I. Yalta Conference

A. Teheran meeting 1943

B. Yalta Conference – Big Three – posturing for position and intentions

1. divided Germany

2. reparations to Soviet Union

3. Russia promised to declare war on Japan after Germany

4. free elections in Eastern Europe

5. land gained by Russia from China

C. Who “won”, the West or Russia?

II. United Nations

A. lineage – League of Nations, Atlantic Charter, Dumbarton Oaks meeting

B. Two main groups…

1. General Assembly – each nations gets 2 ambassadors

2. Security Council – 11 members, 5 permanent with a veto vote

III. Cold War Events

A. “cold war” – feelings of distrust between Russia and Western Europe

B. Russian occupation of Eastern Europe; “iron curtain”

C. Opposing views of one another

WEST - saw Russia as a military bully using their might to control others

RUSSIA - saw the U.S. as an economic bully using their money to control others

D. Truman Doctrine

E. Marshall Plan

F. 1948 Berlin Airlift

G. 1949 NATO

H. 1949 Chinese communists

I. 1950-53 Korean War

J. 1954 French Indochina

IV. Problems

A. economics

1. They’re real bad!

2. Marshall Plan – US gives billions to Western Europe (Soviets refuse)

3. Christian Democrats – politically and economically progressive Catholics with vision of somewhat borderless Europe

4. Keynesian economics adopted – deficit spending

5. OEEC evolves into Common Market

a. reduce tariffs

b. free movement of capital

6. Bottom line – Europe makes amazing economic recovery

B. politics

1. Democratic leanings rise – West Germany, France, Italy

2. Socialist/Communist leanings rise – trend toward socialism increases with Labour party as best example

3. movement to unify Europe politically

4. Bottom line – nations largely reluctant to give away sovereignty (Britain especially and suspicious Charles de Gaulle of France)

V. De-colonization

A. Post-WWII, European colonies seek and gain independence

B. Europe largely in agreement to let them go (different view now as arrogance shattered by war and ideals at forefront)

C. “neo-colonialism” enacted under British Commonwealth and similar French