Roosevelt's four priorities, to maintain peace after war.! Expanded Social Security.! Created the Fair Deal.!
OPVL: "The Fair Deal" Origin: Was a set of domestic policies Harry S. Truman proposed January 5th of 1949 during his State of the Union Address.! Purpose: Was named after Franklin Roosevelt's "New Deal" to keep his legacy alive. The purpose of the Fair Deal was to grant all Americans health insurance, an increased minimum wage, equal working rights, and aid to education. The Fair Deal proposed to also repeal the Taft-Hartley act.! Value: The name in itself displays how Franklin Delano Roosevelt was one of the most influential presidents at that time since presidents were no longer afraid to impose a mass amount of legislations. Secondly, the deal displays how World War II had taken the American economy out of it's depression and into economic stability, as the proposals would need a fairly stable economy to be successful.! Limitations: Harry S. Truman being a Democrat, knew he had a Republican run Congress and therefore, most likely repressed some of the legislative ideas given in his Fair Deal. Truman did this because he needed Congress to approve of his legislative proposals. Once again, since Truman was a Democrat the document is biased towards them only showing Democratic opinions and no Republican opinion.!
Bibliography "Charles De Gaulle Biography - President of France." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/ EBchecked/topic/227099/Charles-de-Gaulle>.! Gaddis, John Lewis. The Cold War: A New History. New York: Penguin, 2005. Print.! "Harry S. Truman." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/harrystruman>.! The Potsdam Conference, 1945-1937 1945 - Milestones - Office of the Historian." The Potsdam Conference, 1945-1937 1945 - Milestones - Office of the Historian. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/potsdam-conf>.! "Yalta Conference." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/yalta-conference>.!