Potsdam

• Background
  • August 2nd, 1945
  • Potsdam deals with Postwar Germany and the Asian end-of-war plan
• 3 Big Changes
• Postdam Particulars
  • Asian Solutions: What will they do about the conquest of Japanese controlled territories?
    • Indochina is occupied by China in the North, and occupied by the Fritish in the South
    • The situation is similar in Korea, where the Soviets control the north, and the US has the south. Both will impose their respective political systems in Korea.
  • Per Yalta
    • The Soviets have agreed to declare war on Japan 90 days after the Germany capitulation on May 9th. The Soviets declare war on August 8th.
    • The question is: will the Soviet presence in Mongolia/ Manchuria/ and North Korea mean the establishment of communist governments and aid the Chinese Communist Party/ Mao?
  • The Potsdam Declaration
    • It is a joint declaration with Chiang Kai-Shek that demands the immediate and unconditional surrender of Japan, or they will be faced with immediate and devastating destruction.
    • Mokusatsu silence
    • During Potsdam, the US (With British aid) Manhattan project has successfully detonated the first Nuclear weapon at Alanogondo, New Mexico. Truman was unaware of Robert Oppenheimer's work until he became president.
    • At Potsdam, Truman informs Stalin casually of a new weapon of "unusually destructive power." Stalin urges Truman to "use it."
    • Stalin was aware of the atomic bomb before Truman, through a network of informants of left-leaning intellectuals that are recruited to build accelerations and fission devices. Many are Socialist/Communist and disapprove of the West's failure to share our nuclear technology with Stalin, and because of this they share the information to Moscow.
  • German Solutions
    • Much of what is agreed upon at Yalta is reiterated at Potsdam, like the 6 D's of Germany:
      • Demilitarize
      • Denazify
      • Decartelize
      • Democratize
      • Deindustrialize
      • Dismember
    • Reaffirms the four zones of occupation by France, Britain, the Americans, and the Soviets for both Germany at large and Berlin.
    • They agree to the forced removal of German Nationalists from Soviet occupied regions. Is this self-determination?
    • Soviet demand for reparations (Economic) will be fulfilled by extraction of wealth from Soviet Zone. Moreover, 10% of German production in the other zones will be given over to the Soviets who will also compensate the Poles' claims.
    • The German standard of living will be less than or equal to European average.
    • Established an Allied Control Commission (ACC) to jointly oversee the 6D and military government of Germany. Will prove to be a delicate and contentious organization.
    • Germany will be converted into an agricultural/light industry economy: textiles, toy, beer.
• Bombing of Japan
  • On August 5th, 1945 Enola Gay drops the Little Boy on Hiroshima. (airplane drops the bomb on the city in Japan)
  • Decision to force a Japanese surrender and prevent excessive casualties (estimated 1,000,000 deaths to take Japan).
  • Or are we trying to forestall a Soviet invasion and subsequent Communist governments by forcing an early surrender.
  • We issue the ultimatum again to Japan, and get more mokusatsu. On August the 8th the Soviets declare war, and we nuke Nagasaki.
  • Japan surrenders with one condition: they want to keep the emperor.

"Today is Yalta day!"

• Background
  • The Yalta conference takes place in February of 1945 at a Crimean resort in Russia. This resort is the "myrtle beach of Russia."
  • The Big 3 attend the meeting: Churchill, FDR, and Stalin.
  • The Allies are reeling from the Battle of the Bulge, while Georgi Zhukov Red Army is 65 miles from Berlin. Stalin has a positive advantage in military position. We "give" Stalin the "honor" of taking Berlin.
  • It is also decided at Yalta what Post war Europe World is going to look like.
• British Perspective
  • Churchill is very concerned about a self-determined Poland which has free elections.
  • Churchill is also concerned about the Balkans and E. Mediterranean with its proximity to Suez. Also Greek and Yugoslavian independence issues are combined with the fact that Greece is undergoing a civil war: Communists vs. Pro-Westerners. Churchill and FDR met in Malta before Yalta.
  • FDR refused to talk about common interests, which would be unfair to Stalin.
• US Perspective
  • FDR had a four term presidency. He is old, dying, and wanting to cement his legacy to end the war on the positive note.
  • FDR has 3 desires for the US listed in increasing importance:
    • Free Poland with free elections, but he was willing to compromise
    • Wants to gain Soviet membership into the United Nations. Stalin wants 17 seats, one for each SSR. FDR rejects and compromises by giving the Soviets membership on the Security Council, which gives them veto power.
