Iron Curtain Separates Europe

1. What is your overall impression of Source 26 (p. 70) and use extracts from the source to support your view. (No fence sitting; you must choose one but not both)      

• a reasonable assessment of Stalin’s aims based on the facts
• an overreaction to Stalin’s actions based on fear of and prejudice towards the USSR?        

  Source 26 is a reasonable assessment of Stalin's aims.  At the time it was made, Stalin had taken the "Soviet influence" to mean that they could control other countries, so the source was correct in stating that the Soviet Unions is "not prepared to co-operate with any non-Communist controlled government in eastern Europe".  The source is accurate because the Soviet Union was not allowing the countries under its influence to hold elections for the type of government they want, but just directly controlling and implementing governments for the Soviet Union.  The other reason this is a reasonable assessment is because it states that Stalin is planning to take over the world and "the immensity of the aim should not betray [others] into believing that it cannot be achieved".  This was a good assessment of the facts at the time because a weapon had been developed, the atom bomb, and people believe that, once a country obtained it, it could be used to take over other countries very easily, therefore a country with the bomb could take over the world.  So it was accurate when the source states that the Soviet Union might be able to take over the world. Clearly the source was a reasonable assessment of the facts.

  
2. Source 26 is a British source. Does it seem likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government?      
  It seems likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government.  This is because Britain and America usually agreed on how to handle the Soviet Union.  Also, the government could win over the public and convince them that funding the Cold War was a good thing by producing documents like this that are meant to scare people into fighting the Soviet Union.  Such documents were most likely produced by the American government.



3. Study Source 27 (p. 71) and make a list of three different actions that Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe. Explain how each factor helped.     

•   The Communists disbanded the monarchy of Romania in 1947 after a Communist was elected president in 1945.  This was making sure that there was no other important person in the country besides a Communist.  Without the monarchy, there was not important group to criticize the Communists or threaten their power.
• The Soviet Union set up the German Democratic Republic in 1949 in its part of germany and used its army to control it. This "Democratic Republic" gives the illusion of being free, but can still be controlled by the Communists and, with the help of the military, no one would be brave enough and strong enough to rebel against them.
• In Czechoslovakia, the Communists one the election in 1945 and then became the biggest political party.  In 1948, other parties were banned.  This helped the Communists take power in Eastern Europe by making their party strong and then making sure no other party would ever threaten its strength because they would not exist.  This would also make people accustomed to Communism.

The Potsdam Conference

1. Read Source 17 (p 68). At Yalta, Churchill and Roosevelt had agreed with Stalin that eastern Europe would be a Soviet ‘sphere of influence’. Do you think Source 17 is what they had in mind?    
  Source 17 is not what Churchill and Roosevelt had in mind when they agreed that the eastern part of Europe would be a soviet "sphere of influence".  Roosevelt and Churchill had only wanted the USSR to watch over this area with troops or other government people.  However, Source 17, Stalin, is stating that any region where a country has their troops is a region it controls.  This would mean that the USSR would have direct control over eastern Europe since its troops were there.  Since this control was not what Roosevelt and Churchill had in mind, Source 17 is not what they had in mind.




2. Would they agree with Stalin’s views expressed in Sources 17 and 18? Explain your answer.       
  Roosevelt and Churchill would nto agree with Stalin's views in Source 17 and 18.  Source 17 states Stalin's view that any country that has troops in a region controls this region.  Since this would mean that the Soviet Union would have direct control over eastern Europe and this was not what they wanted, they would not agree with Source 17.  Source 18 states that Great Britain relies on Greece for its security and the Soviet Union does not, so the Soviet Union stayed out of the discussion about the type of government that was to be established there.  It also states that the Soviet Union relies on Poland for its security and America and Great Britain do not.  This is Stalin inferring that Great Britain and America should not interfere with the discussion about what type of government should be set up in Poland.  Since this would mean that only the Soviet Union would be in the discussion, Poland would become Communist.  Roosevelt and Churchill did not want a Communist Poland, so they would not agree with Stalin's views expressed in Sources 18 either.  




3.  Explain how each of the three developments described in the text might affect relationships at Potsdam.      
  The facts that Stalin had troops in most of eastern Europe, America had a new president, and an atomic bomb had been developed.  The fact that Stalin had troops in most of eastern Europe was threatening to Truman and Britain because they did not want communist governments being set up in countries that had just been freed.  This was, however, what Stalin wanted and was pushing for.  Therefore, there was tension between the two and Stalin.  The new president, Harry Truman, also added to the tension between America and the Soviet Union because he hated communism and was suspicious of Stalin.  He thought that all Stalin wanted to do was make eastern European countries communism and was very against this.  This made Stalin feel mistrusted and Truman not trust Stalin.  The third development, the atomic bomb that America possessed, made both Britain and the Soviet Union not trust America.  This is because America was supposed to be their ally, but was the only one that possessed such a weapon.  This also might have made America feel superior to the other two.  This is how the three developments affected relationships at Potsdam.

Origins of the Cold War: Yalta Conference

1. Choose two points of agreement from the list and explain why they were significant for the future peace of Europe.      

First Point:     

  The Big Three agreed to join the United Nations Organization and this group would go on to try to maintain peaceful relations between countries.  This was important for the future peace of Europe because, with the leadership and joining by the Big Three, this group would help ensure peace in between countries, including countries in Europe.

Second Point: 
  The agreement that the Big Three would track down war criminals involved in concentration and death camps was significant for the future peace of Europe.  This is because it was one way to ensure that Britain and the Soviet Union stayed allies, so there would at least be peace between those two countries.  Also, this would keep such camps from being started or attempted in other countries.  This would hopefully decrease the anti-Semitism that could wreck the peace in Europe.


2. Read Sources 2 - 11 on pages 320 and 321. What is your overall impression of the Yalta Conference based on these sources?        
  Based on these sources, although they were allies, America, the USSR, and Britain never really trusted each other.  The Soviet Union always felt as if Britain and America were trying to steal its money and would not let it take over more countries and land.  Meanwhile, Britain and America were afraid that the Soviet Union would end democracies and so they did not want it to expand.  Also, America was nervous that Britain would be pro-Soviet Union.  This was the more serious part of the Big Three not trusting each other.  There were lighter parts, such as Churchill and Stalin teasing each other, but underneath the alliance there was no trust.