Healing the wounds of WW2: After winning the war, the allies began discussing how to rebuild Europe and Japan. Germany was the main concern. Potsdam conference – a meeting in Potsdam, Germany between Truman, Churchill, and Stalin to decide how Germany would be occupied. Germany would be split into 2 – East and West Germany. West Germany would be divided into three zones. Each zone would be monitored and controlled by an allied country. The northern part by France, the middle portion by Britain, and the southern half by the U.S. East Germany would be exclusively the Soviet Unions except for the city of Berlin. Berlin was to be split exactly as Germany was.

Japan was also occupied by the U.S. from We helped rebuild their economy and establish a constitution similar to ours. The Emperor was allowed to stay in place, but had no power. Monopolies were destroyed and Japan saw rapid growth after WW2. They would grow to become a powerful U.S. Ally in the future.

Nuremberg Trials – trials and courts were held in Nuremberg, Germany, for the Nazis that were caught after WW2. Witnesses testified against the atrocities. 12 Nazi leaders were sentenced to death, 7 others were sent to jail, and 3 were acquitted. Many Nazi’s used ratlines (escape routes) to other countries, mostly in South America. Adolf Eichmann the architect of the extermination program. Tokyo Trials – 7 people were sentenced to death, and many others were sentenced to life in prison.

The United Nations – an organization created to make sure there were no more world wars and to keep world peace. Members – there are 50 nations in the general assembly and 15 countries on the security council; 5 permanent members and 10 rotating members. 5 permanent members: U.S. Soviet Union Britain China France Eleanor Roosevelt was one of our first delegates to the U.N.

The Founding of Israel – Britain held the territory around modern day Israel known as Palestine since the end of WW1. After WW2, many Jews moved to the region not wanting to go back to Europe after the holocaust. The Arabs already there protested this movement. Also during this time, Zionism – the idea of creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine was gaining ground. Jewish people received monetary and moral support from Americans, other Jewish people around the world, and other countries for their plan. The British put this problem up to the U.N. to decide. The U.N.’s decision – split Palestine into two states; one for Jews, the other for Arabs. The Arabs rejected the idea claiming it was unfair.

In 1948 – British forces withdrew from Palestine. David Ben-Gurion – the leader of the Zionist movement and a leader of Jewish people in Palestine quickly declared their “half” as the nation of Israel. Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union immediately recognized the new state of Israel. This looks like betrayal to the Arabs in Palestine. After the birth of Israel, the Arabs fought back against the Jewish immigrants and started a small brief war with Israel. They wanted to reclaim Israel as Palestine. Forces from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan joined the Arab forces to attack Israel. Israel had money from the American Jewish community and bought advanced weapons to defend themselves.

Final Solution to the Arab-Israeli War: Ralph Bunche – African American sent into Israel to negotiate a peace between Israel and Palestine. He did. The agreement gave Israel more land, but divided Jerusalem into a Jewish and Arab zone. (Like Berlin) Egypt controlled the Gaza Strip, and Jordan controlled the West Bank. A treaty was not signed, only the armistice. It was never fully settled.