Europe Since WWII

Unit 13– the Last one!!!!

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

Divorce Rate Rises

Women educated– can leave and support themselves

Interfered with careerReflected change in “defined” role of both

gendersEarly marriage- raise children– move on–

(remarriages increase)Divorce rate/1980-US-1 in 4;Sweden-1 in2