Iron Curtain Separates Europe

What is your overall impression of Source 26 (p. 70) and use extracts from the source to support your view. (No fence sitting; you must choose one but not both)      

• a reasonable assessment of Stalin’s aims based on the facts
• an overreaction to Stalin’s actions based on fear of and prejudice towards the USSR?               
  My overall impressions is that this report from the British foreign secretary is an overreaction to Stalin's actions because the source clearly states that "The Soviet Government is not prepared to co-operate with any non-communist government in eastern Europe" and also that "Physical control of Europe and Asia and eventual control of the whole world is what Stalin is aiming at". I think that this is a overreaction because I do not believe that Stalin's true intentions were to take over and control the whole world like how the British foreign secretary post says that it was.   



  
2. Source 26 is a British source. Does it seem likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government?  
 Yes I believe that it does seem likely that similar documents like document 26 were being posted by the American Government because it was very clear during most of the Potsdam Conference and the Yalta conference that America and Britain were a team and were very suspicious of Stalin and his actions.   





3. Study Source 27 (p. 71) and make a list of three different actions that Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe. AND Explain how each factor helped.   

Three different actions that Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe were that after the war the communists joined a coalition government then became outright leaders in 1947 when they forced the non-communist leader into exile. This is a significant factor that helped because it forced other countries to join Stalin's ways and join the coalition government. Another action that the communist took was that they became the largest single party in the 1947 elections. They imprisoned opposition politicians and attacked church leaders. This is important factor because they were imprisoning other countries politicians that did not believe in the Soviet ways and that they also were attacking other countries religions and their church leaders.
Lastly another actions that the Communists took were that they in 1945 a communist was elected prime minister within a left-wing coalition and in 1947 the communists also abolished monarchy. This is also an important factor because countries that were controlled by Stalin and his communists could no longer have a monarchy government. 

The Potsdam Conference

1. Read Source 17 (p 68). At Yalta, Churchill and Roosevelt had agreed with Stalin that eastern Europe would be a Soviet ‘sphere of influence’. Do you think Source 17 is what they had in mind?   
 
 I do think that source 17 is what Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt had in mind because they wanted Eastern Europe to take responsibility for their actions that they made during The World War




2. Would they agree with Stalin’s views expressed in Sources 17 and 18? Explain your answer.       
   I do not think that they would agree with Stalin's views that were expressed in sources 17 and 18 because they can say that they are in the position that they are in because of the outcome that the war had on Eastern Europe so for them to have have any help would not be fair because America always has the help of Great Britain.





3.  Explain how each of the three developments described in the text might affect relationships at Potsdam.
  Each of the three developments described in the text might affect the relationships at Potsdam because they could of caused tension and awkwardness  between Churchill Stalin and Roosevelt. 

Origins of the Cold War: Yalta Conference

1. What month and year did the Yalta Conference place?      
The Yalta Conference took place in February 1945.




2. While the conference was taking place who were the Allies (Big Three) still fighting? Be specific. (Consider as well, what hadn't taken place yet that you've already studied.)        
 The big three allies still fighting in the time of the Yalta Conference were The United States, France and Great Britian and their leaders Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin.

 

3. Why was Roosevelt anxious to make concessions to Stalin concerning the fate of postwar Germany?        
 Roosevelt was anxious to make concessions to Stalin because he wanted to create the United Nations before World War Two ended he wanted a democratic world.


 

4. What decisions did Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin make at the Yalta Conference?      
 The decisions that Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin made were that the U.S gets the Soviets to promise to declare war against Japan 90 days after the Germans were defeated. They also agreed on the basics for the United Nations. Also they decided on that Germany would temporarily be divided into four zones. Lastly Stalin promised fee elections in Poland and Eastern Europe.