AP World HistoryPOD #25 – American Supremacy

Unconditional Surrender

Class Discussion Questions

McKay- “The Division of Europe”, pp. 990-993

Where did the allies meet to secure the unconditional surrender of Germany and why is this significant?• 1945- American and Russian soldiers

came together at the Elbe River- the terms of peace in Europe would now need to be discussed

• The allies could not cooperate politically in the peace process resulting in a divided Europe by 1947

• A Cold War has descended upon Europe

Who were the influential players in the peace process?

• the United States and Great Britain did not try to take advantage of Stalin’s precarious position fearing that he would consider a separate peace with Hitler

• Big Three- United States, Great Britain, Soviet Union

• Leaders- Franklin Roosevelt (Harry Truman), Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin

What significant decisions were made at Tehran in November 1943?

• reaffirmed desire to crush Germany and force unconditional surrender

• discussed military strategy• Churchill wanted to attack through the “soft

underbelly of Europe” in the Balkans• Roosevelt and Stalin believed a frontal assault

through France was necessary• Allied troops would meet along a north-south

divide- the basic framework for post-war Europe was outlined

What significant decisions were made at Yalta in February 1945?

• the Soviets were in a stronger military position• Roosevelt was sick and near death• Germany would be divided into zones of occupation and

pay heavy reparations to the Soviet Union• The Soviets would declare war on Japan after the defeat

of Germany• Eastern European governments were to be freely

elected but pro-Russian• This agreement in Eastern Europe broke down as the

Red Army occupied these lands and installed friendly regimes

What significant decisions were made at Potsdam in July 1945?

• Eastern Europe became the focus of this conference

• Truman got tough with the Soviet Union• The United States demanded immediate

free elections in Eastern Europe• The Soviets demanded satellite buffer

states in Eastern Europe• The only war would settle the issue- the

Red Army would not unilaterally withdraw

What was the Iron Curtain?

• the United States cut off aid to the Soviet Union in May 1945

• the United States believed the atomic bomb gave them military superiority, thus they got tough with the Soviets or at least talked tough

• Stalin wanted to spread communism in Europe• *** The east (Soviet, Communist, Totalitarian)

was locked in a social, political, economic, and ideological struggle with the west (American, French, British, Free Market, Democratic)