 1 st meeting  February, 1945  Allies near victory in Europe  “The Big Three” FDR, Churchill and Stalin  Stalin wanted harsh repercussions  Compromises on how to run post-war Europe Churchill, FDR and Stalin at Yalta

1. Agreed to divide Germany into 4 occupied zones after the war – American, British, French and Soviet 2. Stalin agreed to allow free elections in Eastern European countries like Poland 3. Stalin agreed to help the U.S. in the war against Japan and to join the United Nations

 July 1945  Potsdam, Germany  Deciding what to do with Nazi Germany  Participants: Stalin (Soviet Union) Truman (United States – replaced FDR who died in April) Clement Attlee (replaced Churchill in 1945 election in Great Britain)

 Outcomes: Divide Germany and Austria into four occupation zones  division of Berlin into four zones Prosecute Nazi war criminals German populations outside the borders of Germany kicked out (like Poland) Reparations: (Soviets wanted high reparations) but Germany to pay off 20 billion, despite estimated 200 billion in damage

 Nuremberg, Germany   Allies put 24 surviving Nazi leaders on trial  “I was only following orders” was not an acceptable defense  12 of 24 sentenced to death and the others to life in prison  Later trials with 200 more convictions Herman Goering, Hitler's right-hand man, testifies at his trial. He was found guilty of war crimes but avoided execution by swallowing cyanide.

 Crimes Against Humanity: murder, deportation, or enslavement of civilians  Crimes Against the Peace: planning and waging an aggressive war  War Crimes: acts against the customs of warfare, such as the killing of hostages and prisoners, plundering of private property, and destruction of towns and cities

 Total war – involved all parts of society: military, civilians, factories. Mobilized over 100 million troops (total)  Global war: involved almost 60 nations; 7 on the side of the Axis.

 Military cost over 1 trillion  Property damage over $230 billion.  U.S. spent $330 billion.  Europe and Asia ravaged by military action, face difficult economic recovery.  Helped to end the Great Depression – in the U.S. unemployment dropped from 25% to less than 2%  New inventions spur technological revolution.  Scientific Progress: new inventions—RADAR, guided missiles, jet-propelled planes, magnetic mines, atom bombs. First use of blood plasma, penicillin, and sulfa drugs, new role of the airplane, plastic

 Estimate: million troops killed and over 34 million wounded.  Estimate: million civilians killed  US: over one million dead / wounded troops  Millions of people displaced / living in refugee camps  Causes migration throughout the U.S. African Americans move from the South to find jobs People move to take jobs in the defense industry  New jobs for women

 After WWII the surviving Jews of the Holocaust needed a place to return to.  1948 the State of Israel was created by the U.N. with heavy support from Britain and the United States.  Since this time there has been conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.

 Totalitarian governments of Germany, Italy, and Japan overthrown.  U.S. and Russia emerge as world leaders and soon come in conflict (Cold War) Russia acquires an empire of Communist satellite nations. Communism spread to eastern and central Europe and several Asian countries.  The atomic age creates new problems  The United Nations is formed.

 The United Nations is a peace keeping and humanitarian organization  U.N member nations supply troops and money  Headquarters are in New York City.  192 member nations out of 196

United Nations headquarters in New York City. The Secretariat tower is on the left, with the Conference Building in front of it and the General Assembly building, with its sloping roof, to the right. United Nations (UN)