Difference between revisions of "Potsdam conference"
(fmt) |
(edit) |
||
| Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
Truman and Churchill failed in their attempts to discourage Stalin from dominating Eastern Europe after the war. | Truman and Churchill failed in their attempts to discourage Stalin from dominating Eastern Europe after the war. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Remarking on the Potsdam conference William Henry Chamberlain wrote, | ||
| + | {{Cquote|Were the terms of the Potsdam agreement to be carried over any long term of years, they would lead to one of the greatest crimes or greatest follies in human history. Should they be rigorously enforced without giving Germany relief, a gigantic Buchanwald or Belsen would be created in the heart of Europe. Millions, perhaps tens of millions, of Germans would perish of malnutrition and associated diseases. It would literally be more human to select a quarter or a third of the German population and extinguish their lives quickly by means of firing squads or gas chamber." <ref>''The European Cockpit'', William Henry Chamberlain, Macmillan, 1947), p. 144.</ref>}} | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 21:30, August 2, 2007
The Potsdam Conference was held near the end of World War II in Germany to discuss post-war issues. Joseph Stalin attended for the Soviet Union, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was there for Great Britain but was replaced by Clement Attlee after Churchill lost reelection, and President Truman (who had succeeded Roosevelt after his death in April) represented the United States. They met from July 17 to August 2, 1945.
Truman’s biggest concern was how Stalin might react to America’s development of an atomic bomb. Stalin simply shrugged his shoulders and took an attitude of “so what?”. One explanation is that Stalin knew more from his spies about the atomic bomb than Truman did. Another explanation is that Stalin had just acquired control of half of Germany and all of Eastern Europe and did not fear the United States in the slightest.[Citation Needed]
Truman and Churchill failed in their attempts to discourage Stalin from dominating Eastern Europe after the war.
Remarking on the Potsdam conference William Henry Chamberlain wrote,
| “ | Were the terms of the Potsdam agreement to be carried over any long term of years, they would lead to one of the greatest crimes or greatest follies in human history. Should they be rigorously enforced without giving Germany relief, a gigantic Buchanwald or Belsen would be created in the heart of Europe. Millions, perhaps tens of millions, of Germans would perish of malnutrition and associated diseases. It would literally be more human to select a quarter or a third of the German population and extinguish their lives quickly by means of firing squads or gas chamber." [1] | ” |
See also
References
- ↑ The European Cockpit, William Henry Chamberlain, Macmillan, 1947), p. 144.