Munich Agreement

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Mussolini, Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier decide to grant the Sudetenland to Germany from Czechoslovakia Largely as an act of appeasement, the Allies were desperate not for an alliance with Soviet Russia, but were neither inclined to go to war o Hitler called a 4 country conference in order to exclude the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia from the agreements. o Agreement of Hitler not to advance any further than the Sudetenland Largely popular in Britain, it had seemed as if Chamberlain had averted war BUT, Churchill and Anthony Eden argued that Britain had acted immorally and had lost the support of the

Czech army, one of the best in Europe. Argue that the Czechs should not resist German advance o Implications were that Hitler now pretty much had control over the rest of Czechoslovakia from the starting point of the Sudetenland Czechoslovakia lost 70% of its industrial and electrical plants to Germany as well as the Skoda manufacturing plant

On October 5th 1938, Benes resigned, acknowledging that the independence of Czechoslovakia was now over. In early November Vienna was awarded Southern Slovakia March 1939 the rest of Czechoslovakia is occupied. This had clear effects on Poland who was now encircled by potentially aggressive nations. As such, the Munich agreement can be seen to not only directly affect Czechoslovakia but also Polish independence Some saw Munich as the final ruling of the Old Congress of Europe. Creating boundary adjustments to keep the peace. Others saw it as an ironic fulfilment of Wilsonian ideas of selfdetermination. Chamberlain largely concerned that Eastern Europe remain open to trade, had no real concern politically about the area.

Germany inclined to agree, needed American raw materials

Can be seen that Munich undid the good work by the Paris Peace Treaties by pretty much arguing that it was okay for Hitler to take over smaller countries as the Allies intended to beat him in war anyway. General feeling of betrayal from the French from both Stalin and the Czechs France had singed pacts with all the Little Entente states (Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia) this was designed initially to work against any Hungarian aggression. o Signed between France and Czechoslovakia in 1924 Nazi-Soviet pact, signed 9 days after Munich removed Nazi fears of a war on two fronts Crucially provided impetus to attack Poland for Hitler Stalins Reasons for the pact Fear of a 2 front war against Germany and Japan Anglo-French Duplicity Manoeuver to gain time

Secret Protocol within the pact partitioned Poland and awarded Russia Estonia, Latvia and Bessarabia

Cairo and Tehran

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Roosevelt acknowledged Churchills wish to divert military resources to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans Wanted a bulwark and Communism Also noted that Churchill was interested in establishing a European Economic Federation Discussions about how to attack Germany, whether to do it from France or from the East Stalin rejected the idea of an Adriatic operation in cooperation with Titos partisans. o Churchill was very keen though Neither Churchill nor Roosevelt were keen to see Russia replace Germany as the dominant power in Europe. Roosevelt was happy to let Churchill take the lead on the agreements of Polish borders His own personal views were similar to that of Stalins the borders should move Westwards o However, the Polish voters in America forced him to not participate in any decision based on Polish borders o Argued that Poland should be happy to get East Prussia and that Stalin was right to demand lands from Finland, won in Russo-Finnish war of 1940 It had been impossible to offer the Soviets strong economic inducements during Tehran They wanted to ensure a pro-Western set of governments in the defeated enemy states, with Communist interference at a minimum Roosevelt always preferred to deal with Stalin alone He thought that an Anglo-Soviet or a Big Three Agreement would somehow be different to a Soviet-American agreement This made Britain nervous as to Roosevelts post-war convictions, he was seen as somewhat of an enigma by British politicians.

Tolstoy/Moscow

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Churchill was concerned about Russian influence but also the Communist system as a whole. Didnt trust them a worry that Russias ultimate aim may be the communisation of Italy: largely unfounded However, Roosevelt made it very clear that he would not support any idea that put Western troops in Eastern Europe Election year worries meant that he was far more difficult to deal with concerning Russia Insisted that final decisions must be put off to the end of the war More concerning was that with British support of Tito in Yugoslavia and the EAM in Greece, they were basically setting themselves up to let Communist Russia pickup their Leftward support in these countries Americans were generally against the idea of spheres of influence Unfortunately, with the Americans being placated by Churchill, Eden trying to keep options open concerning Russian influence in the area and most people being concerned about D Day, there was not much real outcome from Moscow

4/11/2011 6:31:00 AM Tehran Conference Nov 28-1 December, 1943 Support Yugoslavia Confirmation of Operation Overlord Soviet Union to support Turkey Borders of Poland determined by the Curzon Line, demanded by Stalin UN briefly drawn up Allies to enter into war against Japan following defeat of Germany Finland conducting its own war against Russia, not part of the Axis Eastern Europe under the responsibility of Soviet Union due to strong military presence there

Roosevelt had intended to try and deal with Stalin on his own, however his poor health stopped him doing this Victories by the USSR previous to this gave Stalin the upper hand o As such the support of US war policy came at the price of Yugoslavian support and Polish border revision Churchills insistence of the Mediterranean Plan over Operation Overlord created divisions in the Allies, this played into Stalins hands.

