-Easters Europe should be seen as "a Soviet sphere of influence"
Disagreement
About Poland. Stalin wanted the border of the USSR to move westwards into Poland.Churchill did not approve it but he also knew tant there was not very much he could do about it because Stalin's red army was in total control of both Polan eastern Germany.
Potsdam Conference, July-Aug 1945
Allied troops reached Berlin, Hitler committed suicide. Germany surrended. The war in Europe was won.
1) Stalin armies were occupying most of the eastern Europe
Soviet troops had liberated country after country in eastern Europe, but instead of moved this troops Stalin had left them there. Stalin controlled the Baltic states, and had set up a Communist government in Poland, like the USA and Br protested he insisted tgat his control of eastern was a defensive measure against possible future attacks
2) America had a new president
President Roosevelt died, it was replace it by Harry Truman. He was different, much anti- Communism and very suspicious of Stalin.
3) The allies had tested an atomic bomb
the Americans successfully tested an atomic bomb at a desert site in the USA. At start the Postdam Conference, Truman informed Stalin about it.
Disagreements
In July there was an election in Britain, Churchill was defeated, so hald way through the conference he was placed by a new Prime Minister, Clement Attlee. There was rivalry and suspicion between Stalin and Truman.
-They disagreed what to do about Germany.
Stalin wanted to cripple Germany completery to protect the USSR against fututre threats. Truman did not want to repeat the mistake of the Treaty of V.
-It was agreed that the Nazy party should be stamped in the sector of Germany
-They disagreed over reparations.
Twenty million Russians had died in the war and the SU had been devasted. Stalin wanted compensation for Germany. Truman, however, was once again determined not to repeat the mistakes at the end of the FWW and resisted his demand.
-Agreed each country was to take reparations from its own area of ocupation
-They agreed over Soviet policy in each Europe
At Yalta, Stalin had won agreements from Allies, and truman became unhappy about Russian intention and soon adopted a "get tough" attitude towards Stalin.
-the soviet Union Russian wanted to share in the ocupation of Japan and Truman blocked the Idea
The "iron curtain"
Stalin achieved the domination of eastern Europe that he was seeking.By 1946, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania all had Communist governments which owed their loyalty to Stalin. Churchill described the border between Soviet- controlled countries and the West as an iron courtain.
Stalin tightens his control
With Communist governments established throughout eastern Europe, Stalin gradually tightened his control in each country.
In oct 1947, Stalin set up the Communist Inf. Bureau, to coordinate the work of the Communist Parties of eastern Europe. This brought the leaders communist to Moscow to be briefed by Stalin and his minister
This also allowed Stalin to keep a close eye on them. He spotted independent- minded leaders and replace them with people who were completely loyal to him.
The only one who escaped this control was Tito in Yugoslavia.
