SUPERPOWERS
CONFERENCES 1940s
Teheran, 1943
Compromise location, secure for Stalin (soviet embassy, close to USSR) and Iran jointly
occupied by UK and USSR since 1941 away from German espionage
- Soviets to launch major offensive in Easter front to allow UK and USA to invade
France without German resistance
o FDR guarantees opening of second front- operation overlord/d-day
- USSR and allies to invade Japan
Stalin- territorial gains in Poland, pushed allies to open second front, reputation victory,
hinting that eastern Europe including Poland and Lithuania would fall under soviet influence
post-war
FDR- ensured post-war cooperation and groundwork for UN
UK- sidelined and influenced diminished
Yalta, Feb. 1945
- Declaration of liberated Europe pledged free election governments
- Agreement on creation of UN
- Demilitarisation and denazification of Germany that was to be split into zones
o Exact borders of Germany and Poland not agreed
o Exact reparations not agreed
- USSR given land from polish eastern border, Poland receives territorial
compensation
- Recognition of communist polish government, but Britain supported exiled
London poles
- USSR to join war against Japan
Potsdam, July-Aug. 1945
- Democratization, decentralization, denazification of Germany, Nazis outlawed
and judicial system based on democratic ideals
- War reparations to USSR agreed upon
- Oder-Neisse line created as a border between Poland and soviet Germany
- Increased distrust of western powers towards apparent soviet expansion through
presence of red army and already high sums of reparations from liberated
countries
, - Truman denies soviet help in Japan, after its defeat territories are divided among
allied countries
- Truman failed to inform Stalin about atomic bomb, hoped Stalin would become
more amenable but instead boosted apprehension
o Expedited process of USSR weapons development
o No significant impact on policies, though relations froze over, need for
buffer zone enhanced
1947
Truman doctrine
- Situation in Greece
o Civil war between monarchists and communists since 1944, royal
government reinstated with British assistance
o Brits owed 3,000 million, could no longer afford to maintain troops in
Greece
o Truman bankrolled UK with money and supplies to prevent communist
takeover
- Designed as a response to the situation but also intended to have a wider, global
application to defeat communist insurrection
o Initially in Greece and turkey but then expanded to Korea (1950-53)
- Finalized schism within grand alliance, first time communism expressed as
western enemy, began formation of spheres of influence
- concerns for economic support arguably run deeper than humanitarian
intentions
- Cominform
o USSR tightens hold on eastern Europe, set up body to coordinate communist
parties
1948
Marshall plan interventionalism
- Quid pro quo for American interests
o Attached conditions for providing economic records and essentially
adopting a capitalist economy
o Implied fundamental change to economy’s infrastructure
o Currency convertibility, reduced public spending
- Viewed by soviets as an aggression against European sovereignty to enforce free
trade
o Negative stance towards dollar imperialism and apparent capitalistic
greed
, - USSR had to respond to preserve its own sphere of influence- capitalist eastern
Europe would disrupt its buffer zone evidence NOT of soviet expansionism but
rather soviet self-preservation and defense against aggressive US policy
Czechoslovakia
o Communist stage coup- police force purged of non-communists, only non-
communist in gov faced defenestration, president forced to resign
communist takeover achieved through majority, similar conditions to 1917
Russia but no soviet assistance
o Psychological significance- Western loss- could have provided valuable bridge
between east and west
o Perceived communist threat validated fears of communist expansion, despite
no soviet assistance and already existing communist party presence (more
than 30% parliamentary seats since 1946)
o Truman doctrine and containment policy NOT implemented, lack of
intervention shows acceptance of Czechoslovakia falling into eastern sphere
of influence containment
Blockade
o Previous agreements of yalta and Potsdam of keeping Germany temporarily
divided and controlled by Allied control council undermined
o Separate armed state agreed by uk and France= bizonia, later formation of
trizonia, currency reform introduced (Deutschemark)
o Marshall aid benefitted western zones, living conditions in east Germany
worsened, especially in Berlin- western zone= island of prosperity and
capitalist affluence
o Catalyst for Stalin to sever links with West Berlin, blocked roads, railways and
canals
o West responds with BERLIN AIRLIFT
o Supplies for over 2 million people, important boost in moral for western
solidarity and resolve
o Truman’s aggression and power games reversed, soviets blatantly painted in
negative light
NATO set up, enlargement of Brussels treaty 1948 based on idea of collective security
(article 5)
o Put an end to hopes of agreement, transforming temporary divisions into
permanent future
o First confrontation but everything based on Truman doctrine
o Escalation argument presupposes tensions were already happening, did not
want repetition of Czechoslovakia