    • FDR wants Soviet aid in War with Japan. Stalin says they will help within 90 days of German surrender, but he also wants extended presence in Manchuria (Russo-Japanese War) and Mongolia.
• USSR perspective
  • Stalin wants Poland to be a friendly Government/buffer for Soviet security. He also wants territory acquired in 1939 in the Nazi-Soviet Pact.
  • Stalin also wants reparations from Axis powers. He says he will also accept forced labor and capital goods.
  • There is general concern for Soviet post-war security and economic viability and territory in the Balkans and E. Europe.
  • Stalin lastly wants the legitimate Polish Government to be the Soviet-backed Lublin government, not the London-based government-in-exile.
    • FDR acquiesces as long as Lublin government accepts elements of London group for a "broader-based" government with Free Elections.
• Post War Germany
  • 3 occupation zones for US, British, and Soviets. At Yalta the US and British request a zone for France. Stalin agrees but comse out our share. Ditto for capital of Berlin (and Austria).
  • Berlin is entirely inside the Soviet Zone, which leads to all kinds of problems.
  • German Terms
    • Dismemberment
    • Demilitarization
    • Denazification
    • Deindustrialization
    • Decartelize (demonopolize)
    • Democratize
• Yalta with a Cold War perspective
  • Document 8
    • Djilas on Stalin: Milovan Djilas is a Polithuro-communist and a Yugoslav. He has an interesting perspective because he is a Communist, but Yugoslavia is independent of Russia's influence.
    • Stalin thinks that Army occupation implies the imposition of your "social system."
    • He has the idea of Slavic Unity; pretty much panslavism with Soviet leadership.
    • He predicts a German Recovery 12-15 years later and new war in 15-20 years against Soviets, so he wants security, buffer states, and friendly governments.
    • Djilas notes that Stalin's foreign policy mirrors his domestic totalitarianism, which hardens Stalin's outlook.
    • Stalin dislikes foreign centers of revolution (communist) outside his control. This is essentially Pan-Communist.
  • Document 11
    • FDR's letter to Stalin on April 1st. This is after Yalta, just before his death.
    • He anxiously notes Stalin's failures to live up to his promises at Yalta in Poland.
    • FDR notes US disapproval of Yalta, which Stalin doesn't even care about.
  • Nazi Denouément
    • After the Battle of the Bulge, the Nazis will denude the Western Front of troops and send them east to battle the Red Armies converging on Berlin.
    • US Army advances to Elbe River and stops in conjunction with Yalta. The US "allow" the Soviets to take Berlin.
    • There is a huge mass of refugees which precede the Red Army, causing a huge refugee crisis.
    • Hitler and the Nazi leadership have developed a Hitler bunker mentality. The Führerbunker is outside Reich's Chancellery in Berlin. It's 50 ft deep with 20ft of reinforced steel, concrete roof with multiple rooms for hundreds of people.
    • The fear of bombing lead Hitler and his entourage to live the last six weeks of the war in the Bunker. It is a surreal setting with faint hopes of Nazi victory/miracle.

The European Theater (1942-43)

• 4 primary areas of focus
  • Russian Front
  • North Africa into Italy
  • Battle of the Atlantic
  • Strategic bombing campaign
• Russian Front
  • 1942 witnesses another fast-paced conquest of Soviet territory with little resistance
  • Nazis are also faced with an oil shortage
    • Lack the sufficient reserves to fight on all four fronts
  • Their strategy entails acquiring oil fields
    • Nazi drive aims at the Caucuses and the Soviet oil fields
  • The gateway to southern Russia demands control of the last bridges across Southern Volga, which is at Stalingrad
  • The German 6th army with 600K men is assigned the task to open the gateway to the Caucuses, while the Germans send out another 1.5 million men
  • From Aug 1942 to Feb 1943 is the prolonged Battle of Stalingrad
    • Street fighting
    • Verdun of WW2
  • German army gets cut off by a winter Soviet offensive in Dec 1942
    • Targets the Italian and Romanian forces, 100 miles north and south of Stalingrad
      • Routed and Soviets completely encircle the 6th army
      • Hitler refuses to allow them to retreat
  • By early Feb, 90K Germans finally surrender, only 5K of which return home
  • High point for the Nazis, who attempt another offensive in June 1943 at the Battle of Kursk
    • Germans are defeated and are in constant retreat from the summer of 1943 until their surrender in May 1945
  • During this entire gargantuan struggle, Stalin pleads for the opening of a 2nd front through the Cross Channel Invasion
• North African Front
  • In 1941, the Italians invade and are driven out of Egypt by British forces under Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery
  • Nazis send a Panzer Army to North Africa under Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
