Postwar Years

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Postwar Years

• Aftermath of World War II

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Occupation of Germany

• Germany must be demilitarized
• Nazi party must be disbanded
• Politics must be rebuilt democratically
• Those responsible for war atrocities should be
  brought to trial
• Allies split Germany into 4 zones
• French, British, American, and Soviet each
  controlled a zone, but disagreed on postwar
  plans for Germany

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Postwar Germany

• The British and Americans felt that German
  industries must be rebuilt to bring economic
  revival
• The French felt the Germany should remain
  economically weak to prevent rearmament
• The Soviets were focused on receiving 10
  billion in reparations obviously wouldnt
  help the economy recover
• Eventually, they began running their zones
  independently due to failures to reach
  agreements

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Nuremburg Trials

• Hitler was dead and many Nazi leaders escaped
• 22 high ranking Nazi leaders were charged with
  crimes against peace and humanity
• 12 sentenced to death
• 7 to life imprisonment
• 3 were acquitted
• Started a movement of denazification
• Removing Nazis from leadership roles in Germany

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United Nations (currently 192 nations)

• Replaced the League of Nations
• Purposes
• Maintain international peace and security
• To act as a deterrent to aggressors
• To foster cooperation to solve social and
  economic problems in the world

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The Security Council

• Part of the UN
• To act as a mediator in international disputes
• US, UK, France, Soviet Union (Russia), and China
  all have permanent members
• Each have a veto power to cancel an action taken
  by the council
• Also consists of 10 temporary members from the
  General Assembly

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The General Assembly

• Consists of representatives of all UN nations
• Each hold equal voting power
• Responsible for drawing up UN financial budget
  and elect judges in the international courts

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Truman Doctrine

• The continued spread of communism was a threat
  to democracy
• The US must support free people who resist
  communist takeover, but would not stamp out
  communism in nations who choose it or where it
  already existed
• Policy of Containment
• Immediately provided assistance to Greece and
  Turkey

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Marshall Plan

• Western leaders thought that the Soviets wanted
  to keep western nations weak so they would turn
  to communist leaders
• The US decided to offer assistance to European
  nations on certain terms
• Must break down trade barriers to allow goods to
  flow freely
• 1948-1952 13 billion spent
• Industrial and Agricultural production had
  improved

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Cominform

• Organization including all European communist
  groups
• Purpose was to oppose Marshall Plan aid
• Thought that the US was trying to dominate Europe
  economically
• Tightened Soviet control over central and
  eastern Europe

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Berlin Blockade

• The Soviets blockaded Berlin from Western
  Germany in response to Western Germany becoming
  unified
• Western Berlin started running out of supplies
  and food
• The US and UK quickly organized an airlift
• Would send supplies that would benefit citizens
  and factories

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Berlin Blockade

• US also set up bombers in Britain in preparation
  for war
• The Soviets never stopped the airlift, and
  eventually lifted the blockade

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NATO

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Mutual defense pact
• If one member was attacked, all members would
  unite against the attacker
• Relied on US developed nuclear weapons to act as
  a deterrent for Soviet invasion

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Warsaw Pact

• In response to NATO, the Soviet Union
  established a unified alliance of its own.
• 20 year mutual defense agreement
• Did not rely as much on nuclear armament
• The communists had more ground troops than what
  NATO could supply
• Increased NATOs reliance on nuclear weapons

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Great Britain After the War

• The UK was weak after the war
• Loss of lives
• Extreme costs and debts
• Industry was weakened due to bombings
• Started to adopt minor socialist policies
• Railroads, coal mines, and banks became
  nationalized government controlled
• Free medical care and other welfare programs for
  its citizens

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Great Britain After the War

• Unions were fighting for higher wages
• Worker productivity did not increase
• The prices of British goods rose and were no
  longer competitive
• Started to import more goods than they exported
• Similar to trade issues between U.S. and China

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New Republics in France

• Adopted a new constitution
• Economy suffered severe damage during the war
• Received help from the Marshall Plan
• Also tried to re-establish overseas colonies
• 1950s costly wars in Indochina and Northern
  Africa
• Distrusted British and American influence in
  Europe withdrew from NATO and developed their
  own nuclear program
• 1960s and 1970s series protests calling for
  reform led to violent riots and civil unrest

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Soviet Union After Stalin

• Communist leader of Ukraine took over
• Nikita Khrushchev
• Denounced Stalins leadership murderer and
  criminal
• Destalinization reversing Stalins policies
• Increased freedoms of speech and press
• Reduced use of secret police
• Loosened governments grip on business
• Continued strong military spending

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Soviet Union After Stalin

• Developed space technology
• First orbiting satellite Sputnik 1957
• Became leading producer of coal, steel, cotton,
  natural gas, and oil by the 1970s
• Soviet and American relations worsened
• American spy plane shot down over Soviet Union
  1960
• Berlin Wall built in 1961
• Cuban problems in 1962 (missile crisis)
• Starting in the end of the 1960s, communism
  started to lose support