AFTERMATH OF WWII

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AFTERMATH OF WWII
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YALTA

• Held at Crimea on the Black Sea
• Purpose to make immediate arrangements for the
  post war situation
• Adopt a general policy for the liberated states
  of Europe (Poland in particular)
• Determine the post war administration of the
  conquered territories of Germany and Austria
• Determine voting arrangements in the UN

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Decisions made at Yalta

• To divide Germany into 3 military occupation
  zones (American, Soviet, and British) France was
  added later
• Berlin, the capital would also be in zones
• Austria would also have military occupation zones
• Germany was to pay reparations
• An initial figure was 20 billion, half of which
  would go to the USSR
• Britain wanted no set number so as to destroy
  German war potential
• Free elections were to be held throughout eastern
  Europe

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YALTA

• USSR would retain what is gained in 1939 from
  Poland
• The USSR would also ask for Germany east of the
  Oder and Neisse rivers, British and Americans do
  not agree.
• Non-communist Polish members exiled in London
  were allowed to return home and join the
  communist Polish govt set up in Lublin

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YALTA

• Stalin agreed to join the fight in Japan 2-3
  months after the war was over in Europe in return
  for some land in Manchuria
• the San Francisco conference was planned to form
  the UN
• The great powers decided they owned a veto on any
  measures passed in the UN

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Potsdam Conference, July 1945

• Purpose the war in Europe was over but there
  were still some terms to come to agreement with
• Very negative mood

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Potsdam Conference, July 1945

• Truman and Churchill were personally hostile
  towards Stalin and the USSR
• Truman felt pretty powerful with the new
  Atomic-Bomb by his side
• Truman and Churchill were particularly annoyed
  with the USSR since they help Germany east of the
  Oder and Neisse line and made it a part of
  Communist Poland
• They had expelled 5 million Germans living there
• Stalin was annoyed Truman was going to use the
  A-Bomb to keep the USSR out of the Pacific

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Potsdam Conference, July 1945

• No significant decisions were made. This made the
  Cold War seem inevitable and imminent.
• The Potsdam Conference also called upon Japan to
  unconditionally surrender or
• The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter
  destruction.

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Results of WWII

• Millions are dead
• Infrastructure is shot
• European coal production down 40 of pre-war
  levels 23 of Europeans farmland is out of
  commission
• The decrease in farm production would lead to
  hardship in the winter of 1947-48

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Results of WWII

• Over 20 million people are displaced from home in
  1945
• Refugees fleeing from invading armies
• Slave workers from occupied Europe taken to
  Germany and Austria
• Prisoners in concentration camps

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Results of WWII

• Displaced Jews lead to the inheritance and
  displacement of the Palestinians with the
  establishment of Israel
• Reprisals in Nazi occupied countries by
  lynching's and public humiliation of perpetrators

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Results of WWII

• Fascism failed
• Militarism led to defeat
• Anti-Bolshevism led to extension of communism
  over much of central and eastern Europe

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Rise of Superpowers

• European domination of the world ended
• USA emerged as clear power
• Germany was destroyed as a power
• Britain and France are destroyed as imperial
  powers, although they cling to this status for a
  while

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Rise of Superpowers

• The USSR had
• Recovered and extended its empire
• Formed a glacis in the west
• Became a dominant military power in Europe
• Gained prestige in defeat of the Nazis
• Gained prestige outside its border as leading
  communist countries
• The only power that could resist the USA (Even
  though much weaker economically, devastated by
  war, and without nuclear weapons)

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USA dominated the world

• No body to keep them in check except the Soviets
• Because the two powers dont get along there is
  no peace process post WWII at a time when one was
  needed

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Racisim

• Japanese strength during WWII had ended the myth
  of white superiority
• The reoccupation of the Japanese occupied
  territory made those people angry and eventually
  break up the imperial powers over them
• Racism and anti-Semitism became unacceptable to
  Western public opinion (except in some of the
  southern US)

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EUROPE READY FOR CHANGE

• People were ready for reform
• Conditions are ripe for social revolution govts
  comprised many socialist measures
• Social security systems
• Nationalization of the means of production and
  distribution
• Progressive income tax
• Measures to create full employment
• In Eastern Europe many of the people were getting
  on board with Communism

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Other results

• Technological and scientific developments
• Like the Atomic-Bomb
• What was the impact of the technological
  scientific developments?? Write down a few
  thoughts before we discuss.