  • Rommel drives the Brits and dominion forces back into Egypt and he threatens the Suez Canal before he is defeated outside of Cairo in October 1942 in the Battle of El Alamein
  • In Nov 1942, US forces arrive in "Europe" in Africa in Operation Torch
    • They land in Morocco and Algeria with cooperation from Free and Vichy French forces under General Charles DeGaulles
  • Rommel is caught in between and rushes back to Tunisia
    • Reinforced up to half a million men, but is too late because German forces in Tunisia surrender in early 1943
  • Allied leaders (except Stalin) will meet in early 1943 at the Casablanca Conference
    • Cross Channel Invasion in 1943
    • Unconditional surrender of the Axis - no Treaty of Versailles
    • Churchill and FDR decide, without telling the Soviets, to attack what Churchill calls the "soft underbelly of Europe," going into Sicily and Italy
      • Practice amphibious landings and hoping to knock Italy out of the war, and also use Italy as a base with which to bomb south and east Germany, as well as threaten to liberate the Balkans
  • In summer of 1943, Mussolini is forced from power by Italians (Marshall Badoglio) and in Oct 1943, Italy switches sides
  • Allies slowly advance up the Italian peninsula and finally capture Rome in June 1944 and stop at Florence
  • Famous Battle of Monte Cassino
• Battle of the Atlantic
  • Commercial ships from the Americas are trying to supply Europe vs the new and advanced German U-boats
  • Thousands of merchant ships are sunk until eventually the Allies will employ the convoy system
  • German navy counters with the tactics of Admiral Doenitz, who employs the wolf pack tactics, which are effective, but the U-boat campaign of WW2 is not as serious as WW1
  • US shipping routes are always plagued by U-boats
    • Two main routes for Lend-Lease to Soviets
      • Murmansk
• The War's Progress
  • Russia
    • In 1942-43 the Nazis need oil and are repulsed at Stalingrad and Kursk, thereafter they are in constant retreat
  • North Africa
    • becomes a focus for war when Rommel threatens the Suez Canal, but he is driven out of Africa by British and American forces. After Casablanca Germans were pursued into Italy. He surrenders, ousts Mussolini, and changes sides.
    • The changing of sides is called volte face. Italy becomes a base from which to bomb Southern Eastern Germany.
  • The Battle of Atlantic
    • Seaborne commerce is popular. American production fuels the war against Axis Powers. Lend-lease keeps the Soviets and British afloat. Lend-lease avenues to Soviets are critically important at Murmansk via Iran/Persia. Germans did get a few surface vessels into open seas.
    • In 1935 Bismarck (the ship) sinks 5 British ships. Y Boat production steadly decreases after 1943.
    • Sonar depth changes and Convoy tactics minimize danger
  • Strategic Bombing
    • 2nd Front
      • Great Britain and Italy provide bases from which to strategically bomb German industry and production. Also they extended to demoralize civilian population.
      • The British went at night and US during the day.
      • Strategic Bombing was presented to Soviets as the "2nd Front" in lieu of the Cross Channel invasion.
      • Bombing campaign definitely tied up German resources and impinged on their production. German war production peaks in December 1944 due to lack of natural resources (oil).
    • Allied Superiority and new devleopments
      • Air was over Germany does result in Allied Air superiority by mid 1944 outside German borders and facilitates D-day landings.
      • The US developed a new type of bomber called the Flying Fortress B-17. They also fly in overlapping fire formations, which were very dangerous.
      • German pilots had very high quality aircrafts, they just couldn't produce enough planes. In late 1944, the Germans will introduce the first Jet Fighter called the Messenchmfidt 262, which was mainly made out of wood.
      • Americans developed a long range fighter escorted US Bombers all the way to Germany called the p-51 Mustang. German civilian losses were of little psychological effect.
• Holocaust
  • The Holocaust really wasn't sudden at all; it was an incremental increase of systematic terrorization and eventual extermination of the Jews in E. Europe.
  • Wannsee Conference January 1942
    • Wannsee is a suburb of Berlin. Leaders from across the spectrum of Nazi Germany convene to discuss the "Jewish Problem."
    • Conference is led by Heinrich Himmler of the SS's right hand man, Reinhard Heydrich. He dies in 1942 and Adolf Eichmann takes over.
    • Nazi Germany is suffering labor shortages, so they round up able-bodied Jews to be put to work in SS run labor camps.
    • The labor was then parceled out to individual Nazi-led Districts called gau's. The leader of a gau is called a "gauleiter"
    • The Nazis begin to expropriate labour from Eastern Europe, which is both voluntary and forced.
