Conference Potsdam 1945

David Low, Baby Play with nice ball (9th August, 1945)

Starter

Explain the message the cartoonist is conveying.

Watch this clip

What impression does this give you about relationships between the British, Americans and Russia?

British and Canadians enter Berlin 4:04

Potsdam..... The Versailles of WW2

America had a new president, Truman, who was determined to ‘get tough’ with the Russians. 

When he went to the Conference, Truman had just learned that America had tested the first atomic bomb.  

It gave the Americans a huge military advantage over everyone else, but Truman did not tell Stalin – this angered him later

Stalin

In March 1945, Stalin had invited the non-Communist Polish leaders to meet him, and arrested them.

What does this say about democratic independent elections in Europe ?(Yalta)

Potsdam Protocols

1. Germany divided up into 4 Zones of Occupation

2. Germany De-Nazified and war criminals brought to justice

3. Recognition of the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity and hold 'free and unfettered elections as soon as possible'.

4. Russia was allowed to take reparations from the Soviet Zone, and also 10% of the industrial equipment of the western zones as reparations. 

But the allies openly disagreed about..........

    1. The details of how to divide Germany. 2. The size of reparations Germany ought

to pay.

3. Russian influence over the countries of eastern Europe.

         

Source Work

1. What did the Potsdam Conference mean for the German Economy?

2. Use source 2 to write a short description of the 3 leaders

3. What problems are identified in source 3?

Plenary

1 minute Potsdam