Prior to WW II--only one communist nation, Soviet Union. Bad--not
Marxist dream. Opening days of WW II
gives Soviets a chance to expand (Baltics, Finland). Last days
of WW II further expansion, much of eastern
Europe. Question: would communists withdraw? Apparent there
would be problems even before War was over,
so allies met to try to work out an agreement.
Yalta (Feb. 1945), Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt meet. Churchill
and Roosevelt want Stalin out of Eastern Europe,
but Roos. also wants Russian participation in war against Japan and
United Nations. So--Stalin agrees to last
two, Churchill and Roosevelt sell out eastern Europe--no doubt thinking
they can do something after Hitler and
Japanese defeated. Why? Roosevelt naive. Said in
1942, "I think that if I give him (Stalin) everything I possibly
can and ask nothing in return he won't try to annex anything and will
work with me for a world of democracy
and peace."
But within a few months of Yalta, Roosevelt at last saw his mistake.
"We can't do business with Stalin. He has
broken every one of the promises he made at Yalta." "Stalin is
not a man of his word." (Greatest butcher in
history!)
But Stalin did keep his promise to enter the war against Japan.
Two days after the atomic bomb was dropped
and just a few days before the Japanese surrender, Stalin's troops
poured into Manchuria, and as a result of
those token effort, Stalin and the Russians were rewarded with substantial
chunks of Japanese territory. And
soon, the democracies were bargaining with Stalin again.
Potsdam (August 1945). Truman, Stalin, Attlee. Big
issue: what to do about Germany and Eastern Europe.
Germany divided/Nuremburg trials. Eastern Europe, free elections.
But free elections dominated by presence
of Soviet army.
Poland a good example of problem. (Polish officers executed early
in war at Katyn), later in war Soviets delay
coming to help of resistance in Poland. Move in themselves/looting,
killing, raping women. Deliberate.
Treatment of German territory even worse. Rape every female between 8 and 80. Why? Fear of Soviet army.
When elections held in eastern Europe, fear of Soviets powerful tool
of local communists in securing support.
Eventually Soviets control most of eastern Europe.
Churchill warned "An iron curtain descended on Europe." But not
just Europe. 1949 China, too, fell to
communists.
Communism extremely powerful (particularly after theft of atomic bomb."
50's a confident Nikita Kruschev
could say to democracies, "We will bury you." And for more than
40 years it looked as if there was a chance
they would--and then the whole thing came apart.