Potsdam Conference Flashcards
who was involved?
- Truman (as Roosevelt had died)
- Stalin
- Churchill replaced by Atlee
time?
JULY 1945; after war
- in potsdam, germany
developments between yalta and potsdam conference
- truman replaces roosevelt; has tougher policies
- germany surrendered
- atlee replaces churchill
- war over but red army still occupies terriroty in germany
- US tests atomic bomb first day after potsdam begins
state of war
- germany had surrendere unconditionally in may
- americans now posed to invade mainland; japan still gotta be finished using atomic bombs
plans with germany
- allies can’t agree on how to disarm, demilitrize and denazify divide germany
decided;
- 4 zones of occupation established
- denazification and demilitarization would be conducted in each zone respectivly
- Germany economy run as whole; limited to domestic industry and agriulcture
- Soviest recieve 25% of reperation bill from west; more agricultural eastern zone give food in exchange
plans with poland
- Truman unhappy with agreements over poland from yalta; challenges decision over the new western frontier between Poland and Germany
- wants to re-organizse polish government (want free and democratice vote there_
- Stalin wants to inlcude more “London” poles there
plan with japan
- Truman drops atomic bomb during coference on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- Truman doesnt tell Stalin full details about super weapon
- US acts without USSR
plans with eastern europe
- US unahppy about “percentage agreements” made by Stalin and Churchill 1944
- Truman challenges agreement about ROmani and BUlgaria; Soviets want to keep influence and military control
- West finds it difficult to forces Soviets to make changes; can’t push Red Army back without looking threatening
plans with UN
- UN becomes reality
- “Treaty of San Franscico 1945”
- USSR as only Communist power of ‘big 5’; us, ussr, france, britain, china
- stalin uses UN veto to block anything against ‘soviet interests’
areas of disagreement in conference
Areas of Disagreement:
a. Stalin wanted the districts of Kars and Ardahan in Turkey.
b. Stalin demanded trusteeship of one of the former Italian colonies in Africa
.
c. Stalin proposed joint action on Franco (rejected by western powers)
d. Stalin proposed discussion of situation in Syria and Lebanon but GB and FR considered this to be of their concern.
e. USA and Allies not able to access areas of Europe occupied by the Red Army.
f. Stalin moved the frontier of the USSR westwards and handed over to Poland a large area of the Soviet zone of Germany (including land to which the Allies had not agreed)
g. disagreements on germany over repeartions, principles of denazification and disarmentn
Truman role
- lacked little of foregin affairs; more relian on advisers; inclined to join UK in challenging USSR
- ideological difference/harsh stance on USSR
Stalin
- unhappy about western hypocrisy after building relations with italy and franco’s spain
- has advantage as he was present at previous meetings
- portrays soviet army as strong, despite vast losses
- stalin pretends that atomic bomb doesnt scare him
