HST 112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: East-Central Europe, Walter Ulbricht, Berlin Blockade
Document Summary
The postwar settlement and the onset of the cold war. The division of europe: iron curtain eastern europe and west europe split, east bloc and west bloc. Economic and political features of the two blocs: west: american hegemony, east: soviet domination. Origins of the cold war: ideological and historical hostility, nazi-soviet pact (1939-41, alliance of convenience (1941-45, 2nd/western front, soviet intentions in e. europe. Yalta agreements: division of germany, denazification, big 3"s wish list. Suspicion of soviet intent in e. europe. Sphere of influence and friendly states in e. europe. Agreed to hold free elections : beginning of the cold war, u. s. and britain seen as selling out eastern europe and poland. Walter ulbricht general secretary of communist party (1949-71: allied occupation of west germany. Punish germans viewed as criminals and treated as such. 24 defendants; 12 deaths; 6 long prison terms. Results: 1,500 major offenders, 500,000 minor, us hegemony in western europe.
