A whole lot of Foreign Policy

 Early 1945, center is on Poland  Who would rule in Poland?  What would the Polish boundary be?  The Soviet puppet Lublin government was recognized as the leaders of Poland  At the Yalta conference, Stalin agrees to unfettered and free elections. He never had it in mind to act on it  Stalin shut the West and 4 freedoms out of East Europe

 “opposed to denazification policy” because Germans would soon join US in opposition to Soviet Union  No need for US- Russia post-war collaboration  Only need was clear definition of sphere of influence and Russia would never expand their area of hegemony

 Does not like the do-nothing attitude toward Stalin  Truman demanded free elections in Poland  Stalin argues that Poland borders Russia, not the US or Great Britain  Stalin stated that he was not consulted with the formation of governments in Belgium or Greece

 Decides on hard-line but it was always verbal  Decides on economic pressure to get compliance with the US  Orders end to lend-lease that countermands it after Stalin becomes upset  Shocking to do this before USSR declares war on Japan  Stalin will build economy from the backs of its people and take industry from Germany

 Truman is faced with recognizing Polish government backed by Stalin or break relations with Soviet Union  Truman decides to recognize Polish government  Many see this as first major Cold War defeat for the United States

 Major issue was Germany  Agreement to split Germany into 4 regions with a military commander in charge of each region  These commanders would form the Allied Control Council (ACC) – they would work out the details of reunification which need unanimity.  Problem: France and USSR wanted a weakened Germany – Great Britain and US wanted a united self-sufficient Germany. The reason Germany was not reunited earlier.

 Russia would also receive 25% industrial capacity from west Germany in exchange for 15% of agriculture from east Germany  Russia got a carte blanche for its occupied zones  Truman came away from meeting with understanding that Russia only understood force and Japan would only be occupied by the US with MacArthur as commander

 Gave Truman an awesome sense of power  The bomb could fight the cold war without sacrificing US citizens, a judicious use of finances, and its threat could shape the world in the US favor  Problem: bombs of could not destroy the USSR  Stalin could match the destruction of Moscow with the take-over of Western Europe

 Stalin would not withdraw troops from Iran because he wanted oil concessions  Russia initiates rebellion in northern Iran to influence events  Russia leaves with formation of Iranian-Soviet oil company  In 1947, the Iranian parliament rejected the company and it was a defeat for the Soviets

 August 1946, Soviets wanted equal access to the straits  Truman tells Turks to stand strong that the US would back them up, even sending a carrier group to the area  Soviets back down

 Becomes wary of US and Great Britain after Fulton, Missouri March, 1946 speech by Churchill in which he said an Iron Curtain had descended across Eastern Europe  Pulls out of World Bank and IMF.  Put more pressure on Iran  Announced a new five-year plan to make the Soviet Union self-sufficient in the event of war  Intense campaign to remove western influences inside the Soviet Union

 Called for international control of atomic energy  Keep the Soviets from getting one and in a series of stages destroy the atomic bombs the US possessed.  Never realized because the US felt the bomb was the only weapon that could hold back the Soviets