Potsdam Conference Flashcards
(10 cards)
When and where did the Potsdam Conference take place?
July 17 – August 2, 1945 in Potsdam, near Berlin.
Who were the key leaders at Potsdam?
Truman (USA), Attlee (UK), and Stalin (USSR).
How did leadership changes affect the conference?
Truman and Attlee replaced Roosevelt and Churchill; this led to a tougher stance toward the USSR.
What was decided about Germany at Potsdam?
Demilitarisation.
Denazification.
Decentralisation of government.
Division into 4 zones (US, UK, USSR, France).
Reparations would be taken from each power’s zone.
What was agreed about Nazi leaders?
They would be tried as war criminals – leading to the Nuremberg Trials (1945–46).
What was decided about the Nazi Party?
The Nazi Party was banned, and all symbols, education, and laws related to it were dismantled.
What caused tension between the Allies at Potsdam?
Disagreements over Poland’s borders.
Stalin’s intentions in Eastern Europe.
Reparations – USSR wanted more than the West would allow.
Truman’s use of the atomic bomb without telling Stalin.
Why was Potsdam significant in the Cold War?
It marked the start of open tension between the USA and USSR, as wartime unity gave way to rivalry.
How was Nazi Germany’s defeat linked to Cold War tensions?
The power vacuum in Germany led to competition between the USA and USSR, making Germany a central Cold War battleground.
What was the long-term outcome for Germany after Potsdam?
Division into East (Soviet-controlled GDR) and West (Allied-controlled FRG) by 1949.
