Effects of the War 24.5

After the WWI, the US Senate opted out of joining the League of Nations, while taking an isolationist approach with its foreign affairs. Why after WWII would the US choose a proactive role in its foreign policy?

Planning for Peace Americans vowed to make a peace that would ensure a postwar world free from economic depression, totalitarianism, and war. U.S. goals included Open Door Policy and lower tariffs, self-determination for liberated peoples, avoidance of debt-reparations fiasco that plagued Europe after WWI, gradual decolonization, and management of world affairs by the “four policemen” Soviet Union, US, GB, China

Political Ideologies and Aims The United StatesUSSR Democracy Human Rights Judeo-Christian God Dictatorship No personal freedom Atheism Recovery Protect Democracy Reparations Buffer states to Protect Communism

The Yalta Conference A host of political questions remained as the war came to and end, including what to do with Germany. FDR, Churchill, and Stalin met in Feb. of Stalin was able to heavily influence the outcome of the conference. Boundary issues were very favorable for the SU. Yalta marked a high point for the “grand alliance”. Each of the allies came away with something they wanted. But the agreements at Yalta did not hold for long.

Potsdam Conference Leaders of the Big 3 meet again in July 1945 outside of Berlin. Truman (US), Clement Atlee (GB), and Stalin (SU) Agreed on general policies toward Germany- complete disarmament, dismantling military industry, dissolution of the Nazi institution and laws, and war crimes trials. Formalized decision to divide Germany into 4 zones- US, GB, FR, and SU.

“ There are moments when the drama of our times seems to focus on a single scene. The meeting at Potsdam [Germany] is one of those moments. We can hardly take in the sense of what happened until it is spelled out in a picture like this. The picture of three men walking in a graveyard. They are the men who hold in their hands most of the power of the world.” Anne O’Hare McCormick, Truman, David McCullough

Agreed to new borders, free elections in Poland, and the Soviet’s right to claim reparations from Germany. Called for the “unconditional surrender” of Japan.

What territory is Berlin located?

A New World Takes Shape After the War, differences between the Allies began to puts divides on the map and in political and economic policies. Germany would divided into 2 countries- a communist East Germany and a democratic West Germany. Nearly all of Eastern Europe fell to communism.

The Occupation of Japan The United States occupied defeated Japan from 1945 to Worked to end Japanese militarism and establish a democratic government. Emperor Hirohito remained in the imperial palace, but Allied Commander Douglas MacArthur ran the country. Zaibatsu -huge corporate families that dominated Japan’s economy Emperor Hirohito Zaibatsu

Shift in Power

2 Superpowers

Shift in Power After WWII, a power vacuum was created- the US and Soviet Union quickly emerged at the world’s two superpowers. Of the two- the US was clearly stronger- no battle (other than Pearl Harbor) took place on US soil. American industry boomed during the war and were very confident. The US had the bomb- the Red Army was the largest military in the world.

International Cooperation The US began to push for an international Monetary Fund and a World Bank. In 1948 they signed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade- designed to encourage world trade.

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an organization that would succeed where the League of Nations had failed. In April 1945 the Senate approved the Charter and its permanent home was established in NYC. It is organized with the basis of cooperation amongst the world powers.

Charter of the U.N. April, nations met in San Francisco to draw up a Charter of the United Nations -General Assembly -All member nations -Security Council -15 members/ 5 permanent members -U.S., Soviet, Britain, France, and China -10 rotating members

Headquarters October 24, 1945, the United Nations official headquarters was in New York City and Trygve Lie of Norway was the first secretary general

Ban Ki Moon

Criminals of War The Axis Powers repeatedly violated the Geneva Convention-an international agreement governing treatment of wounded soldiers and prisoners of war. The Allies tried more than a 1,000 Japanese citizens for their atrocities against China, Korea, and SE Asia. Hideki Tojo was executed (Bataan Death March)

Nuremberg Trials –international court that tried war criminals 4 charges: planning the war, committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and conspiring to commit crimes 12 Nazi leaders were sentenced to death; 7 were jailed; thousands were acquitted. Adolf Eichmann -architect of Jewish extermination program- sought refuge in Latin America

NAZI WAR CRIMINALS

Three of the 19 camp guards tried and convicted by a general military court at Dachau (separate from the Nuremberg one) for atrocities committed at Mauthasen await execution by hanging at Landsberg prison. Their names are Rudolf Mynzak, Wilhelm Mueller and Kurt Kleiwitz Nuremberg Gaol, Germany 16 October 1946 "The Execution of Nazi War Criminals" by Kingsbury Smith (accessed March 15, 2010)

Trials in Tokyo International Military Tribunal for the Far East 1946 It conducted trials against suspected war criminals- 20 leaders of Japanese military Hideki Tojo - Japanese premier-sentenced to death

“For months, for years we had one wish only: the wish that some of us would escape alive. In order to tell the world what the Nazi convict prisons were like.... There was the systematic... urge to use human beings as slaves and to kill them when they could work no more.” Marie Vaillant, Justice in Nuremberg, Robert Conot

The Founding of Israel –Palestine -small eastern Mediterranean region claimed by Jews and Arabs –Despite Arab protest, many Jews after WWII left Europe and moved to Palestine –The United Nations, after early conflict, divided Palestine into two states, one for the Jews and one for the Arabs, but the Arabs objected

Israel Palestine was ran by Britain and could not resolve territory conflicts. The issue was handed over to the U.N. in Arabs were a majority with 67% of population.

Zionism – Movement seeking a Jewish homeland in Palestine – David Ben Gurion- – 1948-British forces left Palestine and he proclaimed Israel -the United States recognized the state. David Ben Gurion-

The Arab-Israeli War –The Arabs rejected recognition and raised the military forces to reclaim Palestine –1949- Ralph Bunche persuaded both sides to accept armistice-first African American to receive Nobel Peace Prize Ralph Bunche

Arab-Israeli War Jews accepted partition and the Arabs did not. Britain’s control of Palestine was terminated on May 14, Immediately, the Jewish State declared the new country of Israel. Both U.S. and USSR recognize the country.

Arab-Israeli War Armies of Egypt, Transjordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq as well as Palestinian guerrillas attacked Israel assuming an easy victory.