Alan Brook, chief of the British General Staff, was later to say: "I rapidly grew to appreciate the fact that he had a military brain of the very highest calibre. Never once in any of his statements did he make any strategic error, nor did he ever fail to appreciate all the implications of a situation with a quick and unerring eye. In this respect he stood out compared with Roosevelt and Churchill." Percentages Agreements Churchill hands Romania and Bulgaria over to Soviet Domination Keeps Greece for the West Share Yugoslavia and Hungary

Yalta Conference: February 4-11, 1945 Agreement to the terms of unconditional surrender of Germany Demilitarisation and Denazification Reparations Agreement to install a government in Poland by the Soviet Union on a broader democratic basis Poland to receive territorial compensation from Germany Soviet Union to join the UN Stalin requested all satellite states be given membership, 14 were denied. Discussion over the division of Germany into new states

Whilst all agreed that former Axis states should have free elections there was no way agreed on how. Molotov inserted clauses which weakened the enforcement of this due to Soviet aims in these countries o The decision to grant Russia the Polish border at the Curzon line meant that many of the homes of fighters from the II Corps and other Polish armies serving under Britain were lost. 30 officers committed suicide in protest. Many felt betrayed that the Allies allowed Stalin to create a proCommunist government in Poland. When Molotov worried that some of the language in Yalta might impede their plans Stalin replied never mind, well do it our own way later Formation of the Eastern Bloc Soviet armies remained in occupied countries following the end of the war Because Communist parties were in the minority everywhere except Czechoslovakia they were encouraged to form coalitions with other anti-Fascist parties o Through this they established womens and youth institutions and trade unions, gained massive control through this o Soviet advisors placed in governmental and military roles

Following this, non-Communist aspects were purged o The Kremlins involvement was kept secret, these states were to appear bourgeois

In states such as Romania and Bulgaria industrial equipment was transported into Russia, where there was a shortage due to the scorched earth policy Typically in satellite states following Soviet occupation there was a vote to abolish monarchies and form republics, shortly followed by persecution of opposition parties by communists and the rigging of elections By 1947 the zones of influence in Europe were in two distinct hostile blocs The Truman doctrine warned the Soviets against advancing into Greece The Communist parties in Eastern Europe form the Communist Information Bureau, Cominform in the face of what they see as Imperialist aggression o The new currency in West Germany zones prompts a Soviet blockade of Berlin, West responds with the Berlin airlift Soviet Post War Aims Establish a clear Western frontier Poland was essential for this as it would allow easy access to its garrisons in East Germany It is likely that Stalin simply took advantage of opportunities in other Eastern European countries rather than having a firm plan to make them all Communist o Stalinisation was a process, not a plan Provided massive financial and material support to Eastern Bloc as well as military presence o Meant that the communists were normally the best organised political force due to the need to build a common front against Fascism In many cases the war had weakened the enemies of the communists anyway

o i.e. Aristocrats had been ruined in Hungary and Poland o Factory owners had had to hand over their assets to the Germans o Petit Bourgeoisie were normally Jewish or German, clear reasons for suffering The peasantry had survived relatively intact as had the tradeunions which were well disposed to the communists o Following the war in which massive casualties had occurred there was very little inclination to offer much resistance to the communists

Potsdam, 1945 Soviets deny claims they are interfering in the affairs of Eastern European states such as Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary Potsdam Agreement regarding the annexation of parts of Poland by Russia and the granting of East Prussia to Poland in reconmpense

Western Betrayal
Casablanca Conference

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tries to make sure that Stalin wont try and create his own negotiated peace also made clear that the Western allies werent going to try and make their own peace with Hitler either o this was a genuine worry for both powers The decision to open a second front in France and not the Balkans paved the way for Soviet advances into the area. o Was the start of the Western Betrayal the abandonment of Poland and the rest of Central and Eastern Europe to Communist power

Quebec conference aims to maintain the notion of equality between states aims to make alliances superfluous Percentages agreements very informal meeting, apparently decided on the back of a serviette o can be argued that what Churchill tried to do here is retaining some sort of influence in Greece in exchange for Romania, given that Romania had already been occupied by the Soviet Union distinctly imperialist idea o serves to highlight a disregard that Churchill had for the area VS. his idea of a Soviet Bulwark and traditions with Greece etc Must be noted that Soviet historians argue this never happened.

o Churchill argued this was never supposed to be a long term agreement, long term agreements were for the postwar peace table. o Subsequently wrote to Stalin noting that all countries should have the right to choose their own government, percentages were a recognition of each states interest in the others. Argued that Romania was very much a Russian affair

Moreover, the pro-Russian forces in the Western sphere were much stronger than the pro-Western forces in the Russian sphere o Churchill was therefore the WEAKER PARTY in the bargaining

Must be seen that there was genuine concern in the foreign office about the Post-War power of the Soviet Union Relations with the Soviet Union after the war would be heavily based on the power which they yielded in Europe. Post War Actions Lack of any real aid in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising Roosevelt didnt sanction any form of aid Churchill dropped small aid anyway and later with Soviet Permission dropped a single large aid drop known as Operation Frantic Resulted in the failure of Polish forces and the destruction of Warsaw German response was bloody and destructive o Nearly 200,000 Polish civilians dead 1956 Hungarian Revolution received no physical or moral support from the Western Allies o perhaps serves to highlight the fact that they had very little political concerns in the area? Same occurred when members of the Warsaw Pact crushed the Prague Spring in 1968