Tuesday, March 22, 2016

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.

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