World War II Aftermath: Reconstruction and the Cold War’s Genesis
The Impact of World War II
When the Second World War finished, it ravaged Europe and its population, which was decimated. Two new powers emerged: the United States (U.S.) and the USSR. The demographic balance showed around 50 million deaths; nearly half were in the USSR, followed by Germany and Poland.
Consequences of the War
Physical Destruction and Economic Shifts
The physical destruction was immense, affecting cities, infrastructure, and industrial facilities. This destruction caused a reduction in agricultural and industrial production. Conversely, countries that had not relied on outside suppliers experienced great economic growth.
Moral and Social Trauma
Changes in boundaries and the expulsion of ethnic minorities comprised a high number of forced displacements. Human rights had been violated, and violence and cruelty were installed in Europe for six years. Knowledge of the Jewish Holocaust and the consequences of the atomic bomb left a deep trauma on the population.
Post-War Planning: The Peace Conferences
The Big Three Allies (Britain, the U.S., and the USSR) met for the first time in the 1943 Teheran Conference. Attended by Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin, military measures were taken there to accelerate joint efforts to end the war, which was considered won.
The Yalta Conference (1945)
The next conference took place in the city of Yalta in 1945. Decisions included the elimination of the Nazi regime in Germany, the division of Germany and Austria into four occupation zones, and a similar division of the cities of Berlin and Vienna.
Potsdam and the Rise of US-Soviet Discrepancies
The third peace conference was held in Potsdam in 1945. The new players (Attlee, Truman, and Stalin) agreed on various aspects relating to Germany:
- The return of all European territories annexed by Germany.
- The separation of Austria.
- The dismantling of the military.
- The prosecution and punishment of Nazi leaders.
The Oder-Neisse line was established as the border between Germany and Poland. Discrepancies emerged between the U.S. and the USSR, with each accusing the other of using the war victory to extend their influence and hegemony. Mutual distrust led the U.S. to suspend aid to the USSR, which extended its dominion over Eastern Europe. Finally, the Paris Conference (1946) developed peace treaties with Germany’s other allies. The treaty with Austria was not signed until 1955, as Allied countries intervened until that year.
The Founding of the United Nations (UN)
The UN was founded at the San Francisco Conference in 1945 to replace the League of Nations. It began with 46 founding states. Its objective was the maintenance of peace, international security, and cooperation among nations. It established the rejection of force, non-interference in internal affairs, and the right of peoples to self-determination.
UN Structure and Decision Making
In the UN, all member states are represented in the General Assembly, where decisions require a two-thirds majority. There is also a Security Council, in which the five permanent members have veto power over the Assembly’s decisions.
The Deterioration of Allied Relations and Cold War Origins
Upon completion of the Second World War, antagonism between the Western countries and the USSR was evident. The Yalta and Potsdam conferences had divided Europe into two zones of influence, and both the U.S. and the USSR were determined to maintain their positions and prevent their rival from gaining new ground.
Ideological Conflict and Spheres of Influence
The U.S. and Britain were suspicious of the domain the Soviets were exercising in areas liberated by the Red Army, while the Soviet Union felt threatened because the U.S. possessed the atomic bomb. The discrepancies were ideological, as the two states represented antagonistic political, social, and economic models.
To strengthen control over their areas, the U.S. forced the removal of Communists from coalition governments that had formed in some countries within its sphere of influence (France, Italy, Belgium, and Denmark). Conversely, the USSR enabled the Communist Party to seize exclusive power in countries under its influence. In states occupied by the Soviet army, the formation of so-called People’s Democracies (a Soviet-inspired communist system) was driven.