Mass Grave –Concentration Camp

Dresden Germany

Hiroshima –Fall 1945

American Prisoners of Japan

US History II

Yalta Conference – Feb. 1945 – FDR, Churchill and Stalin (Big Three) – planned post-WWII world◦ Stalin’s idea – punish Germany – compromised

said yes to free elections in East Europe, United Nations

Potsdam Conference – July 1945 – Truman, Churchill/Atlee, Stalin◦ No free elections in East Europe

◦ Soviets made Communist Eastern Bloc “satellites”

◦ Germany divided into 4 occupation zones

Question Capitalism Communism

Who chooses what

to produce?People Government

Who chooses who

produces it?People Government

Who chooses who

gets the products?People Government

A state of political tension and military rivalry between the Soviet Union and United States that stopped short of full scale war

West Germany – GrayEast Germany – RedGerman Territory losses - Pink

Trial - 24 of worst surviving Nazis

12 sentenced to death; rest – sentenced to prison

Trials/executions of war criminals

Emperor Hirohito spared – seen as a semi-divine

Gen. Douglas MacArthur- commanded Japan’s occupation, helped turn Japan democratic

Hirohito and MacArthur

Hirohito and Reagan

Containment –1946- Truman’s policy toward communism – its expansion must be prevented

Truman Doctrine - ‘47– US will support “free peoples who are resisting subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressure”

US needed strong, stable countries in Western Europe – political allies to buy US goods

16 countries -$13 billion in aid

Communism lost much appeal in region**

Stalin blockaded West Berlin from aid – June 1948

US & Brits airlifted supplies – Soviets quit – May ‘49 ◦ May ‘49 – British, French, US Zones – West Germany

◦ Oct. ‘49 – Soviet Zone became East Germany

Berlin divided between the two countries!!

Berlin Airlift

Berlin Airlift 2

NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization – US, Canada, & Western Europe– 4/1949

Warsaw Pact – Soviets & Eastern Bloc– May 1955 –response to West Germany joining NATO

1950 1953

1945-49 – US aided Chinese Nationalists (Truman doctrine) Communists – Communists won -10/49

Red- US occupationBlue – Soviet occupation

Korea – ex-Japanese colony – split in 2 after WWII

1948 – North & South Korea formally established

6/25/50 – Communist North Korea invaded South,

6/27/50 - Truman ordered US troops to Korea

UN troops (90% American) and South Koreans pushed North Koreans almost to Chinese border

300,000 Communist Chinese aid North Korea

Gen. MacArthur pushed for using nukes on China

Truman said “NO” – MacArthur fired

Next two years fighting over strategic positions

Korea kept divided – nuclear war avoided

joe dresnok