Transcript Steady Steps to the UN? Or Steady Steps to the Cold War?

Steady Steps to the UN? Or
Steady Steps to the Cold War?
Wartime and postwar conferences
Atlantic/ Newfoundland Conference
August 9-12, 1941
US Aims:
• Gain American support to back
British (failed)
• Assure that there were no
secret agreements (eg: Treaty
of Brest-Litovsk and Poland)
• Arrange repayment of Lend
Lease Act – lower GB tariffs
against the US
Atlantic/ Newfoundland Conference
August 9-12, 1941
GB Aims:
• US backing of Allies would
deter Japan from attacking
Tehran Conference
November 28-December 1 1943
• Establish an “enduring peace”
• First meeting between Stalin and Allies
• Discuss division of defeated Germany
Yalta Conference February 1945
Yalta Conference
February 1945
• British and US try to limit Russian post-war
influence in the Crimea
• Roosevelt wants Russia to help in the
Pacific theatre
• Discuss division of a defeated Germany
• Russia wants a communist Poland
(protection)
Potsdam Conference
July 1945
•
•
•
•
Churchill didn’t really want Stalin to help in the Pacific Theatre so Russia
wouldn’t have too much influence in the Far East
America had successfully tested an atomic bomb and Truman would let
Stalin know about a new bomb and Stalin had little reaction
Stalin’s objective to obtain economic help from war losses – reparations
US and GB no longer needed Russia’s support against Japan
Primary Evidence
Atlantic/ Newfoundland Conference
August 9-12, 1941
Outcomes
• Met aboard the USS Augusta to discuss war
strategy/ plans
• Outline postwar strategy:
–
–
–
–
Would not seek territorial expansion
Liberalization of international trade
Freedom of the seas
International labour, economic, and welfare
standards
– Restoration of self-governments for all
countries that had been occupied during the
war and allowing all peoples to choose their
own form of government
• US is still “neutral”
• Creation of the Atlantic Charter
Atlantic/ Newfoundland Conference
August 9-12, 1941
Significance:
1. Publicly affirmed solidarity between
U.S. and Great Britain against Axis
2. Laid out President Roosevelt’s
Wilsonian-vision for the postwar
world (self-determination, collective
security, open seas, etc)
3. Inspiration for colonial subjects
throughout the Third World to fight
for independence.
Tehran Conference
November 28-December 1 1943
Outcomes
• Western Allies assured Stalin they would invade France
• Operation Overlord set for May 1944 - later delayed
until June
• Russia to help fight Japan after Germany was defeated
Tehran Conference
November 28-December 1 1943
Significance:
• "We came here with hope and determination. We leave here,
friends in fact, in spirit and in purpose."
• Form a UN
• Overlord alleviates pressure on Russia
• Commission to work out the division of Germany
Yalta Conference
February 1945
Outcomes
• Countries in the Crimea and Poland
guaranteed free elections
• Creation of UN confirmed (Charter)
• Reparations
• War Crimes
• Soviet control of lands taken by Japan
Yalta Conference
February 1945
Significance
• Race to claim Germany – Russia wins
• Russia regains lands in the east
• Russian liberated territories gain free vote
• French to get a portion of the US/ GB zone
of Germany
Potsdam
Conference
July 1945
Outcomes:
• German military prohibited and prevented
• Germany to be administered as single economic unit by Allied Control Council
• Stalin allowed to take 25% of West German industry in exchange for food, coal
• Nazi leaders to be tried as war criminals at Nuremberg
• Korea to be divided
• etc
Potsdam
Conference
July 1945
Significance:
• Ultimatum to Japan to surrender
• Stalin doesn’t hold to his promise to allow free
votes in eastern Europe
• Germany divided
Division of
Germany
Russia enters Berlin first
so they get a larger
portion of Berlin and the
area of Germany
around it