Tehran, November 1943
Grand Alliance To plan a winning strategy to end the war.
Agreements made:
Fomed between the USA, USSR & Britain to defeat USA & Britain would launch a ‘second front’, a second attack on
Germany & Japan during WW2 when 4 million German Germany in Western Europe to ease pressure on the eastern front
troops invaded the USSR in June 1941. fighting with the USSR.
the ‘Big Three’ - Roosevelt, Stalin & Churchill. Stalin would declare war against Japan & supply troops to USA once
the war in Europe was over.
They were very suspicious of each other, & tensions agreed Germany was to remain weak once they lost, & that Poland
began to rise when it was clear Hitler had lost. should recieve land. USSR could keep its Polish land seized in 1939
The leaders met 3 times during the war (Tehran [1943], (important to Stalin).
Yalta [Feb 1945], & Potsdam, [July 1945]) groundwork for the UN was also set up.
Relations:
Huge differences in ideologies etc. USSR was Some tension between USA & Britain over colonialism & because
communist, USA & Britain were capitalist. Roosevelt had sided with Stalin on opening the second front in the west
& not in the Balkans.
Yalta, February 1945 what happened between Yalta & Potsdam?
To discuss winning the war. Change of personnel
Roosevelt dies in April 1945, relaced by Harry S. Truman.
Agreements made:
Winston Churchill & the conservatives lose the 1945 election.
Germany would be split into 4 zones, each controlled by a different The new labour prime minister is Clement Attlee.
power - USA, Britain, USSR & France. World events
Germany would pay $20 billion in reparations, half would go to USSR. Germany surrenders in May 1945.
Nazi party would be banned & war criminals prosecuted USA drops the atomic bomb over Hiroshima & Nagasaki 6th & 9th August. Kills 120,000
UN is set up, with first meeting 25th April 1945. All nations could join civillians.
(some conflict over USSR suggesting all 16 Soviet republics should UN is created in the Treaty of San Francisco in June 1945. 51 members sign. USA,
USSR, Britain, France & China made permenant members, with the power to veto
have individual membership) Russia, Ukraine, Belarus admitted.
resolutions.
Stalin agrees to fight against Japan & to allow free elections. Effect on Potsdam conference
Polish boarders would be returned to their 1921 position (good for Truman & Atlee new to diplomatic discussions, so found it hard to get their way with
USSR) & would have free elections. Stalin.
Relations: Truman had a ‘get tough’ approach, delaying the conference until after the bomb was
Tension over Poland, but Roosevelt & Stalin were pleased to be in ready, to give him an edge.
agreement over free elections & the UN. Atlee’s main concern was to return to England.
, Potsdam, July-August 1945 Atomic Bomb
Different atmosphere due to recent events
(see flashcard #4)
USA drops the atomic bomb over Hiroshima & Nagasaki 6th &
Agreements made: 9th August. Kills 120,000 civillians.
Germany & Berlin would be divided into 4 zones, Truman hoped it would give USA a stronger bargaining position
but the German economy would run as a whole. & Western European countries would feel more safe with
Nazi war criminals would be prosecuted & alligning themselves with USA rather than USSR, but it just
de-Nazification introduced.
Allies would control German industry &
made Stalin more determined to create a buffer zone of
dismantle industrial plants as a form of reparations. countries sympathetic to communism between USSR &
Certain German territories would go to Poland & the USSR. Germany.
Relations: 29th August 1949 - Soviet Atomic Bomb successfully tested.
Tension over Soviet repression in Poland, Germany’s reparations (USSR By 1964 - France, Britain & China also had one.
wanted them to pay a lot, but Truman wanted the economy to recover), &
Stalin’s demands for a naval base in the mediterranean.
Started the Arms Race.
Atlee & Truman disliked Stalin, & believed force was all that Russia would Increased tensions, but decreased likelyhood of going to war
understand. due to MAD.
Kennan Long telegram & the Novikov telegram ‘Iron Curtain Speech’ Winston Churchill
Truman & Stalin fear breaking up the Grand Alliance might lead to future March 1946, Churchill (no longer Prime Minister) travels to
conflict. So, in 1946 both USSR & USA ask their embassies to report on
Fulton, Missouri, & gives a speech stating the USSR was a
attitudes in each other’s countries. These reports came in the form of telegrams.
Kennan Long Telegram: Soviet attitudes
threat to freedom & world peace.
George Kennan was an American ambassador in Moscow. His telegrams were He was provoked by the fact that communist governments had
very long. He wrote that Stalin wanted to see the destruction of capitalism & recently been set up in Hungary, Poland, Romania & Bulgaria.
that Stalin feared the outside world wanted to destroy communism, however, if Churchill was speaking in the USA so must have cleared it with
faced with strong resistance, the USSR would back down. This played a key Truman therefore Stalin believed it to also be America’s belief.
role in American policy. (Policy of containment) This, plus the Novikov telegram, increased tension & mistrust,
Novikov telegram: American attitudes & led to the USSR to strengthen its forces & anti-American
Nioklai Novikov was a Soviet diplomat in Washington. His telegraph showed
propoganda.
that the USA wanted to use their massive military power to dominate the world
& since Roosevelt’s death, they no longer wanted to co-operate with the USSR.
Churchill’s speech intensified the growing hostility between East
This meant that the USSR wanted to get as much protection as possible. & West.
