Imp’s Reviews > From Sarajevo to Potsdam > Status Update

Capitalist countries planned economies, Comm. countries preached virtues of free enterprise.
Eu supposedly lost hegemony, but no part of the world didn't become Eu. or aspire to do so. Everyone wore Eu. clothes, Eu. constitution, motor car, cinema etc.

Civilization once the property of the few: now it was claimed by all. (Intl, societal).
Europe's legacy to the world, only civ. of Eu. pattern can fulfill it.

Soviet contrl. Comm. govs. set up, first disguised, then open.

Evidence of war soon disaprd. Prosperous, democracy stabler. This was often maturing before WWII.
Transf. assisted by two powers falling out.
Hitler scared allies into each other's arms.
Eu. had chance to recover.
Eu. flung themsv. into war with great enthusiasm. No war conducted with such solid popular backing. More houses built & destroyed than ever.

Allies set up as rulers of Ger.
Met at Potsdam, seat of Hohenzollerns.
1939-1945 Historic landmarks overturned.
No new states appeared, no old states disapprd. ex. 3 Baltic states absorbed by USSR.

7m Germans vanished in the lands passed to Pl. Many killed, fled, driven out. 3m Ger. expelled from Cz.
Policy victors learned from Hitler, Nationalism carried to logical conclusion.
Natl. states more national than ever.

Hitler barred the way to compromise.

Pres. Roosevelt more confident about future. April 1945 Truman backed away from Soviet coop. Churchill claimed sounding the alarm on Stalin by 1942. Hitler remained guarantor of Allied unity.
Not total war, total hatred, but unc. surr. only sensible way to deal with Hitler.
May 8 1945 Ger. surrendered unconditionally.
Hitlr. successor govt. ordered out of existence.

Moved against Hitler only in July 1944: von Stauffenberg. Evoked no response.
Failure showed no widespread opp. to Hitlr in Ger.
Most Ger. first enthusiastic for Hitler, later still, or acquiesced.
Obstacles to Res. far greater in Ger.
In it. Res. sustained by patriotism, in Ger. Res. would involve national defeat. Res. tried evading by asking Allies to keep conquests.
Allies committed to unconditional surrender.

Marshal Tito similar significance.
Soon Yugoslav Communists asserted their independence against Stalin.
National independence once again strongest Eu. legacy.

Little resistance or enthusiasm for Mussolini. His overthrow a private conspiracy.
Mus. left no legacy, It. liberated from Fasc. by Itlns.
Ger. more equivocal. Many Com. went over to Nazi side.

Doubters in high places, afraid Hitler lead Ger. to ruin

Resistance work of individuals. Never menaced Ger. rule, but was a serious nuisance. When res. cooperated w/ exiled government, that gov. was restored, otherwise Res. contend w/ native authorities: Fr. clearest example
de Gaulle stood almost alone on June 1940, most acknowledged Pétain
de Gaulle little influence on war, but great on future. Asserted independent Fr.
If Eu. stands as third force, thanks to him.

Rus. owed part of success to jeeps from US.
Rus. called WWII The Great Patriotic War. Patriotism stronger in Rus than anywhere except GB.

Open countries easier to police by Ger.
Fr. collaborated with Ger., resistance mixed w/ internal conflicts.

First resisters patriots (de Gaulle), Resistance tended to swing Left. Simple patriots had to conform or be pushed out, some almost pushed over to Ger. side

Roosevelt thought he could get on better w/ Stalin than w/ Churchill, thought Stalin was easy-going opportunist.
Assumption not far from Soviet policy.

Ger. and It. were only continental powers seriously engaged. GB only Eu. country fully at war on anti-Ger side.
Outcome of WWII depended on US and USSR
US seconded GB indiscriminate bombing.
June 1944 GB and US landed in n. France
Eastern front more weight of metal

USSR less free and more destructive vs alliance of Com. and dem.
Senator Truman wanted to stand aside, Churchill embraced the Soviet cause
Inspired UK to be independent, welcomed USSR into comity of nations. Later tried to undo latter.

Roosevelt meant to impose uncon. surrender on Axis.
UN cloak for world directorate run by US and GB.
Roosevelt assumed USSR will be defeated