Transcript The End of World War II

The End of
World War II
Conferences
and
Cold War
End of the War in Europe
 May
7, 1945—Germany surrendered
 US, England, Russia met to
reconstruct Europe after the war:
–Yalta
Conference
(Feb 1945)
–Potsdam
Conference
(July, Aug
1945)
Yalta Conference
 “Big
Three” (Churchill of England,
Roosevelt of USA, Stalin of
USSR) met to discuss Europe
after WW2
 This is FDR’s
last meeting
(died in April)
Yalta Conference
6
Topics Discussed:
–Want unconditional surrender of
Axis Powers (Germany, Italy,
Japan)
–League of Nations was
ineffective—US, England,
Russia, France, China
should form United Nations
(international organization to keep
peace after war)
Yalta Conference
 Topics
Discussed:
–Russia would declare war on
Japan (& help USA invade
Japan) after Germany
surrendered
–Divide Austria, Germany &
capital Berlin into 4 occupied
zones (controlled US, England,
France, & USSR)
Yalta Conference
 Topics
Discussed:
–Roosevelt & Churchill afraid
Stalin would make Eastern
Europe communist after war;
wanted Self Determination
(right to choose democracy or
communist) for Eastern
European Countries:
Czechoslovakia, Hungary,
Romania, & Bulgaria
Yalta Conference
 Stalin
agreed to self-determination if
could have part of Poland; Poland—
should have
free elections
Potsdam Conference
(Stalin, Truman, Churchill)
Potsdam Conference
 After
German surrender, Stalin began
pressuring Eastern European
countries to become communist
 Truman unhappy with these new proSoviet governments; Demanded
Stalin allow free elections as he
agreed to at Yalta
 Stalin refused to allow freely elected
governments in Eastern Europe;
feared they would be anti-Soviet
Potsdam Conference
 While
at Potsdam,
Truman learns the
atomic bomb is ready
 ‘Potsdam Declaration’—
gave Japan ultimatum:
unconditionally
surrender or face
"prompt and utter
destruction"
Review of
Potsdam
&
Yalta
Cold War
 When
the World War 2 finally ended,
2 superpowers remained: US & USSR
 USA—capitalist &
democratic; USSR—
communist
 Different beliefs led to
Cold War; fight for
control of European
countries & supremacy
throughout the world
VS
League of Nations, Appeasement,
Great Depression, Communism,
Totalitarian Regime, Hitler,
Mussolini, Hideki Tojo, Stalin,
Mein Kampf, Kristallnacht,
Poland, Stalingrad, Final
Solution, Blitzkrieg, Phony War,
Fascism, El Alamein, Manchuria,
Midway, Iwo Jima, IslandHopping, Atomic Bomb, Yalta,
Potsdam Conference, Cold War,
United Nations