Grand Alliance To plan a winning strategy to end the war.
Agreements made:
Fomed between the USA, USSR & Britain to defeat USA & Britain would launch a ‘second front’, a second attack on
Germany & Japan during WW2 when 4 million German Germany in Western Europe to ease pressure on the eastern front
troops invaded the USSR in June 1941. fighting with the USSR.
the ‘Big Three’ - Roosevelt, Stalin & Churchill. Stalin would declare war against Japan & supply troops to USA once
the war in Europe was over.
They were very suspicious of each other, & tensions agreed Germany was to remain weak once they lost, & that Poland
began to rise when it was clear Hitler had lost. should recieve land. USSR could keep its Polish land seized in 1939
The leaders met 3 times during the war (Tehran [1943], (important to Stalin).
Yalta [Feb 1945], & Potsdam, [July 1945]) groundwork for the UN was also set up.
Relations:
Huge differences in ideologies etc. USSR was Some tension between USA & Britain over colonialism & because
communist, USA & Britain were capitalist. Roosevelt had sided with Stalin on opening the second front in the west
& not in the Balkans.
Yalta, February 1945 what happened between Yalta & Potsdam?
To discuss winning the war. Change of personnel
Roosevelt dies in April 1945, relaced by Harry S. Truman.
Agreements made:
Winston Churchill & the conservatives lose the 1945 election.
Germany would be split into 4 zones, each controlled by a different The new labour prime minister is Clement Attlee.
power - USA, Britain, USSR & France. World events
Germany would pay $20 billion in reparations, half would go to USSR. Germany surrenders in May 1945.
Nazi party would be banned & war criminals prosecuted USA drops the atomic bomb over Hiroshima & Nagasaki 6th & 9th August. Kills 120,000
UN is set up, with first meeting 25th April 1945. All nations could join civillians.
(some conflict over USSR suggesting all 16 Soviet republics should UN is created in the Treaty of San Francisco in June 1945. 51 members sign. USA,
USSR, Britain, France & China made permenant members, with the power to veto
have individual membership) Russia, Ukraine, Belarus admitted.
resolutions.
Stalin agrees to fight against Japan & to allow free elections. Effect on Potsdam conference
Polish boarders would be returned to their 1921 position (good for Truman & Atlee new to diplomatic discussions, so found it hard to get their way with
USSR) & would have free elections. Stalin.
Relations: Truman had a ‘get tough’ approach, delaying the conference until after the bomb was
Tension over Poland, but Roosevelt & Stalin were pleased to be in ready, to give him an edge.
agreement over free elections & the UN. Atlee’s main concern was to return to England.
, Potsdam, July-August 1945 Atomic Bomb
Different atmosphere due to recent events
(see flashcard #4)
USA drops the atomic bomb over Hiroshima & Nagasaki 6th &
Agreements made: 9th August. Kills 120,000 civillians.
Germany & Berlin would be divided into 4 zones, Truman hoped it would give USA a stronger bargaining position
but the German economy would run as a whole. & Western European countries would feel more safe with
Nazi war criminals would be prosecuted & alligning themselves with USA rather than USSR, but it just
de-Nazification introduced.
Allies would control German industry &
made Stalin more determined to create a buffer zone of
dismantle industrial plants as a form of reparations. countries sympathetic to communism between USSR &
Certain German territories would go to Poland & the USSR. Germany.
Relations: 29th August 1949 - Soviet Atomic Bomb successfully tested.
Tension over Soviet repression in Poland, Germany’s reparations (USSR By 1964 - France, Britain & China also had one.
wanted them to pay a lot, but Truman wanted the economy to recover), &
Stalin’s demands for a naval base in the mediterranean.
Started the Arms Race.
Atlee & Truman disliked Stalin, & believed force was all that Russia would Increased tensions, but decreased likelyhood of going to war
understand. due to MAD.
Kennan Long telegram & the Novikov telegram ‘Iron Curtain Speech’ Winston Churchill
Truman & Stalin fear breaking up the Grand Alliance might lead to future March 1946, Churchill (no longer Prime Minister) travels to
conflict. So, in 1946 both USSR & USA ask their embassies to report on
Fulton, Missouri, & gives a speech stating the USSR was a
attitudes in each other’s countries. These reports came in the form of telegrams.
Kennan Long Telegram: Soviet attitudes
threat to freedom & world peace.
George Kennan was an American ambassador in Moscow. His telegrams were He was provoked by the fact that communist governments had
very long. He wrote that Stalin wanted to see the destruction of capitalism & recently been set up in Hungary, Poland, Romania & Bulgaria.
that Stalin feared the outside world wanted to destroy communism, however, if Churchill was speaking in the USA so must have cleared it with
faced with strong resistance, the USSR would back down. This played a key Truman therefore Stalin believed it to also be America’s belief.
role in American policy. (Policy of containment) This, plus the Novikov telegram, increased tension & mistrust,
Novikov telegram: American attitudes & led to the USSR to strengthen its forces & anti-American
Nioklai Novikov was a Soviet diplomat in Washington. His telegraph showed
propoganda.
that the USA wanted to use their massive military power to dominate the world
& since Roosevelt’s death, they no longer wanted to co-operate with the USSR.
Churchill’s speech intensified the growing hostility between East
This meant that the USSR wanted to get as much protection as possible. & West.
