Transcript Yalta and Potsdam Conferencesx

Bring only your orange WJEC book to
future lessons! You will not be needing the
white textbook anymore!
Additionally, all future lessons will now be
found on the VLE under:
Unit 3 – Post World War 2 1945-1991
S
LO: To understand the decisions made and why
Germany was a key point of discussion.
Meeting at Yalta February 1945.
Can you name them?
What do you notice
about date?
Where is Yalta?
The Yalta Conference – Feb 1945
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Why there?
Why then?
Who was there?
Why?
Yalta
The Yalta conference is often thought of as the
beginning of the Cold War. It was a meeting of the
Big Three at the former palace of Tsar Nicholas II on
the Crimean shore of the Black Sea.
They met between 4 and 11 February 1945. Stalin’s army had
reached the River Oder and were poised to attack Berlin. The
Soviet army had been told to pause while the conference took
place. Stalin had occupied Poland and had the largest army in
Europe.
Decision Making:
Yalta
Background
• One of the main aims of a
country’s foreign policy is to
defend itself against invasion. In
1943 it became clear that the
Allies were going to win the war.
How was Stalin to prevent future
major attacks on Russia, like
those of 1914 and 1941? He had
to make sure that the countries
on Russia’s western borders were
friendly, and that Germany was
never again strong enough to
attack Russia.
• What do you think the USA and
Britain wanted? What would they
be worried about?
Decision Making:
Yalta
Background
• One of the main aims of a
country’s foreign policy is to
defend itself against invasion. In
1943 it became clear that the
Allies were going to win the war.
How was Stalin to prevent future
major attacks on Russia, like
those of 1914 and 1941? He had
to make sure that the countries
on Russia’s western borders were
friendly, and that Germany was
never again strong enough to
attack Russia.
• What do you think the USA and
Britain wanted?
1. Worries about Russia
expanding into Western
Europe.
2. If Germany is too weak
Communism could
become popular.
3. Free elections in Germany
Decision Making:
Yalta
Background
• One of the main aims of a
country’s foreign policy is to
defend itself against invasion. In
1943 it became clear that the
Allies were going to win the war.
How was Stalin to prevent future
major attacks on Russia, like
those of 1914 and 1941? He had
to make sure that the countries
on Russia’s western borders were
friendly, and that Germany was
never again strong enough to
attack Russia.
• What do you think the USA and
Britain wanted?
(4 minutes to save the world)
Aims of the Game
• In Pairs: you are either an advisor to
a) Stalin or b) the West. Discuss
and offer suggestions on the
following
1. Actions of individual Nazis who
you will have in custody
2. The Nazi Party and the Nazi
government
3. Germany’s military
4. Compensation and reparations
5. How to manage a post war
Germany.
Yalta (5 minutes)
Use your text book (page 205) and handout to make
notes about the key decisions that were made at
Yalta.
Can you think of any problems with these decisions?
The Yalta Conference:
Key decisions made
• Those responsible for war crimes should be tried in an
international court of justice.
• Germany should be rid of Nazism (denazification) and
democracy restored.
• Germany should be totally disarmed and demilitarised
• Germany should be divided into separate zones of
Allied occupation.
• Germany should pay compensation for damage done
in the war.
Why would this last point prove to be so controversial?
The problems of Yalta
The Yalta Conference was initially thought to be very successful. However, problems
were emerging between the superpowers.
1) The US thought the
agreement to
‘democracy and free
elections’ meant that
Eastern Europe would
have freedom of speech
and proper elections.
Problems
2) The Soviets’ idea of
democracy was the
communist one, where
the Communist Party
represented the people,
and all worked for the
good of the nation.
3) These tensions at Yalta were
the beginnings of much deeper
mistrust and suspicion that led
to the Cold War.
The Potsdam Conference
July-August 1945
Explain what is different between these
photos (can you put it into context?)
Yalta
Potsdam
The Potsdam conference
Churchill
Atlee
Truman
Roosevelt
Stalin
USA
USSR
Great Britain
In May 1945, Germany surrendered.
In July and August 1945, the Big Three met again this time at Potsdam. However, the
Big Three changed.
Roosevelt died, and was replaced by Truman. Truman felt Roosevelt had been too
soft on the communist USSR.
During the Potsdam Conference, Churchill lost a general election and was replaced
by Clement Atlee.
The ‘new’ Big Three did not get on as well as the original Big Three. In addition to
changes in the leaders, there were other tensions at Potsdam.
Tensions at Potsdam
Truman was in the middle of trials for the new atomic
bomb. He didn’t reveal this, but Stalin secretly knew
from his spies. Stalin was furious that Truman kept
the issue a ‘secret’, and saw this as a clear threat to
the Soviet Union.
Stalin was determined to get what he felt the USSR deserved: reparations from
Germany and guaranteed future security.
Truman was determined to force free elections in Eastern Europe to encourage
countries to recover. Stalin had other ideas and wanted to keep the countries weak
to act as a buffer zone.
Task #2
Write down the key decisions that were made at
Potsdam.
Use your text book page 206 and your handout
“Agreements” at Potsdam
Germany was divided into four zones. Each zone was occupied
by one of the four Allies: Britain, France, USA, and USSR. Out
of these zones emerged two countries: West Germany and
East Germany.
Berlin was divided into four sectors.
Germany was to be de-militarised. All German naval and
merchant ships were to be given to the Allies.
The German people were to be “re-educated” and Nazism
stamped out, and war criminals tried and punished.
“Agreements” at Potsdam - Reparations
Initially, German reparations were agreed – each
country was to take reparations from its own area of
occupation. The USA, Britain, and France had
intended to weaken Germany but now realised that a
strong Germany could act as a buffer against
communism, and Stalin’s Soviet Union.
Therefore reparations would end in their occupation
zones, and they aided Germany’s economic recovery.
Reparations for damages did continue in the Sovietoccupied zones.
Final Task
Having read pages 205-206 of your orange WJEC text
Complete questions 1,2,3 on page 206:
• 1. How and why did the peace agreement of Yalta and
Potsdam differ from the Treaty of Versailles
• 2. Why was German economic recovery important to the
West
• 3. What caused the suspicion between the Allies between
the Allies after 1945?
Homework over half-term
• Complete TIG sheets up to this point