1. The Aftermath of World War II:
The Conferences, Trials, & Emergence of the Cold War
World History
Mr. Meester
14-5

2. Vocabulary Nuremberg/Tokyo Trials Yalta Conference Potsdam Conference
United Nations

3. Casualties During the War
Military Dead
Military Wounded
Civilian Dead
Allied Forces
Britain
France
United States
Russia
China
389,000
211,000
292,000
7,500,000
500,000
475,000
400,000
671,000
14,102,000
1,700,000
65,000
108,000
1,700
15,000,000
1,000,000
Axis Forces
Germany
Japan
Italy
2,850,000
1,576,000
77,500
7,250,000
120,000
5,000,000
300,000
100,000
Total Causalities
13,395,500
25,218,000
21,574,700

4. War Crimes Trials
Nazi leaders were tried for “crimes against humanity” at Nuremberg following the war.
22 people were tried; 12 were executed, 3 got life, 4 went to prison, & 3 were acquitted
Similar trials occurred in Tokyo to deal with the question of Japanese war crimes
28 were charged, 2 died during the trial, 7 were executed, 16 got life, & the rest short prison terms
No trials were held against the Allied Powers

5. The Cold War
Started due to the ideological differences between the USSR and the U.S.
Developed at the Allied war conferences held during the last year of WWII.
Vs.

6. The Yalta Conference
Meeting occurred in southern Russia in February of 1945.
Each Allied Power head of state attended; Franklin D. Roosevelt (US), Joseph Stalin (USSR), & Winston Churchill (UK)
Germany was all but defeated, but Japan still remained.
The US wanted help with the invasion. (A-Bomb wasn’t working yet)

7. The Big Three Leaders
Churchill Roosevelt Stalin

8. The Issues
Stalin distrusted his allies & what they would do after the war.
He wanted to keep Eastern Europe.
This would give the USSR a buffer against future aggression.
Churchill & Roosevelt wanted free elections.
Give the people the right to choose their government.

9. Yalta continued
The Allies agreed to temporarily divide Germany into 4 zones
Governed by the US, British, French, & Soviets.
The Yalta Conference would also lead to the development of the United Nations.
US agrees to let Soviets have Eastern Europe in exchange for help in Japan.

10. What happened to Germany?
Germany was forced to pay over $20 billion in reparations.
The division of Germany was meant to restore stability and prevent another Nazi like takeover.
It became permanent due to mistrust between the Soviets and the West.
This created 2 new counties East Germany (communist) & West Germany (democratic).

11. Division of Germany Orange: Britain Blue: France Green: U.S.
Pink: USSR

12. The Conference at Potsdam
It took place in Potsdam, Germany in July, 1945.
The war was over in Europe.
President Roosevelt had died, President Truman took his place
Demanded free elections in Eastern Europe.
Truman knew the US had the A-Bomb
Wouldn’t need Soviet help defeating Japan.

13. Potsdam continued Stalin wouldn’t back down.
He wanted the protection of a Communist Eastern Europe.
The West believed this was part of a Soviet plan to make all of the world communist.
The USSR thought that America wanted to expand capitalism worldwide.
Only months after the end of the world’s deadliest conflict, the globe was bitterly divided again. The Cold War had started.