The Allies WIN!!!!!
Big three meet at Yalta– 1945– discuss free elections –Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill
Potsdam Conference– late 1945 Truman replaces Roosevelt. Stalin refuses free elections!!
Churchill– “Iron Curtain”Truman Doctrine– ContainmentMarshall Plan– rebuild Europe– Stalin
refuses aid!!!
NATO and WARSAW PACT
Common Market--- European Economic Community (EEC)
Schulman Plan– international control of coal and steel
Comecon--- Soviet counterpart to Common Market
Post WWII---- Decolonization of Africa and Asia
India—China---Israel---EgyptKenyaHowever—France = neocolonization
Algeria– Pres Charles DeGaulle extends European domination in some part of Africa for economic dependency
4th Republic France-1945-58
Democratic but politically unstable (27 governments)
Universal suffrageWeak president- powerful legislatureMany political parties (coalition governmts)failure to gracefully leave Indo-ChinaBotched the Suez WarFailed to settle Algerian Crisis
5th Republic France-1958-present
Powerful president-Charles De GaulleWeak cabinet—weak legislatureSeparation of powers
DeGaulle’s achievements
Settle Algerian CrisisMade France a nuclear powerSustained general prosperityMaintained stable democratic governmentMade France more politically independentBUT– late 60’s student unrest and social
changes challenged him– Resigned 1968 and died of heart attack in 1970
Atlee and Labour Party:1945-51
Limited Socialist program (modern welfare state) National Insurance Act and Health Service Act
Nationalized coal mines, public utilities, steel industry, Bank of England, RRs, motor transportation and aviation
Social Insurance legislation: cradle to grave security
Atlee
Socialized medicine- free national health care
Britain is in big debtBeginning of the end of the Empire: India-
1947; Palestine- 1948; Kenya- Mau- Mau uprising 1955
Churchill returns- 1951-55 but never tries to destroy “welfare state” created by Atlee
Federated Republic of Germany
Created I 1949- capital BonnArmy limited to 12 divisions (275,000)Konrad Adenauer- 1st president a Christian
DemocratCoalition of moderates and conservativesPro-western foreign policyGerman economic miracle
Italy-- post WWII
Gasperi- was prime minister from 1948-1953
Coalition governments– short and unstable
Soviet Union & Eastern Block 1945
Stalin wins “Great Patriotic War” Reinstates StalinismCold War- exchanges enemy “Hitler” with
capitalismRepress Soviet citizens outside countryDuring WWII– 2 million to work camps
Stalin Paranoia Deepens
Denounces artists and entertainers (including Sergei Eisenstein)
Repress freedom of speech and creativity
Savage attack on Soviet Jews
Export Stalinism
To Eastern Block countries-- one party rule, totalitarianism, puppet governments
Only Yugoslavia under Tito resists Soviet economic exploitation
Stalin purges dissident members of the “Communist Party” to get rid of “Tito” like members
STALIN DIES 1953!!!
Reformers – look for innovations in Soviet Union
DESTALINAIZATION– movement in Soviet Union to distant from Stalin oppressive policies in many areas.
Meanwhile– “Politburo politics” Who would succeed Stalin????
Nikita Kruschev
Emerged as leader in 1955Manintain monopoly on political power but
shook it up with “new blood”Economic policy changed to respond to
need of people (more consumer goods)Relaxed control over workersAuthors- Pasternak-Dr. Zhivago
Solzhenitsen- Day in the Life of Ivan Denisonvich
Foreign Policy-Peaceful Coexistence
Effort toward “super powers” and pressure on 3rd world
Destalinization gave hope to Eastern Bloc
Anti- soviet uprisings in 1956– Poland and Hungary (Pres Nagy)– Soviets quickly put down!!!
Reasons for Kruschev Failure
Foreign policy problems- U2, Berlin Wall, Cuban Missile Crisis, Communist China
Angered Stalin supporters( most in Central Committee)
Forced to resign in 1964 (only Soviet leader who did not die in office)
Breshnev and Kosygin- 1964
Breshnev- head of Communist Party( this is where the power really exists)
Kosygin- President Politburo(was normally jointly given to head of Party) – K will be forced out by 1968 and B will hold both titles.
Re-stalinization– heavy industry, arms build up, strong show to the west and commitment to peaceful coexistence.
Social History- Post WWII
“Big Science”- nuclear, DNA Sputnik, space exploration, physics
1942- Oppenheimer- Los Alamos- atomic bomb (Rutherford split the atom in 1919)
CERN- European Council of Nuclear Research– trying to stop the “brain drain” to USA in 50’s and 60’s
Europe Pools Science resources
Joint projects-- France and England the Concorde 1970’s - and the Chunnel- 1990’s
Class struggle– Class mobility
Middle class loses its propertied advantage- included more professions, less self- employed– more middle management
Movement toward SocialismAdopted social programs after US (EX.
social security & workman’s Comp)Results in rise of AffluenceGadget revolution-consumerism
Women and the Family
Women became more equal and independent; less confined & stereotyped
Married earlier– children quickly“Baby Boom” 1945-1964Birthrate declines by 1968 ---2.5, not 3.0.Women’s movement of the 1960 differs
from women’s movement of early 1900’s= political versus economic
Why smaller family size???
Birth controlEducationWork-career-independenceExpense
Small families meant emancipationRising women’s employment directly
related to declining birthrate