1.7 The Potsdam Conference Flashcards
(9 cards)
1
Q
when was the potsdam conference
A
july 1945
2
Q
why was roosevelt not at potsdam
A
he died and was replaced by vice president Harry S. Truman
3
Q
why was churchill not at potsdam
A
conservative party was defeated by labour, Clement Attlee was the new prime minister
4
Q
Harry S. Truman
A
- little experience in foreign affairs
- shared the same goals as Roosevelt (argued for self-determination and a world in which countries cooperated politically and economically)
- relationship with stalin unfriendly from start because he was concerned about growth in power in Eastern Europe
- became convinced that stalin was not interested in cooperation, was willing to use force to achieve America’s aims
- used the fact that usa had the first atomic bumb as a way to ensure he got what he wanted from the conference
5
Q
clement attlee
A
- concerned by ussr’s expansion
- though key to peace in europe was amking sure germany was safe from attack
- labour government wanted to focus on improving the life of people in post war Britain (creation of NHS, welfare state etc)
- understood that britain was no longer dominant and saw that it was vital to stay close to the usa in face of growing soviet power
6
Q
stalin
A
- convinced usa was a rival for power and influence in europe
- determined to ensure soviet security in long term
- war was now won, less willing to compromise
- with the Red Army in eastern europe, he did not need to
- trusted Truman much less than roosevelt, american atomic weapons strengthened the mistrust
7
Q
why did the alliance disintegrate at the end of the war
A
- stalin wanted germany to pay reparations to the USSR, clement and attlee opposed this
- truman wanted coutnries in eastern europe to be independent, almost all of eastern europe was occupied by the red army
- there was still war in japan, the allies could not fall out so the west had to accept that communist governments were in power in most eastern european countries
8
Q
what were the key agreements in potsdam
A
- germany to be divided as discussed at yalta
- nazi party was banned and its former leaders were tried as criminals
- germans living in poland, hungary and czechoslovakia were to be returned to germany
- poland was to lose some territory in the east to the ussr
9
Q
delegation def
A
a group of people sent to represent a country on a visit abroad or at a conference or summit
