World War II and the Grand Alliance

World War II: UK, US, and USSR Britain declared war on Germany Sept. 3 1939 Operation Barbarossa June 22 1941 US declared war on Japan Dec. 8 1941 As the three main countries fighting the Axis powers, what do they have in common? Despite being on the same side of the war, where did disagreement/tension start to show in relation to the war?

Things to consider . . . Through Lend-Lease, the US provided $31 billion in aid to Britain and $11 billion to the Soviet Union. 2015 equivalent: $450 billion and $160 billion US and UK launched propaganda campaigns to help improve public opinion of the Soviet Union Uncle Joe Although all three were at war in 1942, the Soviet Union was holding down the only front in continental Europe.

Atlantic Charter—August 1941 Roosevelt and Churchill meet at sea of the coast of Newfoundland. Agree to oppose all postwar territorial changes that violated the wishes of the population concerned support democratically elected governments in regions emancipated from German rule Favor creating international peacekeeping organization to supplant League of Nations What would USSR think?

Churchill Roosevelt (Truman) Stalin Declining power Fighting longest Balance of power Preserve empire Eliminate German dominance Pragmatic Smaller losses Primarily in Pacific More ideological goals End to Auth. Regimes blamed for war Keep US/USSR in war against Japan Idealist B/c of losses deserved comp. in E. Europe (Poland and buffer frontier) Eliminate German dominance Security against antagonistic powers in West

Conferences Casablanca—January 1943 Cairo and Teheran—November 1943 Yalta—February 1945 Potsdam—August 1945

Casablanca—January 1943 Roosevelt and Churchill Stalin declined b/c Stalingrad, Free French present but minimal role and not in military planning Objective: coordinate their policies Tactical procedure, allocation of resources, diplomacy Advancement of the idea of unconditional surrender to bring about the “destruction of the philosophies in those countries which are based on conquest and subjugation of other people.” –Roosevelt Logical progression of Atlantic Charter Why meet in Casablanca?

Cairo—November 22-26 1943 Churchill, Roosevelt, Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) Objective: boost sagging Chinese morale with continued financial and military support for the nationalists. Discuss war with Japan and future of Asia. Four Policemen—idea that there would be a dominant power in each main region that would be responsible for keeping the peace in that area. China would fill the vacuum after defeat of Japan.

Roosevelt and Jiang shared ideas about China overseeing decolonization and facilitate the onset of a trusteeship system in Asia. Roosevelt did not want Indo-China to go back to France. Not supported by UK and eventually dropped. Cairo Declaration Continue the war against Japan Insist upon unconditional surrender Remove Japan from lands it conquered Restore Japan to its 1894 frontiers (pre Sino-Japanese war) Agree to no Allied acquisition of land on mainland Asia or in Pacific Islands