Transcript WWII Aftermath

DO NOW!!!
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The Allies have won WWII.
What do we do next?
How can we avoid making the
same mistakes as WWI?
What country now poses the
biggest threat to the United
States?
WWII Aftermath/Cold
War Intro
Both Germany and Japan are in ruins—
wartime governments destroyed
 Many cities are completely flattened by
explosives—no schools, proper homes, or
infrastructure at all
 The fate of Germany is left up to Winston
Churchill, Harry S Truman, and Joseph
Stalin
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– What should some of their goals be?
– What are they going to do that was not done
after WWI?
Despite their alliance during World War II,
the United States and the Soviet Union had
little in common.
The United States
was a capitalist
democracy. The
American people
valued freedom and
individual rights.
The Soviet Union was a
dictatorship. Stalin and
the Communist Party
wielded total control
over the lives of the
Soviet people.
These differences were apparent as the
Allies made decisions about the future of
postwar Europe.
Postwar Goals
U.S. and Britain
U.S.S.R.
Strong, united Germany
Weak, divided Germany
Independence for nations
of Eastern Europe
Maintain Soviet control
of Eastern Europe
Occupied Germany
Potsdam Conference-(Germany) allied
leaders meet to decide what to do with
postwar Germany
 Germany is divided into 4 Zones
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– British, French, American, and Soviet all
control areas of Germany
– The Soviets take the poorer less industrialized
area in the east
– Berlin is also divided up even though it lies in
the Soviet East
– Soviets demand control of occupied territory
and immediate reparations
Occupied Japan
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Economy is ruined
Hiroshima and Nagasaki are destroyed
completely by atomic bombs
The Unites States occupies Japan until 1952—
MacArthur runs the country
– Help rebuild Japanese economy, end militarism, and
establish a democratic government
– A Constitution (1947) creates voting rights for women
and religious freedom
– It is also able to win the support of the Japanese
people—Why?
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Why is the United States so interested in stabilizing Japan?
Do Now.
 Identify
the Nuremberg Trials.
 What is the purpose of the United
Nations?
 Why was the United Nations more
successful than the league of
Nations?
 Can the UN enforce decrees? How?
The Nuremberg Trials (Nazi War
Crimes Trials)
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Allies agree that convicted war criminals need to be
punished
Nuremberg was the former rallying place for Hitler
and the Nazis
– Why did the allies choose this location for the
trials?
Witnesses gave testimony of Nazi atrocities during
war in front of an international court
– Stories of murder and torture of millions of Jews,
Gypsies, and others horrify the jury
12 Nazi leaders put to death, 7 in prisons, and 3
acquitted
Many Nazi leaders escaped to various locations in
South America
Criminals receive a fair trial to set the proper code
of conduct for international law
The United Nations (October
1945) (NYC)
During the war the allies often met to map
out strategies—create a proposal for UN
 Delegates from 50 nations meet in San
Francisco do create a charter
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– General Assembly—includes all member
nations
– Security Council—15 members, 5 permanent
and 10 rotating
 United
States, Soviet Union, Britain, France, and
China are permanent
– Can veto any action proposed by Gen Assembly
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Currently 192 member nations
Israel Founded
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Jews and Arabs both lay claim to a small Mediterranean
region called Palestine
Many European Jews move there after WWII—Why?
Britain had ruled Palestine since WWI—could not resolve
territorial conflict so the issue is turned over to the UN in
1947
– UN proposes a plan do create 2 states; 1 Jewish and 1
Arabic—however it is rejected by the Arabs—Why?
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Britain leaves Palestine in 1948 and Jewish leaders lay
claim to the area (Zionism)
– United States and Soviet Union immediately recognize the new
nation
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Arab states react violently, refusing to recognize the
nation—conflict is still very intense over 60 years later