The issue of Germany in the Cold War has long been a controversial question in that in what ways, and with what results, was Germany the key focus on the early stages of the Cold War. While some historians have held that the Truman Doctrine was the key focus during the Cold War, there is a more valid interpretation. It would appear to be that Germany indeed was the key focus of the early stages of the Cold War as show by the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, the four occupational zones of Germany and Berlin, Germany’s division into two countries, the East and West disagreements, the Berlin Blockade and Airlift, as well as the Marshall Plan.
As some historians would argue, the Truman Doctrine was the key focus of the early stages of the Cold War. In February 1947, President Truman was faced with a grave problem. In Greece, communist guerrillas were attempting to take over the country. Britain, with 40 000 troops in Greece, had been lending the government a hand in the fight against communists. Without warning, Ernest Bevin, the British foreign minister, told Truman that Britain was no longer able afford to keep their troops in Greece. Close by, Turkey was under that very same threat.[1] The USSR, waiting for just the right moment to invade, had positioned troops all along the Turkish border. President Truman was very worried about this problem. He feared that communism would spread across the globe, country to country, unless the United States took a stand against it. Truman sought to prevent communism from the disastrous chance of spreading. [2] On March 12, 1947, Truman announced a remarkable speech to Congress. He declared that the United States had to prevent communists from taking control of democratic countries. Saying, “I believe it must be the policy of the United States to support all free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation (control) by armed minorities or by outside pressures.” [3] This policy came to be known as the Truman Doctrine. Truman continued on to say that communism was a wicked system, in which there was absolutely no freedom of speech and that living standards were low. The Congress listened in utter silence. One member of Congress had even said that Truman had “scared the hell” out of them. Congress then went on to vote the sum of 400 million dollars to support Greece and Turkey. The money helped the Greek government defeat the communists and prevent the USSR from invading Turkey. [4]However, there is much more evidence to support Germany being the key focus, rather than the Truman Doctrine.
The Yalta and Potsdam conferences were one of the aspects that contributed to making Germany the key focus of the early stages in the Cold War. By the start of 1945, Germany was on the brink of defeat. Soviet troops had pressed the Germans back through Eastern Europe and were closing in on Berlin. From the west, the British and the Americans were invading Germany as well. In February, Stalin, U.S. President Roosevelt, and British prime minister, Winston Churchill, met at Yalta on the Black sea to discuss what would happen at the end of the war. [5]Assortments of projects for the dismemberment of Germany were entertained. Stalin requested the dismemberment of Germany, without, he, himself forwarding any Soviet proposals. He also declared that the USSR needed reparations worth $10 000 million from Germany. [6]However, very little of these plans to tear apart and weaken Germany economically came to be. Churchill, particularly, was aware that hasty agreements could produce future conflict, and did not want a recurrence of Versailles. In March 1945 Stalin came out stoutly against dismembering Germany and once the conflict ended, he made it clear that he knew how to differentiate between fascism and the German people. [7]The “Big Three,” as they were come to be known as, decided four main agreements. One, that each country in Eastern Europe liberated from the Germans by the Red Army would hold free elections. Two, that the United Nations Organization would be created, to prevent future wars. Three, that when Germany was defeated, the USSR would enter the war against Japan. Lastly, that Germany was to be divided into four zones that Britain, France, the United States, and the USSR would each occupy. As Berlin, the capital of Germany, laid in the Soviet zone, it too would be divided into four sectors, with each of the four countries taking control of one sector. [8]On July 17, 1945, the wartime allies met once again at Potsdam, just outside Berlin. However, two of the three leaders had changed since the Yalta conference. Clement Attlee was now the prime minister of Britain and President Harry Truman had replaced Roosevelt. The three leaders decided to follow through with the plan to divide Germany and to place the Nazi leaders on trial for war crimes. At Potsdam, there was an anxious atmosphere at the conference. President Truman did not trust Stalin. Truman was apprehensive because the Soviets had not held any free elections in Eastern Europe. [9]Then again, Stalin was caught off guard when Truman told him that the United States had exploded the world’s first atomic bomb just a day before the conference opened. Stalin was anxiously nervous that the United States might also use this weapon against the USSR. [10]Unable to agree on a reparations bill for defeated Germany, they decided that reparations would principally be taken from their respective zones. Would not the agreement “mean that each country would have a free hand in their own zones and would act entirely independently of others?” asked Moltov. Byrnes answered that that was essentially true. [11]At Potsdam some comprises were come to agreement. The West gave provision credit to Polish government over ex-German territory, while the USSR reduced its reparation demands from Germany. Potsdam ended agreeably enough, however, since all controversial issues were still left open and unsettled, on the understanding that they would be dealt with by the Council of Foreign Ministers, which was to meet regularly from now on. [12]
