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Churchill + Stalin met in Moscow to establish the percentage of predominance Britain and USSR would have in Eastern European states (ex. USSR to have 90% of Romania + UK to have 90% of Greece)
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4-11 Feb 1945 - Meeting between the Grand Alliance (Churchill, Roosevelt + Stalin) in Crimea
Represented high point in allied cooperation prior to end of WW2
Agreed: Germany + Berlin divided into 4 zones (US,USSR,UK+Fr) UN formally ratified USSR gain land from Poland + Poland expanded to the west/north Declaration on Liberated Europe created -
17 Jul - 1 Aug 1945 - after end of war in Europe (May 1945) - Truman, Churchill/Atlee + Stalin
Successful detonation of US atomic bomb day before the Potsdam Conference (Truman hoped this gave him diplomatic leverage)
Agreed: Germany to be demilitarised, de-Nazified, decentralised and disarmed freedom of speech/press to be restored USSR to receive reparations from it's own zone + 25% from western zone -
Poland post war: Lublin Gov (pro-Stalin gov in Poland) + London Pols (Polish gov in exile in London) Provisional Government of National Unity formed in Jun 1945 - contained parties from both ends of the political spectrum (Stalin's pluralist approach)
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Sep-Oct 1946 -- leaders from France, USSR, UK and US met to agree on peace treaties for the defeated powers following WW2
Settlements not reached for Austria or Germany but treaties for other European powers reached and signed in 1947 (e.g anti-fascist requirements for post-war governments)
Soviet Union walked out in Jul 1947 -
George Kennan sent despatch to US State Department + favoured adopting a hard line approach/saw communism as a threatening ideology to the free world
Believed USSR intent on demonising west (that they viewed as hostile and menacing)
Emphasised the urgency of action from the US Subsequently created the X article -- called for systematic and focused containment of Soviet expansionism -
Churchill (no longer PM) delivered direct attack on Soviet policies -- convinced Stalin of a UK complicit with the US in carrying out an anti-Soviet ideological assault
Impact of speech felt more strongly by Stalin than Truman
Response from Stalin in Pravda (Soviet state newspaper) indicated separation of Grand Alliance -- "Mr Churchill now stands as a firebrand of war" -
Sepresponse to Marshall Plan+Stalin's belief that USA was engineering an anti-Soviet, US-led global alliance
Creation of the Communist Information Bureau (Cominform)--consolidation of Soviet influence in E.Europe-purpose was to unite/coordinate the role and actions of communist groups to function as a united whole under the direction of Moscow
Zhdanov Doctrine--viewed the world in two camps (imperialist USA +democratic USSR) + attempted to control cultural/intellectual life to reflect this -
Feb 1947 Britain announced it could no longer afford to provide aid to the anti-communist forces in Greece and appealed to USA to reveal the financial burden Truman Doctrine -- "policy of the US to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation" + outlined 'containment'/ended US former position of isolationism --attempt to protect democracy and freedom in face of Soviet expansion
Set the foundations for the Marshall Plan -
May 1947 Clayton (Under-Secretary of State for Economic Affairs) = failure to revive economies of Europe would mean a loss of US markets and unemployment in the US + Kennan's Policy Planning Staff (PPS) emphasised the impact of WW2 on structure of Europe
5/6/1947 -- George Marshall unveiled his plan known as the European Recovery Program (ERP)
Over next 5 years plan provided $13.5 bill to 16 countries in Europe
Condition of aid: portion spent on goods from US share economic info with US