1. Finishing off the War and
Reconstructing Europe and Japan

2. Yalta Conference
• Yalta – Feb 4 to Feb 11, 1945
• Big Three
• Begin making post-war plans
• Roosevelt – wants Soviets to
help in the Pacific
• Churchill – pushed for
importance of democratic gvts
and free elections in Eastern
Europe after the war
• Stalin – demands that Eastern
Europe become a Soviet sphere
of political influence for the
USSR’s protection
• Discuss how to handle Germany

3. Conclusion of War
 FDR dies April 12,
1945
 Adolf Hitler commits
suicide April 30, 1945
 Unconditional
surrender from
Germans on May 7th at
General Eisenhower's
post
 VE Day – Victory in
Europe – May 8, 1945
 Unconditional
surrender from
Germans on May 9th in
Soviet occupied Berlin

4. Potsdam • July-August 1945
• Truman, Stalin, Churchill, and
Atlee
Conference • Issue ultimatum to Japan of
“prompt and utter
destruction” if they don’t
agree to unconditional
surrender
• **Truman receives word of
successful atom bomb test**
• Truman tells Stalin that the
USA has a new powerful
bomb
• Agree to partition Germany
and work on demilitarization,
democratization,
denazification, and
decentralization

5. Casualties of WW II
http://mrbelloblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/WWII-casualties.jpg

6. Partitioning Germany
 Germany is divided
up into four parts
 Britain, United
States, France and
the Soviets
 The democratic
states become West
Germany
 Soviet state becomes
East Germany

7. The Eastern Bloc
 Soviets refuse to give up Poland
and cling onto the countries they
had liberated from Nazi Germany
 Soviet Red Army hand picked
dictators that would be allegiant to
the Soviet Union
 Eastern European countries forcibly
become communist
• opposition is eliminated
• noncompliant states are threatened to
be “crushed with Soviet tanks”

9.  Eastern Bloc states forced to have communist
leadership and have “loyalty” to Soviet Union
 NATO established April 1949, still exists
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Today: 26 member states, 14 allies
 Soviet Union successfully tests the atom bomb
August 1949
 Warsaw Pact established to counter NATO
• Officially Warsaw Treaty of Friendship,
Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance
• Signed May 1955, not disestablished until 1991
• Founding members: Albania (leaves 1961),
Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland,
Hungary, and later East Germany

10. Marshall Plan
 European Recovery Plan
 Secretary of State – George Marshall
 Reconstruction plan offered in July 1947
 Intended to help foster stability and rehabilitation
to European countries
 4 year plan of economic and technical assistance –
13 billion US Dollars
 West takes advantage
 Eastern bloc offered same deal if the Soviets were
willing to make political reforms and allow for
some external controls – Deny help

11. Japan
 Potential Endings:
 1. a massive invasion of Japan, expected to cost millions of
Allied casualties
 2. a naval blockade to starve Japan, along with continued
conventional bombing
 3. demonstration of the new weapon on a deserted island
to pressure Japan to surrender
 4. a softening of Allied demands for an unconditional
surrender
 Hiroshima August 6, 1945
 Nagasaki August 9, 1945
 Surrender August 14

12. Unconditional Surrender from
Japan
 VJ Day
 Official surrender signed
September 2, 1945
 Emperor’s address to
the people
• “Jewel Voice
Broadcast
• Gyokuon-hoso
 Ways the occupation
was done well