Grand Alliance Notes
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-In 1941 Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union
-Along with Japan, Italy declared war on the USA -The Grand Alliance was among the USSR, USA and the UK -The three countries met during the war at three conferences: Tehran in 1943, Yalta and Potsdam in 1945 -Disagreements emerged over Germany, Poland and Eastern Europe -By 1946 the Grand Alliance had broken down completely -In 1942 and 1943 the UK and the US decided to invade North Africa and Italy first, this made Stalin suspicious -D-Day landing in France on June 1944 Formation of the Grand Alliance -In June 1941 Nazi Germany started the invasion of the soviet union called "Operation Barbarossa", the US and UK immediately started supplying the Soviet Union -In August 1941 Winston Churchill secretly met with Franklin D. Roosevelt, trying to persuade the US to enter the war -Instead they agreed on a policy statement called the "Atlantic Charter", this statement defined the Allied goals for the post-war world -In September the Soviet Union and other countries fighting the Nazis agreed to this charter, although it wasn't a formal alliance -This changed in December 1941 when the US entered the war -In January 1942, the Allies issued a joint ‘Declaration by United Nations’, this was known as the Grand Alliance |
Mutual Fears and Suspicions
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1. Soviet take over of Eastern Europe: The USSR gained political control over Eastern Europe, they sliced off political parties one by one, the Polish "free" elections were hardly free as many people were disqualified, arrested, murdered or deported, this made the UK and the US suspicious as they could see that the USSR was already breaking their promises.
2. Soviet pressure on Iran: The USSR tried to increase their control over Iran, they had agreed at the Tehran conference that they would withdraw from Iran after the war, Stalin left 30,000 troops in Iran, he claimed that they were there to "restore order", on 1st January 1946, Stalin refused to withdraw the troops , In March Iran showed the case to the UN, Stalin withdrew soon after, this made the UK, US and UN suspicious as they didn't know why Stalin was trying to control Iran, also it showed that Stalin didn't listen to the opinions of other countries. 3. Instability in Greece and Turkey: After the war there were many political rebellions in these two countries, the British were struggling to control these threats, Churchill was annoyed at Stalin's disregard for their "Percentage Agreement", I think that the UK felt that Stalin was secretly helping these rebellions by sending them supplies, this showed that the USSR could not be trusted. 4. Communism in Italy and France: In post-war Europe communist parties in Italy and France grew stronger, the UK and US believed that the USSR was encouraging them, it gave the impression that the Soviet Russians were also trying to take over western Europe, this increased the fear that the USSR was trying to expand their territory and take over the whole of Europe which the US and UK didn't want to happen. 5. Kennan's long telegram: In February 1946 a US diplomat in Moscow, George F. Kennan sent a telegram to the US describing soviet foreign policies, he said that the USSR was "fanatically and implacably" hostile to the West and only listens to the "logic of force", this increased the fear that the Soviet Union was going to start another war and might take over the UK, it also raised the suspicion that the Russians might be planning something. 6. Churchill's iron curtain speech: On 5th march 1946, former prime minister Winston Churchill gave a speech in Missouri with Harry S. Truman, Churchill angered by the USSR not being able to implement free elections used phrases like "Iron Curtain" to warn the world about the USSR take over of Eastern Europe, Stalin replied by comparing Churchill with Hitler, this marked the day that the Grand Alliance broke down, they both now saw each other as enemies, this increased the fear that the countries might go to war against each other and also the suspicion that Stalin might attack the rest of Western Europe. |
Timeline |