    • POWs, political prisoners, and the racially inferior are organized by SS. Furthermore, for eastern European Jewish populations deemed unfit for strenuous labor.
    • The Final Solution solves the "Jewish Population" is settled.
    • The Final Solution entails the establishment of new "death camps" to assemble, divide for suitability, and systematically exterminate and dispose of millions of Jews from Poland, Russia, Baltics, Hungary, and the rest of Eastern Europe.
    • Peace of final solution accelerates with downturn of Nazi fortunes in Russia.
    • Hitler's "Legacy"
• Conferences in the War
  • Cairo Conference in November 1943
    • FDR, Churchill, and Chaing Kai-Shek, but not Stalin attend.
    • Stalin has a neutrality pact with Japan.
    • Cairo was intended to establish postwar parameters for Asia/Japan:
      • Unconditional Surrender
      • Return all territories expropriated from China since 1905
      • Japan has to return all Pacific Islands gained since 1914
      • Eventual Independence of Korea
  • Tehran/Teheran Conference
    • Happens 3 days after Cairo, and this time Stalin joins the fun. Chaing Kai-Shek is not here.
    • Stalin is not informed of Cairo decisions.
    • At Tehran the Big 3 (FDR, Churchill, and Stalin) mutually agree that Iran has been "used" overmuch for Lend-lease. They determine to allow Iran to develop political independence.
    • Other main points are
      • FDR and Churchill finally set the date for Cross channel Invasion for May 1, 1944
      • Yugoslavia has strong partisan activity against Nazi occupation of the country, led by Josef Tito.
        • The West will stop supporting the Chetniks (Pro-Western partisans not under Tito) who were secretly Pro-Nazi.
        • The West should support Tito and allow the Soviets to liberate the Balkans, not the Allies from Italy
      • Turkey agree to join the Allies in 1944, which paves the war for eventual Turkish presence. These alliances are precursors for NATO.
• The Cross Channel Invasion
  • June 6th, 1944: D-day or Operation Overlord
    • Allied forces land on the Cherbourg Peninsula in Normandy, France. The troops include the US, GBR, and Canadian with token French and Polish.
    • Hitler was convinced that D-Day was a ruse, and that the primary site was Pas de Calais.
    • We land on 5 beaches along a 40 mile front: Utah and Omaha. Its a narrow peninsula and the troops are bottled up for 6 weeks until the breakout at St. Lô, lead by Patton.
    • By August the Germans are in full retreat, Paris and most of France is liberated, but by late October the Allies are stopped on the Rhine by a shortage of supplies. The winter of 1944-45 is the coldest on record in Europe.
  • The Winter of 1944-45
    • Hitler thinks the US is soft and tries to knock us out of the war. While the US forces await spring to renew offensive, Hitler gathers his last reserves fro an assault on US forces in Ardennes, trying to reach the Channel coast and cut off Allies in Low Countries (Schlieffen Part 3).
    • This is called the Battle of the Bulge: the Germans are utterly defeated, and then they strip the West to defend the East.
• The Eastern Front
  • There are two Soviet Army Groups: one in the Balkans, and one aiming directly at Berlin.
  • By early October Zhukov's Soviet forces are outside of Warsaw. The Soviets contact the Polish Resistance to coordinate their attack on Warsaw with an insurrection inside the city.
  • The Polish Home Army is directed and controlled by the Polish Government-in-exile based in London, which is pro-West and democratic.
  • Zhukov gives the signal for uprising in Warsaw, but the Soviet Army stands pat for two months. The Warsaw uprising is brutally suppressed by the Nazis, and Poland's Home Army is decimated. Moreover Nazis will raze Warsaw.
  • The Soviets then establish an alternative Polish, communist government in Lublin.
  • The question of legitimacy arises. London or Lublin government the spokesman for Poland.
• Stalin and Churchill convene in October 1944 in Moscow
  • They come to reach the Percentage Agreement, also called the Dirty Little Paper. They determine the postwar fate of Eastern Europe.
  • Russia wants 90% control of Rumania, and GBR can have 10%.
  • Greece is 10% under Russian control and 90% British.
  • Control of Yugoslavia is split 50% 50%.
  • Bulgaria is 75% Russian and 25% British.
  • The percentage of control is kind of a cynical notion of a Sphere of Influence.
• Poland
  • British view
    • British had an alliance with and got to war over Polish freedom. They think it its a "Matter of Honor"
    • British demand self determination and claim not to care what system of government they adopt, as long as it is chosen by free elections.
  • USSR
    • Buffer state. USSR was invaded via Poland previously,
    • A friendly Poland was a necessity for Russian security