CONFERENCES 1940s
Teheran, 1943
Compromise location, secure for Stalin (soviet embassy, close to USSR) and Iran jointly
occupied by UK and USSR since 1941 away from German espionage
- Soviets to launch major offensive in Easter front to allow UK and USA to invade
France without German resistance
o FDR guarantees opening of second front- operation overlord/d-day
- USSR and allies to invade Japan
Stalin- territorial gains in Poland, pushed allies to open second front, reputation victory,
hinting that eastern Europe including Poland and Lithuania would fall under soviet influence
post-war
FDR- ensured post-war cooperation and groundwork for UN
UK- sidelined and influenced diminished
Yalta, Feb. 1945
- Declaration of liberated Europe pledged free election governments
- Agreement on creation of UN
- Demilitarisation and denazification of Germany that was to be split into zones
o Exact borders of Germany and Poland not agreed
o Exact reparations not agreed
- USSR given land from polish eastern border, Poland receives territorial
compensation
- Recognition of communist polish government, but Britain supported exiled
London poles
- USSR to join war against Japan
Potsdam, July-Aug. 1945
- Democratization, decentralization, denazification of Germany, Nazis outlawed
and judicial system based on democratic ideals
- War reparations to USSR agreed upon
- Oder-Neisse line created as a border between Poland and soviet Germany
- Increased distrust of western powers towards apparent soviet expansion through
presence of red army and already high sums of reparations from liberated
countries
, - Truman denies soviet help in Japan, after its defeat territories are divided among
allied countries
- Truman failed to inform Stalin about atomic bomb, hoped Stalin would become
more amenable but instead boosted apprehension
o Expedited process of USSR weapons development
o No significant impact on policies, though relations froze over, need for
buffer zone enhanced
1947
Truman doctrine
- Situation in Greece
o Civil war between monarchists and communists since 1944, royal
government reinstated with British assistance
o Brits owed 3,000 million, could no longer afford to maintain troops in
Greece
o Truman bankrolled UK with money and supplies to prevent communist
takeover
- Designed as a response to the situation but also intended to have a wider, global
application to defeat communist insurrection
o Initially in Greece and turkey but then expanded to Korea (1950-53)
- Finalized schism within grand alliance, first time communism expressed as
western enemy, began formation of spheres of influence
- concerns for economic support arguably run deeper than humanitarian
intentions
- Cominform
o USSR tightens hold on eastern Europe, set up body to coordinate communist
parties
1948
Marshall plan interventionalism
- Quid pro quo for American interests
o Attached conditions for providing economic records and essentially
adopting a capitalist economy
o Implied fundamental change to economy’s infrastructure
o Currency convertibility, reduced public spending
- Viewed by soviets as an aggression against European sovereignty to enforce free
trade
o Negative stance towards dollar imperialism and apparent capitalistic
greed
, - USSR had to respond to preserve its own sphere of influence- capitalist eastern
Europe would disrupt its buffer zone evidence NOT of soviet expansionism but
rather soviet self-preservation and defense against aggressive US policy
Czechoslovakia
o Communist stage coup- police force purged of non-communists, only non-
communist in gov faced defenestration, president forced to resign
communist takeover achieved through majority, similar conditions to 1917
Russia but no soviet assistance
o Psychological significance- Western loss- could have provided valuable bridge
between east and west
o Perceived communist threat validated fears of communist expansion, despite
no soviet assistance and already existing communist party presence (more
than 30% parliamentary seats since 1946)
o Truman doctrine and containment policy NOT implemented, lack of
intervention shows acceptance of Czechoslovakia falling into eastern sphere
of influence containment
Blockade
o Previous agreements of yalta and Potsdam of keeping Germany temporarily
divided and controlled by Allied control council undermined
o Separate armed state agreed by uk and France= bizonia, later formation of
trizonia, currency reform introduced (Deutschemark)
o Marshall aid benefitted western zones, living conditions in east Germany
worsened, especially in Berlin- western zone= island of prosperity and
capitalist affluence
o Catalyst for Stalin to sever links with West Berlin, blocked roads, railways and
canals
o West responds with BERLIN AIRLIFT
o Supplies for over 2 million people, important boost in moral for western
solidarity and resolve
o Truman’s aggression and power games reversed, soviets blatantly painted in
negative light
NATO set up, enlargement of Brussels treaty 1948 based on idea of collective security
(article 5)
o Put an end to hopes of agreement, transforming temporary divisions into
permanent future
o First confrontation but everything based on Truman doctrine
o Escalation argument presupposes tensions were already happening, did not
want repetition of Czechoslovakia
