chapter 7

The Impact of WWII on Europe What happened in Europe? ● Much of the infrastructure (roads, railways, bridges, canals) in Europe was destroyed ● No gas, electricity, running water in most of the places, and disease and malnutrition were widespread as there were desperate shortages of medicine and healthcare everywhere ● Many (over 50 million) people lost or forced to leave their homes Decline of the Western European powers ● Three major European powers: Britain, France, Germany ● Britain: was not invaded/defeated, but exhausted all resources of its people and industries, became virtually bankrupt (almost bankrupt) ● France: was occupied by Germany in 1940, then liberated in 1944, but they lost a lot of their influence and power ● Germany: 1945, defeated in WWII, basically in ruins Early Tensions Between US and USSR History of suspicion and mistrust before 1939 ● 1917: Russia became communist state, USSR ● USSR had a vision aligned to Communist Manifesto → garner communist worldwide to come together and overthrow capitalist states → Got US and Western European states worried that this would influence ppl in their own country + cause communist revolutions ● 1919: Paris Peace conference → Germany was decided not to be split up → British + America afraid of the possibility of a new communist state in Russia and the consequences of it/afraid that Russia would influence the weak Germany to be communist → Wanted Germany to be a barrier to communism, highlights their suspicion toward Russia ● 1918-1921: Civil war in Russia → War between reds (Bolsheviks) and whites (anti-communists) → Reds won though despite US and British troops being sent in ● REMEMBER: US SENT TROOPS IN TO SUPPORT THE “WHITES”, AKA THE SIDE THAT LOST, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY GOT DISTRUST

● 1920s: US had a “red scare” → arrested + imprisoned a lot of ppl (mostly Russian immigrants that were innocent) ● 1930s: British and French had appeasement policy toward Hitler → bc. they were afraid USSR were trying to spread communism by force → British hoped Hitler’s Germany would oppose communism → But appeasement threatens USSR’s security as they thought POA implied Hitler was free to take over Eastern Europe ● 1939: USSR + Germany signed NAZI SOVIET NON AGGRESSION PACT → surprised the world cuz they thought USSR was supposed to sign an alliance with Britain and France against Hitler → nothing happened though ● Dur